By Fran Mauney
I have to tell you about the latest technology toy that is a must for your classroom! It is called a HUE webcam and it only costs $50!!!! It can be a web camera or a document camera and best of all, it is so easy to install and use. Simply install the CD that comes with the camera. Then, plug the camera into your USB drive and click the camera icon on your screen. Automatically it begins working. Now you can have a document camera or a web cam in your classroom and you don’t have to pay $500-$1600 for it. How does it work? Think of a small lamp with a flexible neck, if you tilt the camera head down, it works like a document camera and projects on your computer screen. If you tilt the camera up it acts as a webcam and can be used for Skype and other programs.
Why would you need a document camera in your classroom? Well, I use the HUE as a document camera to show students’ work, science experiments, math manipulatives or textbook or newspaper pages. We edit students’ work together by using the ActivInspire software and highlighting, underlining, or drawing on the screen. Everyone can see the science experiment as it is projected on the interactive white board or screen. (You do need an LCD projector in order to project the image on the board, screen or wall.) I can take pictures of the steps of a scientific experiment AND it works as a video recorder as well. You can capture the recording by choosing to in the File menu or take pictures by pressing the silver button on top of the camera. It is that easy! If you’d like more ideas about how to use a document camera in your classroom here is a list: Document Camera in the Classroom
I tilt the camera neck up and use it as a web cam when I am teaching using the program called DimDim. Here is a quick start guide telling you how to set up your account. Setting Up DimDim This is how it works, Schedule Your Meeting and invite attendees. Why would I use DimDim? As an Instructional Technology facilitator, I use it to train teachers. I can email the teachers and invite them to a meeting, they can click on the link, sign in and see my computer screen. If my HUE camera is attached, they can also see me as I teach. They can type questions while I’m teaching and the questions will appear on the side of the screen. That way I can answer questions while I teach. As a classroom teacher, you could use DimDim to meet with other teachers from other schools and share ideas. This could cut down on travel time and you could meet online instead of in person, or you could use Skype to communicate with each other.
One more thing, the HUE comes in great colors: blue, red, green, white, black, and pink.
These are a few ideas that could help you communicate better with your students and teachers. I hope that you will find this useful in your classroom.
You can learn more about exciting new technology toys/tools at the Upstate Technology Conference. Sign up to present or participate today! c u @ utc!
Locating and using the lastest technology is an invigorating experience. As we talk about a global society, we can bring it into our classroom with little difficulty. The collaboration that is made possible is mind boggling. I love it!
I can’t wait to get a HUE for my clasroom. My kids will love it. It is always exciting to see how all this new technolgy works. Last year I got a flip camera and now I hope I can learn how to better use it.
I love the HUE you showed us in class and would like to get one for my classroom. I think it would really grab my students’ attention. I especially loved the idea of turning the camera on the kids when they are sharing their ideas!
This is not the first time I have seen the HUE but I am glad to be reminded of it! I had forgotten about it! What a neat way to show books in the library! Also, it would be neat to use it to Skype with an author! I can’t wait to purchase one and try it out!
I am so excited about this economical solution. I have already shared with my science cohorts @ Beck and we have some extra grant money that will get 4 (one for each of us). I will be sure to bookmark this site so that when we get them in hand, we will have your personal instructions! Thanks!
Fortunately, all the Welcome teachers have a HUE. At first, I could not get the image to appear exactly as I wanted. However, this week I set it back up and really played with the options to get it right. I also put my “student of the week” in the paper option from the HUE that Fran showed us. The class loved it. My goal in the next few weeks is to SKYPE. I need to get that figured out! Suggestions?
I’ll skype with you!
The HUE Sounds great. I hope to get one for my classroom soon. It sounds like it is also child friendly with some teacher support. One idea I had for my class menu on seasons was to have the kids pretend to bea a weather forecaster…Kinda a “John on the Road” so the kids can talk about the weather and the things they do int he weather….
Oh, and I really want a hot pink one! 🙂
You got me so excited about a HUE in class last week!! It was funny, because we had JUST turned in our PTA grants for instructional materials that morning!! I hate I didn’t know about it just one week sooner!!! Luckily, it is inexpensive enough to purchase on my own, or even write another grant it!! I am excited to get one and use it in my classroom!!
Here we learned about the HUE last week and our principal informed us at our Leadership mtg. today that she has purchased one for EVERY classroom teacher. They should be arriving shortly. I’M SO EXCITED!!! My students are reaping the benefits from this class as well as I. Awesomeness!
Love the HUE. I can see using it in class. It will fit right in our kindergarten day at calendar time and author’s chair in writing time! I am sure we can think of lots of others also! I want to get one soon! thanks for making us aware of so many new things to enhance our teaching each day!
Can’t wait to use HUE . . . I’m buying one next week!!!!! So cool, so easy, and I have needed this on a daily basis for years!!!!!!!!
I am overwhelmed by this. I still do not know what a flip camera is or what Skype is. I have heard of it. I like the idea of using HUE as a document camera. I subbed in a school that had one. It really is a good way to let students learn to correct their work and others’ work. In Spanish, I want them to learn how to proofread each others’ papers. The document camera would allow me to teach them together what kinds of things to look for.
I got so excited when I saw the HUE Webcam in class last Tuesday that I went home and ordered one for myself. This has always been an area that I wanted to explore but felt very insecure in my efforts. This device makes me feel like I CAN…we’ll see! Thanks for the wonderful suggestions for use. I would love to hear more ideas!
It works!!!!