Gidea Park Primary School, UK

"No particular expertise is required since they are 'plug and go'."
- Cathy Brooks, Teacher, Gidea Park Primary School

Cathy Brooks is a primary school teacher at Gidea Park Primary School, in the London Borough of Havering. She is familiar with several AVerVision visualizers (document cameras), but more recently, she has been using the SPC300. She especially enjoys using this model as it comes with extra presentation features such as picture-in-picture, split screen and an on-screen presentation timer, all of which enhance Ms. Brooks's classroom presentations.  

Ms. Brooks uses her SPC300 with her interactive whiteboard to increase the effectiveness of a lesson. In a recent art lesson teaching pupils to draw in perspective, a drawing was created under the visualizer (document camera) and pupils were invited up to the interactive whiteboard to finish the drawing for the classroom. "Not only can adults demonstrate how something is done, but children can too," says Ms. Brooks. The pupils are also encouraged to put their own drawings under the visualizer (document camera) for further discussion, feedback and/or peer marking. A visualizer (document camera) helps develop a pupil's presentation skills as well as inspire interactivity and discussion among pupils in the classroom, including those less likely to speak up.  

The onscreen timer is used to ensure pupils spend equal time reading text displayed under the visualizer (document camera). "The pupils like using the timer, they enjoy counting down the last few seconds," says Ms. Brooks. The timer can also be used for science experiments to make certain you receive a more accurate result. For math lessons a teacher can now demonstrate the use of a protractor using the same small plastic protractor that the pupil uses and make it easily visible to the class by working with it under the visualizer (document camera). Cathy Brooks says that when it comes to maths calculations, "I can place a set of questions under the visualizer (document camera), which (pupils) can work from without the need for copious amounts of photocopying or time spent writing on the board."

An AVerVision visualizer (document camera) can be used in virtually any lesson for any purpose. Teaching staff at Gidea Park Primary School have discovered the benefits of having visualizers (document cameras) in their classrooms and it has now become a fundamental learning tool in several of their classrooms. Mrs. Diane Fussell uses an AVerVision visualizer (document camera) in her room and she says, "I would promote the visualizer (document camera) to any teacher... it's a really useful tool for all children's abilities."

"They are lightweight, durable and portable, which makes them easily accessible within a school."
- Diane Fussell, Teacher, Gidea Park Primary School