Implications and Teaching Opportunities for Camera Use in Teaching and Learning.

Link to Image: Words by Nowak

Part A

 Zoby Analytical Study
1. 87% say their smartphone never leaves their side.
2. 80% say the very first thing they do in the morning is reach for their smartphone.
3. 78% say they spend 2 or more hours per day using their smartphone.
4. 68% say they would prefer to use their smartphone instead of their laptop or personal computer for personal use.
5. 91% say that having a camera on their smartphone is important (61% very important)
6. 87% say they use their smartphone camera at least weekly. 59% use their smartphone camera at least every other day. 44% use their smartphone camera for still or motion picture taking every day.

As this study suggests, it is now near impossible to get students away from their phones. Data suggests that in the near future every student will have a smartphone on their bodies at all times regardless of rules and regulations. Social media has allowed social cliques of those few friends one had in high school to become a plethora of friends from around the globe.  Now that it is to the point where their morning routine is to wake up and check their smart phones, educators will have to find a way to use them in their lessons.

It seems that every smartphone since the first has been fitted with a personal camera. These cameras allow anyone to upload personal images to a variety of social media on the web including Facebook, Tumblr, and Flickr. With almost 50% of students taking photos everyday, the camera element could and should be used in the classroom as a way to bring relevant information with a tool that students use on a daily basis.

Part B

By using their own personal smartphone camera, students can take pictures of relevant images or ideas to a subject. As an educator, someone could make a class blog post where the student must post a relative image or images to a topic and post to the blog, either by their own blog or in a comment. This would provide not only a real world application on the subject but also build on the students research skills at the same time. One might also think about using the camera to take personal videos of students giving reviews on literature and other text. Going into Language Arts myself, I can see the proper use of the camera to allow students to post or send pictures and videos of what they have read providing summaries, favorite moments, or possibly pointing out literature mechanics in use.

Other than just using the camera, the smartphone itself is a great tool for the classroom. After stumbling upon a website called poll everywhere which allows a creator to make a poll question that sends text to various phones for a poll, I can see where a daily quiz question could be implemented by use of the smartphone.