VIZ Word Cloud

Here’s a graphic word cloud of all the words in my new book, Digital Shapeshifter.  The more the word is found in the book, the larger it appears in this word cloud. (Click on the graphic to enlarge it.)

It’s quite interesting to visualize, in this way, the recurring themes and concepts that emerge from the first book published on the topic of document cameras in the United States. It’s like putting your fingers on the pulse of what’s happening with document cameras in the classroom—and taking a read.

A Swiss Army Knife

Hey, the classroom document camera does not necessarily become all things to all people, but it comes reasonably close. Few educators realize that the quiet and unassuming document camera actually serves as eight tools-in-one, all neatly and compactly rolled into a single mechanical wonder. Without a doubt, your classroom document camera is nothing less than a digital “Swiss Army” knife. And pushing this metaphor as far as I can get away with, it comes with eight different ‘blades’ or tools for teachers and professors to use:

• It’s an overhead projector, without the need for transparency sheets or special pens.
• It’s an opaque projector, without the bulky size.
• It’s a scanner, only faster.
• It’s a document viewer, in full color.
• It’s a 3D object/artifact projector for use with hard-to-handle realia.
• It’s a micro lens for seeing hard-to-see microworlds.
• It’s a digital still camera for capturing those special moments, including time-lapse photos
• It’s a digital video camera for planned or spontaneous recording. 

That's another reason why I call the classroom document camera a "digital shapeshifter" in my book.

Choices Abound (3)

Some new players have arrived on the scene, so I revised a recent post with new and updated information:

So you want to purchase document cameras? Here are the major players in this field:

Common Manufacturers in K-20 Settings (in alpabetic order)

AVerInformation averusa.com/presentation

Elmo www.elmousa.com/digital-visual-presenters.php

Lumens www.myladibug.com/

Pathway Innovations www.thehovercam.com

Qomo www.qomo.com

Samsung Techwin: http://www.samcam860.com/

Of course, there are many other document camera manufacturers. Here is a more comprehensive list of those companies with a smaller footprint in the education market space, but with worthy products:

Buhl http://www.hamiltonbuhl.com/store/c/3161-Visual-Presenters.aspx

Califone http://www.califone.com/visual.php

eBeam http://www.e-beam.com/products/ebeam-focus.html

iPevo   (small form factor document cameras)     http://www.ipevo.com/

Ken-A-Vision http://ken-a-vision.com/cameras/groups/document-cameras-visualisers

Optoma http://optomausa.com/products/detail/DC300

Recordex http://recordexusa.com/PresentationSolutions.html

At the 2012 TCEA conference in Austin, still other manufacturers came out to play with solid products:

Dukane http://www.dukane.com/av/products/VisualizersCameras.asp

Epson http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/jsp/EdProjectors/Home/ClassroomSolutions.do?BV_UseBVCookie=yes 

Vidifox  http://www.cimav.com/store/categories/-44