Beyond Sesame Street: My Elmo

My document camera is called an Elmo. I think that is the brand name, however, at our school they are simply lovingly refered to as “The Elmo” by teachers and kids.  This whole document camera stuff is so formal. I prefer red furry creatures.

Today I want to share some creative ways to use your (ahem) Elmo in the art room. (or whatever type of document camera you may have or pine for).

Mine sits on this handy cart that sits in the middle of my triangle-shaped art room. The cart also has a VCR/DVD combo inside with a projector screen. The cart is a little huge for my tastes, however it gets the job done.  In this photo I am standing in the widest part of the triangle. The door (or lack thereof) is the tip of the triangle. Get it?

My projector  and Elmo are on all day every day. I use them with every single class I teach. The number one thing I use my document camera for is to demonstrate. Kids sit in front of me or behind me in the chairs as I demo on the screen.

Here I am showing students and example of a piece of work. I love to get zoomed in to the perfect angle to highlight what I am trying to show. I think demonstration is the most obvious use, however, there are other creative uses.

Below, I am using the Elmo to set up a still life. I have short classes, large classes and a small room, so logistically setting up a still life on each table is tricky.  This is where Elmo comes in. I set up the still life and then I simply tilt the camera to show the front of the still life.

See how clearly all of the students can see the shapes and values? It works quite well! Notice how I have all of the still life items in a clear Rubbermaid on it’s side? This way I can simply pick up the tote and put it somewhere safe so nothing moves so they can continue to draw the following class.  Because I have no time between grade levels, I really value the quick transition this provides.

I also enjoy using the Elmo to read books. The kids can all see the pictures and it makes it fun and interactive. Kids like to come up to the screen and point to things.

Other ways I use the Elmo?- Sometimes I will have students put their work under the Elmo when they are finished Kind of like a gallery showcase. The possibilities are endless.

This is a great site with even more uses for a Document Camera in the classroom:

50 Plus Ideas for Using Document Cameras

Do you have a Document Camera? If so, what are some creative ways you use it?