lights, camera, action! - document camera visualiser

Tired of looking for teaching videos that meet your needs?
Do it yourself.
Have you ever wanted you to have a video tape about a particular subject and found nothing out there?
After spending money on a commercially produced video tape, are you frustrated to find that the video covers the subject in a way that confuses your students?
Or did you spend a lot of time stopping the tape, pointing out that the method used was "not the same as what we did "?
I have, I can provide you with a solution to these problems: Make your own instructional video.
That's what we did at the Augusta Institute of Technology in Georgia: assemble five portable video units ---
One for each division and one for the media center.
Hang a document camera (
Also known as visual presenter)to a 20-
54-inch TV/VCR
Each unit comes with a standard microphone.
Since these units are mobile, they can be pushed into any classroom in a matter of minutes.
Set the document camera on the teacher's desk, plug the micro phone into the document camera mike port, plug the tape into the VCR, and set the TV to "line" input.
The instructor can increase the voice volume setting on the document camera dashboard based on his or her voice level.
The rest is to open the side of the document camera-
Install the light and press record on VCR ".
We found many of the advantages of recording classroom instruction: * by creating our own tape, without copyright issues, we are free to copy any copy we want from the master.
* We present our approach to students, not the generic one.
* Students can view a copy of the tape from the media center or at school.
If necessary, the student can purchase a copy at aprice as determined by us.
* Since these tapes are made "live", students can review the classroom materials exactly as they are shown.
* Students can review the classroom material multiple times as needed to absorb it so that teachers don't have to spend valuable classroom time reading the same material.
* Anything suitable for the visual presenter stage can be recorded.
The camera of the visual presenter is versatile and has a good depth-of-
On-site perception.
We use it to capture work from the "plane", such as computational math problems, to three-
Dimensions such as the curvature of dental aids and automotive engines.
Most importantly, you take advantage of the students' favorite pastime: watching TV.
However, video recording of classroom teaching is not without disadvantages.
Some coaches can't relax before cameras and microphones.
Also, since the TV screen is usually 20 inch in diameter, this technology may not be suitable for large classes.
A good rule of thumb is 20-
The inch screen will serve about 20 students at a distance of no more than 20 feet.
To solve the first problem, I suggest an uncomfortable coaching experiment at the sound booth in our media center (a non-
Site environment)
Until he or she feels comfortable with the process.
It takes more money to solve the second problem. -
Connecting the system to a video projector can significantly amplify the projected image, but the cost can be prohibitive.
We are in the original department and the Information Technology Center (ITC)
Resource Collection.
We kept at least two copies of the tape in the ITC, one student was able to check out and the other was left in the center.
We also keep a couple of 13-
The center's inch TV/video recorder allows students to watch the tape using a set of headphones. These self-
The video tape made includes
The third in full circulation of our library.
You need this device if you want to start using your own video system: * 20-inch TV/VCR (
If you can afford a bigger TV screen, go ahead. )
* Document camera (
Make sure you have a mini phone jack for the model you ordered. )
* Standard microphone with solid base * 2 10-foot RCA-to-
RCA phone plug for audio connection-andvideo-
Output port to audio on document camera-and video-
TV/video recorder in portson. The 10-
The length of the foot allows for flexible placement of the document camera.
What's the bottom line?
Less than you think: about $3,300 per unit-
If you already have portable trolleys, microphones and TV/video recorders, that's even less.
The document camera is the most expensive part of the device;
We paid about $2,500.
If this price is out of your budget do you have an old tripod?
If you can get a camera with a video, you have a business-and audio-
Port and some bungee rope.
Screw the camera to the threaded bracket on the tripod so that the camera can be installed vertically.
Do not release the camcorder at this time, otherwise the camcorder will fall off the holder.
The bungee rope came in from there.
Wrap a few bungee cord around the camera and fix them on a tripod.
Now you have a self made document camera.
It may sound like it was taken together, but that's how we started recording it. It works.
There is a drawback to this set --up.
Since the center of the tripod is upright in front of you, you must try to write around the pole.
Now you just plug the video and audio into the TV/VCR.
Because the camera already has a camera.
With mike installed, you don't need a separate micro phone.
Plug the tape into the camcorder and push the "record" away and you're gone. Karl E.
Williams is an expert in teaching media at the Augustine Institute of Technology in Georgia.