Tell me if you’ve experienced this in your Zoom classroom. After projecting a problem, have you ever asked your remote learners to hold their papers up to the webcam so you could see their answers and work? And then you had to squint your eyes to decipher them because half of the class wrote in pencil (that’s too light to see) and the other half are only showing part of the problem? ME TOO! After this I thought, maybe they just need to write in marker, that should be dark enough to see! Well, that solution only worked for the half of the class that could actually figure out how to hold their paper up to the webcam just right!
But then I had an idea,*lightbulb*
What if each student in your Zoom classroom had their own document camera?!
When it was time for them to show their work, they would just need to switch their video from their webcam to their document camera! Voila.
In this blog post, I’m sharing 5 activities remote learners can do with the OKIOCAM S document camera that will increase their engagement!
The best part?
You’ll never have to say, “Can you hold your paper closer to the screen?” again!
As described on their website, “Flipgrid is a video discussion community for your classroom that supercharges your students’ voices. You add the topics, your students respond with short videos, and everyone engages!” My middle school students are often too self-conscious to record their own faces so having a document camera would allow them to move the focus to their work! You could prompt your students with a weekly math challenge.
A document camera is great for sharing student work, but it is also great as a “Be The Teacher” presentation tool. You would start by displaying a problem with an incorrect solution. To be the teacher, students would take turns showing and talking through how to correctly solve the given problem.
You could sort students into breakout room groups where they could all solve the same problem and get feedback from their classmates. They would easily be able to see each other’s work with the OKIOCAM S document camera.
Bingo is one of my all-time favorite math activities. I love seeing how competitive my students get. I suggest using mini-whiteboards for each problem to limit paper use! After remote learners in your Zoom classroom work through each problem, say “GO!” to have them all turn their document cameras on!
I love task cards! They are a simple way to quickly assess students. I use them in multiple ways but one of my favorite ways is with whole class practice. I like to display one task card and give students a few minutes to answer. With the OKIOCAM S document camera, you could watch each student solve the problem and easily point them in the right direction. Take a moment to look at student work and determine if you need to go over the steps to solve the problem.
While taking notes in your Zoom Classroom, instead of having webcams on, students could use their document cameras to show them actively taking notes. Therefore, this would be a great way to see which students are still writing!
Having your students use the OKIOCAM will encourage active participation that they would not be able to have in a typical online classroom.
Remember how I said you don’t need a ton of money? You can grab an OKIOCAM for only $69 over at Amazon.
Additionally, OKIOLABS is currently running a promotion for 10 of their OKIOCAM S document cameras for only $450! Learn more by visiting their website!
Disclaimer: *This post includes affiliate links, meaning I will receive a small commission at no cost to you!
Welcome to my Blog!
I started The Sassy Math Teacher in 2020 to help teachers like you increase classroom engagement and teach with confidence!
I also love to share about my life as a teacher including my favorite outfits, home items, gadgets and trips!
