Digital Camera Mania in the Classroom

The use of digital cameras in the classroom opens up many new doors of learning for your students. From ways to help the students have a broader view of the world, to just recognizing him or her by having a cut-out picture of his or her face on an object, digital cameras are a great use in the classroom that should not be ignored.

Top 10 Ideas of Integrating the Use of Digital Cameras into the Elementary Classroom:

1. Field Trip/Activity Documentation
2. Virtual Field Trip Slide Show
3. Science Projects of Seeing Things from a New Perspective
4. Slide Show Presentations for Parents/Students--Ex. "A Day In the Life of Your Classroom"
   
5. To Show Changes of Students from Beginning of Year to End of Year
6. Photograph students dressed up as who they want to be when they grow up, take a picture of them, then use as illustrations of careers as you talk about them. (Could do something similar for history.)
7. Have the students to right a mini-book. Then take a picture of them and place it on the front with their name below showing authorship.
8. Have the students make Mother Day cards or presents with their pictures on them.
   
9. Video/Slide Show Yearbook
10. Use to take pictures for labels within the room.

Integrating Technology Standards with Content Standards

As a teacher in the 21st Century, the integration of technology standards with content standards will not be as difficult of a task as it has been for pass teachers. As our schools become more technologically literate and equipped, the ability to incorporate technology with every day subjects will become more robotic. The key of the use of technology in one's class is not to just use the equipment and fulfill the requirements, but to thoroughly teach the students how to properly use the different types of technology. I will be able to give my students hands-on experience with technology to prepare them for the growing world around them.
My lesson planning will have to incorporate technology in one way or another for pretty much every subject. I or the students will need to be involved with technology in some way. I will need to plan not to only use technology, but also to help educate the students in furthering their capability to function in the different types of technology.

Me, Myself, and I

My name is Jeanna Groves. I am a sophomore at Appalachian Bible College in the elementary education program. The Lord has placed a strong burden upon my heart for the souls of the New England states. I feel a leading to go and work with church plants and already established churches. With the Lord's direction in this area, He has also lead me in the way of earning an education so that I may support my future family and ministry. However, I do not view my elementary education just as a way of support; I also view it as a God-given ministry. With the hope of being involved with church planting, Christian schools will more than likely not be available to me. Therefore, I feel a leading to work in the public school. I, myself, went to a public school for the majority of my elementary through high school career, and understand the need for Christian teachers in the public setting. My mother is also an educator, and I feel she has been used by the Lord to direct me in the teaching direction. She has worked both in the Christian and public setting, and feels the strongest calling on her life in the public schools.
As a teacher, I hope to be one that will open the door of opportunity to my students. I want to constantly have my students discovering for themselves. I want my students to be working with not only their brains, but also with their hands. I believe technology will be of a major benefit in fulfilling this desire. With the ability to take students across the world, while still sitting in their classroom's chairs is an amazing opportunity that needs to be taken advantage. Future students will be handed a new world filled with technology and advancements that past generations did not have the luxury of having. Therefore, I, as a teacher, need to prepare myself to be capable of educating future minds with the new technology and advancements that are taking place every year.