Journal #4

Campbell, L. O. (2012). If you give a kid a video camera .. Learning & Leading with Technology, 39(5), 30-33. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/February-2012.aspx

The article "If You Give a Kid a Video Camera..." talks about how using technology can benefit a classroom. In this case it is a video camera used in a Language Arts class. 

The author explains how a camera can be used in every classroom in some way to benefit the education of the students. It just takes time to develop how it can be used. In most cases simply filming a student discussing the topic will works best. The tech-savvy youth are drawn to recording themselves on personal devices and by using this in class they are more engaged in the subject. It also acts as a way to reinforce the material by creating multiple ways of taking in information. It is also pointed out that film has benefits outside of the class. For students who are unable to attend a lesson or a class trip, the film can be put online so the students can insure that they are not left out or fall behind.

Question 1: In what situations should a camera be used for given subject?

This seems to very a great deal base on the subject matter. The two subjects that this can best be used in are English and Social Studies. In English film can be used to make reviews of books as well as short clips of vocabulary being used. Social Sciences can use it to make presentations and to record skits done by the students. It can also be used while performing an interview. For science the camera can be used to document the steps taken throughout an experiment. If something goes wrong it is much easier to locate the problem than trying to remember it.

Question 2: How does technology increase a students understanding of the subject?

Technology can be used to expand a students understanding of a subject greatly. Not every student learns simply from seeing something written down on paper or a whiteboard. For a student who best learns by use of audio or spatial skills technology can be of great benefit in understanding the content of a subject. By using video clips they can hear the material allowing them to take it in or by making a video they are able to interact with the material.