Digital Cameras & Video Reflection

This week, we have been learning how to incorporate the use of digital cameras into our classroom. Our assignment was to take ten pictures relating to a core curriculum topic for our desired grade in preparation to make a slideshow.
Immediately upon starting this assignment, I realized just what a great tool a digital camera can be for a teacher. I love that we were given an assignment that will allow us to create a "visual experience". I never realized just how much of the world around us can be used to teach our students until I started taking these pictures.
The main thing I love about this assignment is the idea that once I start teaching, I can do this sort of presentation for almost any subject or topic in my own classroom. By using our own pictures instead of random photos off the internet, we are able to show our students how they can see these things in their own state, city, school, or even backyard. It is an awesome way to help the students get interested and relate to a certain topic.
I also immediately thought of the possibility of collaborating with other teachers with the use of digital cameras. If one of you or one of your colleagues to a vacation to a national park or another educational site, that could provide numerous pictures for an entire department. You could use these photos in slideshows or posters to teach about that particular place. I think it will be very helpful to bounce ideas off of and borrow pictures from other teachers.
As an educator, I think it is so important to stay current on and use many of the newest technologies in your classroom. Digital cameras are such a great way to capture the world around us and use it to learn. I know my digital camera is a tool that I will definitely use in my classroom. I also think digital cameras could be a great tool to introduce to your students. It would be interesting to assign a project similar to the one we are doing and see what students would be able to come up with.
I like the idea of being able to create your own slideshows specific to what you are teaching and also using your own pictures. I think by doing this, students will be more likely to look for what you teach them in their surroundings. It is a great way to reinforce information. Before doing this assignment, I never really thought of a digital camera as a tool that I could use to teach, but now I know how valuable it can be.

Video Reflection:
I thought that both of the videos for this week were fairly interesting. I loved the top ten list about the things you don't learn about teaching in college. I think as a teacher, you will constantly find out little bits of information such as the ones they mentioned in the video. The mashup was a really cool idea as well. I know that if half the videos I watched in school were as interesting as that one, I probably would have paid more attention to them. It is a really cool concept that I think could help catch students' attention and get them involved.