Digital Cameras for Teachers
Classroom Ideas
Elementary classroom ideas
Young children:
- love taking pictures and (most of them!) love being in them.
- will learn how easy digicams are to use and how fast you can see the actual pictures.
- can view photos on a monitor or Smart Board
- can email pictures as attachments.
- become more involved with the subject when digital cameras are involved. They can be guided in deciding what to photograph and why.
- can be responsible for taking the picture and caring for the camera.
How will your students handle your camera?
1. Teach them the rules beforehand! Digital cameras are still rather expensive when compared to regular film cameras, and younger children must be aware that they are responsible for the equipment. A sample document of Digital Camera Rules:
When they have learned the rules, you can issue an "Official Photographer" pass with their picture on the front and the safety use rules printed on the back as a reminder. Below is a link to a pdf document with 4 Photographer's Passes ready to print.
4 ready to print passes (right click & download)
2. It is important that students take appropriate photographs. Students will discover how easy it is to take a picture and later delete it. Some casual snapshots are okay and encouraged, but they should learn what is and is not an appropriate picture.
3. Be aware of your school's policy regarding publishing of pictures, especially in public places like newspapers or the internet. Help students to be choosy and not to print every single picture they take. Just because it is printed on paper doesn't mean they should be wasteful.
Don't be afraid to experiment. Students seem much more willing to figure out how things work without worrying about making mistakes. They love being able to teach the teacher how to do something. Let your students see you with the camera so they will get used to it. They won't continually pose for it, and you'll learn how to use it. Be creative! Brainstorm on projects to use your camera with your students.
Digital camera ideas you can use in your elementary classroom:
1.Have kids dress up and take pictures of their future careers.
2.Take a series of photos of students demonstrating a how-to, in order to teach sequencing and instruction
3. If your students are growing fast, record how they grow through pictures!
4. Assign pairs of students to go on a walk through the school on a treasure hunt for objects of a certain color, objects starting with the letter "C," objects of a certain type like furniture on wheels, or geometric shapes, etc.
5. Create a virtual tour of your classroom. Have each student select an area to photograph and describe to create one page in a slideshow. Expand to create "tours" of your school and/or community. Make a big map of your school or community and put pictures of locations.
6. Document a school project: planting & growing of a class garden, any school construction project, the tree outside your classroom window throughout the seasons, etc.
7. Create a "School Rules" or "Class Rules" book complete with illustrations of acceptable behaviors (with your students posing "caught" in appropriate activities).
8. Have teams of students take pictures of everyday things to make their own dictionary or English/Spanish word book.
9. Take pictures around town of easily recognizable signs, whether road signs or The Golden Arches to help with reading readiness.
10. Assign a new "Class Photographer" each week, to record at least one classroom activity to send home in a class newsletter. The child can write the photo's caption.
11. Take pictures of students role playing a story they have read. They can learn about story sequence and scenes.
13.Use photos of students to illustrate an "All About the Author" page for student's written work.
14.Make a Classroom Trading Card at the beginning of each year. Each card should include the student's picture, their full name, and important facts about that student. Print out on card stock and have students had them out to each other so each student has a full class set. Post a set on a bulletin board, use as drawing cards to decide groups, who's next on the computer, etc.
15. Insert a digital picture of you on your "Welcome to my classroom" card that you send out before school starts.
16.Take a class picture and print iron-on t-shirts transfers or bandanas to wear on field trips.
17. Use student photos for "Student of the Week" displays, special certificates and awards.
18.Take lots of pictures when your class is on a field trip. Each student can choose one picture to write about.
19.Take pictures of students with their families during open house. Label each picture, so you will recognize parents at conferences later in the year.
20. Print a contact sheet of your entire class (a contact sheet is thumbnails all on one page). Label each picture with the student's name. Helpful for subs, parent helpers, and non-readers.
21. Use printouts of pictures of bulky art projects to put into a student portfolio.
22. Use Microsoft's free Photo Story to create a slide show with your digital photos. Burn to CD for the students and their families.
23. Make greeting cards in class for students to take to their parents.
More ideas for digital photos:
- make locker magnets
- make thank you notes
- use with pen pal letters
- make stickers with student name and picture
- make a monthly bulletin board highlighting special activities
- make a memory book for the students for the year
- publish student books
- make a weekly newsletter
- make bookmarks with their picture on it
Digital Cameras for Teachers
EOU Malheur County Center (541) 889-7468 or (541) 889-6222
