Schola Europaea European School Brussels II

126
PANORAMA
In my own context the visualiser is used to:
Visually demonstrate artistic techniques –
by doing them and projecting them
through live video streaming, and
recording and replaying when necessary
Show examples of good practice – by
displaying students’ work-in-progress
in a format large enough to share with
the whole class without the students
leaving their places
Demonstrate shape, colour, depth of field,
perspective and other topics – by showing
real 3D objects or drawn 3D objects and
removing planes one at a time
Display the subject to be drawn – by
placing it under the visualiser, rotating it
and enlarging it (for example a skeletal
head from the biology lab when drawing
the face)
The method chosen would depend greatly
on the contextual use of the visualiser and
some other examples are shown below.
I have found and cited excerpts from
many examples of different uses of this
tool. I have selected with the intention of
illustrating the versatility across curriculum
areas and key stages.
Display/Share pupils’ work and artwork
on a large scale without the need for
movement by the student and without
the risk of damaging the work
Using the ‘Zoom’ feature, natural/
manmade objects can be studied in great
detail. Items such as coins/banknotes,
butterfly wings, shells and flowers
Share a book where the teacher can read
to the class and everyone can follow on
screen (make any book into a “Big Book”)
Visually demonstrate artistic techniques
without reversing light and dark as with
a blackboard and enabling demonstration
of technique with real medium rather than
simulated as with a whiteboard, in a way
a whole class can see easily
Assist with sight impaired pupils with
larger visuals for them to see
Displaying ‘delicate’ texts such as
historical documents/maps/photos
Modelling how to use a ruler/protractor
or other new geometric tool
Taking a series of snapshot images to
create an animation
Demonstrate a science experiment with
reduced risk through increased distance
and movement
Displaying/observing fauna and flora
such as caterpillars, beetles/ladybirds,
leaves etc.
Adapted from a document published by the National
Centre for Technology in Education, November 2008 and
including suggestions offered by teaching colleagues
Chris Drage in an article for the Guardian
(January 2008) described visualisers as
“an excellent all-round tool (for teachers)
guaranteed to enhance teaching and
learning in ... school”
He goes on to say:
“Visualisers are digital presentation and
teaching tools that enable teachers to share
a much wider range of information and
artefacts with their pupils via their digital
projectors. They allow the examination
of text, images, artefacts and even living
things in visual learning opportunities that
users of the old overhead projectors could
only dream about.
Essentially, a visualiser is a digital camera
on the end of an arm, but it is the controls
available via the base unit and/or software
that offer so much more. Typically, even
on the most basic of small visualisers you
are able to zoom in and out, freeze and
capture an image then review the image
captured.”
Chris Drage, Head of Infrastructure Technical Architects
Group Reading, United Kingdom (2008)