A Bird's Eye View

Here’s something you simply MUST know about. One of the most interesting types of visualizers now available is the ceiling-mounted document camera. This type of document camera mounts from the ceiling, requiring no hardware on the desktop, podium or lectern. That’s the kind of “light footprint” that many instructional venues require. It offers strong potential for science classrooms, medical teaching facilities, university classrooms, museums, auditoriums, houses of worship, demonstration kitchens, exhibit halls, and even cruise ships. (The cruise line could have used this type of document camera dozens of times on my recent anniversary cruise. They are so old-fashioned!)

So here is what is happening in this arena:

• Lumens just announced a new High-Definition Ceiling Camera, the CL510 Document Camera. This type of doc cam permits presentations with a completely clear line of sight between the presenter and the audience. And the cable mess disappears, too.  As I have stated previously, Lumens does document cameras well, and prices them affordably.  Plus they offer a five-year warranty.
• On the high end, WolfVision offers what they call a Ceiling Visualizer, which can be viewed here. This unit comes with a three-year warranty.

Different types of document cameras fit different needs. This is an example of a unique need. Let me know if you are aware of any other offerings in this category by simply commenting below.

Fall 2012: Grants, Contests, and More

It’s hard to muster your donkey cam kung fu without a document camera of your own! Use these opportunities to make things happen for your classroom. I will keep you posted as other companies step up to the plate for schools. Here are the only opportunities this fall to win or earn a document camera for your school or classroom, or to get a freebie:

Lumens Ladibug Grant

Digital Wish for ELMO

Recordex Free Wireless Tablet Offer

(for the cost of shipping, when you buy an entry-level document camera/one per school, extended until the end of September; use the promotion code SCE12 with any online retailer)

Samsung-Techwin Grants-Contests-Scholarships

For now, I want to give kudos to the companies above. But let’s just say that document camera companies should do much more than they are doing if they want to reach schools. Document camera companies should offer regular and creative contests, grants, and freebies to struggling schools. Once a school or department gets a successful implementation going, it is certain to spread. Sometimes they just need to prime the pump. 

The Latency Test

Are you trying to determine which document camera is right for your classroom? Then I suggest you try the latency test on several competing document cameras the next time you are in a conference exhibit hall. 

To conduct a latency test, just place your hand on the left side of the document camera’s display area. Your hand should now be clearly visible on either the demonstration projector or monitor screen. Next, pick up your hand about ¼ inch from the surface and quickly move your hand to the right side of the document camera’s display zone. Repeat this action several times. How blurry is the resulting display? Can the capture or frame rate of the document camera keep up? Is the resulting visual experience an unseemly blur? Or does the image abruptly and uncomfortably time shift into focus, a split second or two after your hand stops moving?

A document with low latency is important in classrooms. Here’s why. Blurred images and refocusing waste instructional time. Instructional demonstrations of brush strokes, cutting and folding techniques, micro-images, or food preparation require sharp clarity, so blurring is quite counter-productive. Abrupt images can cause visual upset. Constant rapid movement of hands or materials in a high latency environment can create visually induced motion sickness (just like grandpa’s old home videos). You see, latency matters. And you want low latency. It’s sometimes easy to get bamboozled by a cute low-cost document camera, only to pay the piper when it won’t perform quite the way you want it to in the classroom setting. So before you buy, conduct the latency test.

Warning: wireless document cameras provide a slower frame rate than cable-connected document cameras, which is expected. What you lose in frame rate, you gain in flexibility for positioning—so don’t be overly alarmed. A wireless document camera is still a great tool for your class.

Simplicity

 One new finding I uncovered during my annual rounds at the ISTE educational conference was the arrival of Recordex _USA on the national document camera scene. This company features a new “SimplicityCam Series,” which starts at $225, yet sports many desirable features. Although some of these features are only available in Windows-compatible environments, I felt that the most intriguing  features (presented in order of uniqueness) were the following:

The Snapset Creator. This feature enables the teacher to put any number of pages down one at a time (for example, a 20-page science lab packet), hit a single button, and instantly generate a 20-page PDF  that can be emailed, posted online, or reused in the future. The Snapset Creator can also capture every document shown during an entire class and, at the end of the class, create a PDF of every document/object reviewed to send home to absent students.  I am certain educators will love this capability.  Here is a video demonstrating that feature.

