Digital Cameras are a necessary tool according to Kurt Johnson professor of Instructional Technology at Utah State University. But what will you ask can I use a digital camera for? A digital camera can teach children so much. Depending on your district policies you can post pictures of students for the parents to see when they come to parent teacher conferences. You can let the students control their own education. Isn't that what we strive for individualized education. One example is that you send children on a "hunt" to find letters around the area. They can take pictures of letters and compile their own alphabet. What a way for children to learn the alphabet not too mention personalize it. In an early childhood classroom you could let the children take pictures of what they like and label them thus increasing their vocabulary and also in the zone of proximal development. If you stop and think about it you too will easily be able to come up with more ideas and uses. Another question you may ask is that digital cameras are so expensive, what if the children break them? We need to teach children that digital cameras are tools and privileges; once they understand that principle we are arming students with power. I am sure we all know the saying "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man how to fish and you will empower him to fish for himself" Aren't all teachers trying to create independent competent citizens or empowered fisherman? Teaching children of the day with the equipment of the day we create capable citizens for our future.
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