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Beatty Elementary School
Rural Technology Use
by Gary Torstenson
Beatty Elementary School
Rural Technology Use
Going back to the days of my college audio/
video class, I remember learning how to thread
a film projector, how to use an opaque projector,
a filmstrip projector, an overhead projector, and
how to run the ditto machine (using the solvent,
methanol, and purple ink).
For the most part, I couldn’t imagine third grade
students in control of this equipment. Fortunately,
most of what we use today can be quickly
demonstrated to and used by third graders.
Technology implementation today is all about
increased involvement in the everyday classroom.
Flip Video Cameras
The Flip Video
cameras are an
excellent size for
my third grade
class. From
taping the school’s
homecoming parade
to demonstrating
how to make paper folds,or just recording an
alphabetizing lesson that can be used for review,
the camera’s size makes it easy to hold. Its USB
output lets the students quickly see the results of
their work on the computer screen.
Creating a Class DVD
Our class was getting close to finishing a writing
unit on fiction. These were multiple page stories
that took awhile to construct. It looked as though
perhaps only half the class would complete the
assignment, so I announced that we would be
creating a DVD of the students’ writing. On the
day the assignment was due only two students
were not finished and one of those was hurriedly
trying to get something on paper. We set up
one of our Flip Video cameras on a tripod and
recorded the students one after the other. The
camera was hardly any distraction, since it
has become just another classroom tool. Using
Adobe Premiere Elements, I quickly arranged the
presentations, added a menu, title, and burned
a DVD that was easily copied multiple times for
students to take home.
Document Cameras
I’ve worked with
both the Elmo
and Avervision
types of document
cameras. Along
with the projector,
they are in daily use
in the classroom.
Sometimes I am just
explaining how an art project should go together.
Arranging pieces and showing the class under
a document camera sure beats fumbling around
and dropping pieces in front of the classroom. If
the class is sharing some of their writing, they
can use the document cameras to show, not just
tell, their story. The students love to share using
the cameras. Personally, I like just being able
to display whatever we are working on onto the
white board. The cameras adjust to the available
classroom light so viewing is rarely a problem.
The ability to save pages and then recall them
allows me to have a whole day’s or week’s worth of
material ready to go with just a few button presses.
The Avervision’s freeze button is a favorite with the
students, being able to set their paper down then
pressing freeze lets them take their paper back to
their desk while we discuss the paper that is still
displayed on the board.
Students love to use gadgets. They want to push
the buttons. They want to grab a digital camera
and take pictures of friends. They want to get hold
of the video camera and walk around. They want
to play a digital recorder just to hear their own
voice and say, “I don’t sound like that.” When
implementing new technologies in the classroom,
the first step is to demonstrate how to hold, move,
and explain just why those neat little buttons are
really there. Like my students, I love gadgets, but
I know they have to last. Taking care of what we
have is a major concern.