BallardTech: Document Camera

Did you read the title of this blog and think to yourself, "What is a document camera?" For decades, classroom teachers had a device similar to a document camera, but we called them overhead projectors before the digital age. Like most technology, it evolves, and document cameras have a few more features than the overhead projector had back in the day. Our Ballard teachers often refer to them as an "Elmo."

Recently, at Ballard East, all classroom teachers received a brand new document camera. This one is called a HoverCam (Solo8Plus). The HoverCam is a compact device with high-resolution (13 Megapixel Camera Module). The HoverCam is a multifunctional digital camera (13MP still image) that can scan documents, take still pictures, and video record (time-lapse video, ultra-clear details, and slow motion). The HoverCams uses software, KnoteSter, for interactive whiteboarding, annotation, desktop marking, document camera, and lesson recording and sharing. This software also allows teachers to do a side-by-side, multi-split, snapshot, record, and whiteboard options.

HoverCam in action.

Mrs. Jordison's class is writing autobiography poems. Here you see her HoverCam displaying a split screen. This allows for the class to view a list of adjectives (still picture) on the left and Mrs. Jordison completing an example poem on the right.