FLIP Camera + 8 year old

A recent Woot purchase was my Flip videocamera. The primary reason for my purchase was to have a videocamera that my third graders could manipulate easily. So, I gave my 8 year old the camera, a list of geometric shapes, very little instruction, and set him loose. From the quality of the video I can tell that we would need to work on video taping skills, but, all in all, I am impressed. I think this camera will be a fine addition to my elementary classroom.

Here are the steps Ry and I followed to make a finished product:

1.Hooked the Flip to the Macbook's usb port (cactus, as he calls it)
2.Dragged the video from the camera
3.Opened the video in Quicktime, exported it as a .mov
4.Opened iMovie09, imported the video
5.Added a title slide ... by this time I lost him to his Lego collection, so I did the rest without his assistance.
6.Exported the completed movie as Quicktime.

So now I am thinking, with some training, this type of project is feasible in the elementary classroom! We have many "treasure hunts" as part of our math program. Wouldn't it be incredible to have kids film their treasures instead of writing them down. Sharing back to the group could be much more clear! The alternative is having kids describe their findings. What if they could actually see them. And... what if the camera went home and the treasure hunt took place outside of school. Oh, the possibilities, without cords and tapes to manage.



PA Academic Anchors:


ISTE - NETS:
1. Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

2. Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

5. Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.

6. Technology Operations and Concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.


Warning: Video may cause motion sickness:
http://gallery.me.com/lorips#100221

Special thanks to my son, who has been stuck with many challenges since I haven't had my own third graders. :)

Also...I know Ry needs to understand the difference between circle and sphere and he could point out what part of the windows, table, and tv are parallel. I was focusing on process. If I did this in the classroom. I would insist that the content be correct as well. :)