IMPLICATIONS AND TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAMERA USE IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

PART A

Technology in the classroom is imperative now. There is a major shift in schools allowing students to access school materials by smartphone technology. Everything a student needs is right at their fingertips. As an habitual smartphone user, I believe that there are many great benefits to allowing students to use smartphones with a camera in the classroom. Studies from the Zogby Analytics suggest that students use their smartphone for everything, from personal use to researching things for a class. So why not implement them into classwork? I believe the hesitation of some teachers not using them is due to the fact that phones may become a distraction to the students. A distraction for a student could be a piece of lint in the person's hair in front of them. If students are monitored, they would be less likely to use it for other purposes. By using smartphones with a camera for class purposes, they can learn outside of the brick and mortar.

Schools should set in-depth rules for using smartphones with cameras if they have any reservations about students using them. Most schools are conducted by the way the principal was taught when he or she was in school. Times are changing and we as future educators must always stay ahead. Instead of schools fighting it, they must embrace it. As Dr. Strange puts it, "your students will have lived all their life in a world with smartphones containing cameras." Teachers can't teach without technology, why should students be force to learn without it?

PART B

Since cameras have been embedded into smartphones, the quality of them have change drastically. Using a smartphone camera to take pictures of something relevant to the topic in class, will allow students to put pictures with their words. When developing uses for the smartphone camera, teachers should make sure they are following the guidelines set by the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards.

There are many different way that smartphones/tablets with a camera can be incorporated in the Health Education classroom:

- Students can take a picture of their dinner for one week. After that week, the students can present their pictures along with caloric value for each meal. Then the class will vote whether of not the meal was nutritious and healthy or not?

- Using the Board Builder, students would be able to present different disability and premature diseases and show what effect each has on the body

- Students could make an anti-bullying video and play it for the school

- During a field trip, students could take pictures of different issues that are effecting the environment.

- Students can develop PSAs to show to the school on topics such as teen pregnancy, drug use, and underage drinking

- When discussing Communicable Diseases, students can use Popplet to design a web introducing facts on each disease

- During Mental Health week, students can take selfies of the different emotions they felt and explain them to the class

- While in groups, students can video tape the proper way to perform vital assessments

- Students can demonstrate proper techniques in physical activity

- Students can keep a digital journal reflecting on their personal health and why it is important to live a healthy lifestyle for their final grade