Large Viewing Area. Two of the Simplicity models offer a large viewing area, with the ability to view up to 17.5” x 23.5” document or subject. This enables the teacher to easily display a children’s picture book, a large student project, over-sized realia, or even an outsized map.

AnnoZoom. You can annotate live images or videos, and then perform real-time zoom-in with your subject. The annotation remains.

Other positive features of this document camera include picture in picture video conferencing and an optional microscope adapter, just to name a few.

The Recordex simplicity series includes three doc cam models: the SC5i+, the SC5z, and the SC5z Duet. (A sample spec sheet is included here.) Besides its advantages for the regular classroom, this document camera offering goes a long way to support both the “flipped classroom” and the distance learning classroom. You can learn more about Recordex document camera options at this link. 

InfoComm-ISTE Update

The new  ELMO small form factor document
camera, shown this June.

Two of the largest technology shows in the U.S. were held this last June. Both InfoComm (in Las Vegas) and ISTE (in San Diego) continued the trend toward more products, rapid feature improvements, and new manufacturers in the arena of document cameras. Over the next few months, I intend to cover in the pages of this blog some of the most intriguing and surprising developments in the document camera field to date. For now, let’s just say that this industry shows no signs of waning. Instead, innovation and feature advancement are alive and well.

Wolfvision showcased their offerings
for the  medical and university markets.
This basic unit retails in the $3,000 range.

Every major manufacturer was present at these shows, along with some newcomers. Most were in the exhibit halls, while some (like Lumens) featured personalized private showings in nearby suites along with a solid exhibit hall floor presence. My book, DigitalShapeshifter, was on sale or on display at ISTE. But what was missing—and needs to be there—is a stronger “instructional practice” presence: presentations, workshops, and poster sessions evidencing effective classroom use of document cameras. It's not good enough to just be in exhibit hall booths. Document camera technologies, which are so potentially transformative in nature, must navigate their way into the educational and intellectual currents of these major conferences.

Pathway Innovations was showing new
versions of their HoverCam document cameras.

Watch for my list of updated document camera manufacturers, which will follow in the conclusion to this series. And don’t worry— I’ll continue to pepper this series and the entire blog with great instructional ideas and suggestions, not just new product reviews. It’s all about learning in the classroom…

The Lumens 3D and wireless document cameras
were also shown at ISTE

Wireless Doc Cams

At two recent technology conferences, teachers in my sessions have evidenced keen interest in the instructional freedom offered by wireless document cameras. Only three companies make wireless document cameras as of this date.  To compare on your own, take a look at these brief videos on each product. I have simply ranked the products by published wireless transmission distances:

• Lumen’s Wireless Ladibug offers a healthy distance of 95 feet and is a strong player.
• AVerInformation’s W30 offers a 45 foot range, and a sleek look.
• Elmo's brand new wireless document camera offers a slick, small form factor look, and collapses nicely, with a wireless distance of 33 ft.

InfoComm 3D DocCam Update

Here’s a timely update on last week’s 3D Document Camera Post. Last week I was at InfoComm 2102 and was able to see the new Lumens 3D document Camera up close and in action. I also found another 3D document camera hitting the market, produced by Wolfvision. Here’s what I found:

Lumens 3D Ladibug. The form factor is attractive and the visualization quality, using a DLP ultra-short throw projector was stellar. This unit will retail in the $700+ range and is well worth the money. Although aimed at the K-20 education market, the quality of image is stunning. It should fit anywhere. 

A science lesson demonstration featuring long-time 3D educator, 

Nancye Blair, using the Lumens 3D Ladibug.

WolfVision 3D Document Camera. This 3D document camera is ceiling mounted and designed for industrial and advanced medical applications.  The model shown was just released and retails for around $30,000. The sales rep was not able to demonstrate it well or answer simple questions about application, so I ended up explaining how it could be used to several University passersby. I also showed the sales rep how this technology is best viewed 10+ feet away, not up close, as they were doing. The latency on the document camera was quite significant, but I expect they will improve upon this problem in future updates.

