How the IPEVO document camera enhances remote teaching
Technology has enabled teachers to teach from anywhere and enabled students to learn from everywhere. Online classrooms have increased access to education and given teachers the flexibility to work from the comfort of their own homes. But despite these benefits, educators still face challenges with remote teaching. Recently, teachers all over the world have had to adapt to distance learning, losing access to traditional pedagogical tools like whiteboards, physical learning materials, projectors, and even face-to-face interaction. Luckily, IPEVO has designed its document cameras with these challenges in mind, providing affordable and versatile teaching tools to accommodate the unique needs of remote learning.
With a philosophy that technology should allow educators to do more at a lower price, IPEVO’s intuitive document cameras have enhanced the remote teaching experience — and thus the remote learning experience — as illustrated by the following examples from educational institutions all over the world.
Public school districts
In Illinois, Dave Jenkins, the Assistant Superintendent of Technology Services, instructs teachers on how to use IPEVO’s VZ-R document camera to continue teaching from the safety of their own homes. For example, Mr. Jenkins has taught math teachers in the Crystal Lake School District how to use the document camera to easily show math formulas over video conference. The VZ-R easily plugs into any computer and can be set as the video source or used in conjunction with a webcam, displaying math formulas to students via a number of compatible video conferencing apps.
Homeschooling
IPEVO document cameras have also added to online homeschooling. For Chris Colley, an Educational Consultant for Learn Quebec, the VZ-X document camera has been a gamechanger for his remote teaching style. With three connection modes — WiFi, HDMI, and USB — Mr. Colley is able to show his students real-time, high-resolution images with a variety of setup styles that suits his needs. The VZ-X is also compatible with a multitude of educational software, including Seesaw, Camtasia, OBS, and even IPEVO’s very own Visualizer, which makes the teaching experience more interactive with added features like flipped classroom videos.
High schools
For JoyceAnna D’Alessandro, a Secondary Intercultural Literacy and Language Acquisition Specialist, clear communication with her high school foreign language students is the key to her pedagogy. The VZ-R document camera allows her to teach and model almost as if she were in the classroom. And its compatibility with Google Classroom and FlipGrid allows for easy communication with her French and Italian language learners.
University-wide e-learning
Dr. Steve Rowett, the Digital Education Developments Team Leader for the University College London, is responsible for designing and evaluating technology-enhanced learning spaces. With the shift to remote learning, Dr. Rowett emphasizes the importance of using writing “as a form of teaching, even from home.” He relies on the VZ-R document camera at home. Connecting the document camera via USB, Dr. Rowett uses the IPEVO Visualizer software and shares the application to show his writing — such as math equations — with students. He also uses the Visualizer software to control the features of the document camera, make recordings, and to integrate seamlessly with other platforms like Lecturecast (Echo 360) Universal Capture Personal, Blackboard Collaborate, and Microsoft Teams. The compact design makes both setup and storage a breeze for all of his lessons. Dr. Rowett is also able to use his iPhone as a document camera thanks to IPEVO’s iDocCam app. Used together with the Visualizer software, the iDocCam app instantly transforms his personal smartphone into a document camera for teaching and learning purposes.
The shift to distance learning has required all educators to adopt an innovative approach to teaching. With the help of IPEVO’s interactive document cameras, teachers all over the world are able to reach, teach, and engage learners wherever they may be.
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