Simple gadgets for your class: Webcams
Webcams are usually attached on top of computer monitors, providing images online. A lot of educators might associate this gadget with chat rooms and web conferences. However, used with the right website, a webcam can turn into a great virtual field trip for your students.
All you have to do is locate webcams that produce educational feed, learn how to use the webcam in your classroom, and find out more tips on how to teach and learn using this Information and Communication Technology.
No matter where the country, city or event is, webcams can give students a vicarious experience. How do sharks behave underwater? What is NASA doing right now? These instances can now be captured by webcams, and shown live right in your classroom.
Cyber field trips
Teachers who have already introduced webcams in class attest to the fact that students can’t get enough of it.
In North Dakota, U.S.A. for example, students share their personal struggles with a natural disaster. Webcams have the unique opportunity to communicate ongoing phenomena in a timely format that people can see.
Several things to note regarding webcams are:
- Webcam technology is improving drastically. There are some that allow students to zoom or move the camera or even switch camera feeds.
- There is now better Internet broadcasting, with more fluid images much like a live television show.
- Interactive webcams like Google Earth’s new webcam layer gives versatility to classroom discussions.
Here are some of the more notable webcams for your classroom purposes:
Sources:
“Sites to See: Eyes on the World.” Retrieved January 13, 2010 from
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/sites/sites081.shtml
“Visual Field Trips - Webcam Feeds for Classroom Viewing.” Retrieved January 13, 2010 from
http://mrssmoke.onsugar.com/2959452
“Web Cams Bring Lessons to Life.” Retrieved January 13, 2010 from
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech100.shtml
(Published 01 February 2010, Smart Communications Inc.)