Demonstrating the WolfVision 3D document camera at InfoComm

A 3D Ladibug

Ground-breaking news in the document camera world. Lumens recently released their new 3D Ladibug document camera. This high-definition document camera comes 3D-ready for both 3D projectors and 3D TVs. And don't worry, educators!  The 3D Ladibug easily can function as a 2D visualizer, as well! Lumens is a power player in the document camera industry, so this product release is not a trivial matter.

The context of this product release is not trivial within the education market either. A 3D document camera can be used by teachers to showcase immersive science experiments or model math skills through the visual display of manipulatives, tiny ‘blocks’ or shapes that teach place value, fractions, measurement, or geometry—with depth.  More importantly, the 3D document camera becomes another stout tool for content creation. Imagine student dioramas, stick or finger puppet shows, or model displays—again, with depth. And even primary children can ‘design’ the content. To learn more, take a look at this case study link and the following product data sheet link. You can also see live demonstrations on the exhibit hall floor at ISTE 2012 in San Diego in June. It’s fun to be alive.

Conference Talk

After attending FETC 2012 in Orlando and TCEA in Austin, I came away with a fresh wind of perspective as the 2012 ed-tech conference season got under way. A strong document camera technology presence was the most visible and thriving component of the educational exhibit halls at these conferences.  Strong new players joined the existing market leaders, stepping up to compete with the interactive whiteboard (IWB) crowd. The bottom line: the document camera market is growing, getting smarter, and maturing. And that's because the document camera is clearly loved by teachers.


By the way, I am scheduled to again deliver my popular 2 -hour workshop, Cultivating Your Donkey Cam Kung Fu, at the Colorado TIE Conference in Copper Mtn,  June 19-21. Be there if you can.

It's All in the Touch

Vidifox PV 700ST

It's the new kid on the block, sort of. Vidifox manufactures Optoma document cameras and two of the Buhl doc-cam models (the VP 25 and the VP 35). But at FETC and TCEA, they showcased their own line of products.  Vidifox has just introduced a portable document camera with a built-in touch sensitive 7" tablet. This new portable document camera works with a computer, but doesn't require a computer.  It allows users to annotate and archive up to 400 annotations on board, retrievable through a flash drive or computer.  See this press release for further information.

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

Choices Abound (2)

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

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

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

Choices Abound (1)

Some of the common questions that educators ask include: "who makes document cameras?" or "what are the options?" You actually have many solid choices. The document camera manufacturers below represent the largest presence in the educational market. I have provided links for connecting with each of them.

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/

Digital Shapeshifter

At last! My latest book is out on the shelves:

Digital Shapeshifter

Visual teaching, differentiated learning, and formative assessment with the classroom Document Camera.

It's the only book on the market about great teaching with document cameras. You'll love it! I't's 165 pages dedicated to totally transforming how we use classroom document cameras. You can find Digital Shapeshifter in the exhibit hall of your local technology conference or directly from the publisher at this link. Enough with crass commercials!

Legend of the Donkey Cam

Improve your Donkey Cam Kung Fu by following this blog.

In the previous post, I suggested that one of the names given to classroom document cameras is that of "donkey cam." Where did that notion come from? I assure you, it came from the hearts of students. Here's the simple genesis of that phrase: 

In a brightly lit Colorado classroom,  a teacher moves from behind his desk to a small table holding his document camera. A student cheerfully cries out, “Are we using the ‘donkey cam’ today, Mr. Allen?"

I chose this story because students really appreciate the visual allure and conceptual clarity provided when document cameras are used well in instruction. Lovingly calling this modern audio-visual device a “donkey cam,” it is clear that this young lady was extremely pleased that the day’s lesson might be forthcoming using the visual approach that reaches her best as a 21st century visual learner. This blog is really about richly visual 21st Century teaching and learning--using a document camera.

Clarifying Language

The humble yet educationally powerful document camera is known by many names throughout the world: No matter what you call it, the doc cam is a marvelous tool for teaching and learning.

Launching Future-Talk VIZ

Future-Talk VIZ

An educational blog dedicated to the effective and transformational use of the document camera in K-20 classrooms. The document camera is also known as a "Digital Presentation Visualizer," hence the colorful stylism in the title, VIZ. In this blog, we will focus on the past, present, and promising future of this technology in visual teaching and learning. Enjoy the journey!