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Kids grow up right before your eyes in Louis Lefler's New Berlin,
Wis., elementary school. Using digital photography and a morphing
software program, Lefler makes videotapes that show students maturing
from kindergartners to graduating sixth-graders. "We scan in student
photos from kindergarten, then use Kai's Power Goo to morph them
to their present digital image," says Lefler, who presents the
completed videos to graduates.
As creative applications like this show, digital photography,
both still and video, is changing the face of education -- in
some cases, literally.
Until recently, digital still photography and digital video
technology were both costly and complex. But now, a number of
new products have changed things for the better, and teachers
and administrators are taking advantage of the latest technologies
to motivate students and to add new skills to the curriculum.
Digital still cameras, once in the $1,000-$2,000 price range,
are now available for less than $1,000, with many megapixel models
going for closer to $500. Megapixel cameras -- those delivering
more than 1 million total pixels per shot -- offer the most versatile
and useful features. The pixel count makes them ideal for everything
from making film-quality 8 x 10 portraits to adding small photos
to posters, newsletters, and web sites.
If you're shopping for a digital camera, be sure to look for
one that has an interface compatible with your current computer
equipment. Most offer CompactFlash disks -- tiny, matchbook size,
solid-state memory cards that plug into the camera -- but you'll
also need a CompactFlash reader attached to a desktop system to
read the photos. Some of the most popular models, such as the
Sony Mavica and Kodak series, use standard floppy disks or have
USB ports for downloading images to PCs and Macs that are equipped
with a universal serial bus (iMacs have only USB ports).
Digital video cameras have come down in price as well, with
many models in the $1,000-$2,000 price range. Look for cameras
that have USB or Firewire connections and DV or Digital Video
outputs. Although DV requires a special DV interface card to transfer
video to a desktop, it is much faster than other methods of moving
video onto a computer.
Using still images
Say "digital photo," and most folks think of amateur snapshots
on family web sites. But just about any subject matter can benefit
from the use of digital imaging, and many educators are finding
both creative and practical ways to use digital photography.
In an unusual student-government collaboration, students at
the Boston Arts Academy, a public high school for the visual and
performing arts, partnered with the Boston Cultural Council to
provide a public
service poster for display on city trains. Under a grant from
the council, students signed up for an elective course that met
once a week for eight weeks. After brainstorming sessions, research,
and interviews with community members, the students decided to
design a poster around the theme "What Are You Working For?" --
a topic guaranteed to get the attention of Boston commuters.
Using Power Mac G3 computers with Adobe PageMaker, students
sketched out preliminary designs and layouts, then organized a
digital photo shoot. Students posed as musicians, dancers, and
other professionals. Photos were captured on a Sony Mavica camera,
with the images edited using Adobe Photoshop. Once the images
and words were assembled into the final design, the finished project
was sent on a Zip disk to a local printer.
"We liked using the Sony digital camera because it saved directly
to disk, and in a busy high school with very little time, it made
this kind of project possible," says Lisa Link, media specialist
and poster project coordinator. "The low resolution was fine for
public art seen from a distance and for web production. It was
a relief not to have to deal with cables and special software."
Link delivered the finished posters to the Massachusetts Bay
Transportation Authority, and the result of the students' hard
work was seen by hundreds of thousands of commuters on Boston's
Orange and Red Line trains throughout June and July. "The students
put together images and words on the web site to document the
project,"
says Link. "I added a reply form and am hoping that people will
visit and send us feedback."
Web sites remain a primary outlet for digital images, however.
Like most schools, Cabrillo
Middle School in Ventura, Calif., displays student-produced
photographs of open house activities and student projects on its
site.
But webmaster Jose Lopez also uses digital images on the school's
intranet. "The faculty can look up student records on our Trellix-based
intranet," says Lopez. "Each record can incorporate a photo of
the student." Using the same Trellix web-authoring tool for Internet
and intranet, adding digital images is as easy as dragging and
dropping photos onto the web page, Lopez says. There is little
training involved, and students easily maintain digital photography
projects that document school events online.
Students might not need much training, but many staff members
welcome a little help. In New Berlin, Wis., school officials are
committed to digital imaging for classroom use, so Lefler holds
teacher-training sessions on digital photography. These in-service
classes not only train teachers in the use of the technology but
also give them a forum for exchanging ideas on how to use digital
photography in a number of disciplines.
If you're looking for other ideas, the Children's
Software Press publishes an informative and imaginative 12-page
booklet entitled "Digital Cameras: Family Fun with Technology,"
by Diane S. Kendall and Merle Marsh. The booklet, available this
month, describes the basics of digital cameras -- what to look
for, tips on using the cameras effectively -- and outlines a number
of educational projects for students of all ages. Especially useful
is a three-page appendix of web and print resources. In addition,
the booklet includes projects for home and community and advice
on selecting photo-editing software.
Using digital video
Going from still photos to moving pictures ups the ante. Digital
video is more expensive than still photography, and it's less
appropriate for use by elementary school students. But older students
-- and teachers and administrators -- can use digital video cameras
to document school events, post snippets of school activities
to the school or district web site, or record classroom activities.
Digital video can also be used effectively for distance learning
and for documenting classroom activities and teacher performance.
What's more, digital video has some advantages over its analog
cousin: It's more easily edited and can be compressed, so storage
may be easier. Also, digital video can be edited and shaped in
ways analog video cannot and lends itself readily to the Internet
and to interactive media such as CD-ROM and DVD.
A number of junior high and high schools are using digital video
in the curriculum, particularly for classes in video production.
As part of a statewide initiative to rewire schools, for example,
Farmington
High School in Farmington, Minn., has constructed a state-of-the-art
video and video-editing facility with the help of Alpha
Video, a consulting company that specializes in helping schools
incorporate video into their classrooms.
"It is truly amazing how cool this stuff is to work with." says
Matt Ruby, the school's television instructor. "But even more
amazing is how quickly the students learned to use it in daily
curriculum projects."
Students at Farmington record and professionally edit school
plays, sporting events, and assemblies using Panasonic DVC PRO
Digital camcorders, JVC Professional edit stations, and Alpha
Video's Edgecast character generator. Sophisticated post-production
effects are added using Panasonic digital video mixers.
Not all schools can afford the very latest in digital video
equipment, but even the entry-level cameras and editing software
now available give students and teachers capabilities that existed
only in professional production studios just a few years ago.
Now most schools can offer students experience in video production
and editing. And teachers are finding that video, combined with
a written assignment, it can be a powerful motivator.
Collaborations with community agencies and organizations can
also lead to innovative video projects. One such project is spearheaded
by the Manhattan Theatre Club, a professional theater company
in New York City. At its TheatreLink
web site , registered teachers and students interact with theater
professionals -- writers, directors, and actors -- through web-based
message boards and assignments and through web-delivered digital
video. Original plays and staged plays are enacted, captured on
video, and posted for critique and comment by professionals and
students alike. Students from across the country collaborate on
writing and producing scenes.
While TheatreLink relies on delivery of video over the Internet,
the same concepts -- student collaboration and editing on a final
project, are just as applicable in a single-class setting.
A thousand words
As technology becomes more sophisticated, its prices fall. This
general rule holds true of digital imaging as well as other technology,
and it seems only a matter of time before classrooms come equipped
with digital cameras. Not all pictures are worth a thousand words,
but the use of images broadens appeal in virtually every discipline
and can make shorter work of communicating complex concepts and
procedures.
And digital images hold practical potential as well. One school
official suggests creating a CD or DVD record of a student's school
history -- video, still photography, student records, successful
school projects, and transcripts, all on a single disc.
In short, everything a student does and dreams can be preserved
in one digital format, enlivened by sound, sight and video. After
all, as one educator says of today's students, "Video is their
medium."
Steve Bosak
is a freelance technical writer in Batavia, Ill.
WHAT'S AVAILABLE
Selected digital still cameras
* Sony
Mavica Series. Many educators choose these cameras for their
quality and ease of use. Floppy disks for storing photos make
these cameras easy to "click, copy, and edit." Prices range from
$700 to more than $1,000 for the higher resolution megapixel units.
* Kodak.
Kodak's award-winning DC240 and DC260 models have USB ports for
easy uploads to USB-equipped PCs, Power Mac G3, and iMac computers.
The Kodak web site is also a good source for information and tips
on digital still photography in general. Prices range from $500
to $1,000.
Selected digital video cameras
* The Canon
Elura is lightweight, offers superb resolution, and comes
with numerous outputs for downloading video to the PC of your
choice. Estimated retail price is $1,799.
* The
Sony DCR-TRV900, at approximately $2,100, offers professional
quality images and a floppy-based "snapshot" feature, which lets
you take a still photo while filming with the video camera.
Digital video editing software
* StrataVideoShop
4.5 for the Mac. This software has all the basic video editing
goodies such as titling, transitions, and the ability to import
3-D objects and animations. Full support for QuickTime 3.0, as
well as unique HDTV and wide-screen TV format support.
* Pinnacle Systems
DC1000 for the PC. This easy to use software is designed for
PCs equipped with DV interface. It features optional output to
MPEG-2 for CD-ROM production.
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