No Doc Cam? No Problem!

Remote teaching can turn into an expensive gig. But do you know who is always on a tight budget, and really knows how to think outside the box? Teachers, that's who!

Laptops, webcams, document cameras... working from home can be effective, but it also takes work and often some specialized equipment. That gets expensive - and even if you don't mind spending the money, the demand is very high so it can be a challenge to get hold of the hardware that you want. Fortunately, there are a lot of clever (and determined!) teachers out there, and luckily for us, they share on social media!

Let's take one example that the CTLA has been fielding questions about - the document camera. No doc cam? No problem!

Here are just a few DIY ideas for a document camera of your very own:

All you need is a CD, a pencil, a coin, and some tape!

How about your phone/tablet, and a storage cube?

Just your phone and a few cans from the pantry...

This teacher used the lamp as a weight to keep the phone camera in place

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Use blackboard (or whiteboard) paint!

Green fabric - a curtain, a tablecloth, fabric from the craft store - makes a green screen.

Large rubber bands can be used to secure your tablet to an ad hoc stand.

Your iPhone "notes" app can be used as a scanner (or there are any number of scanner apps out there)

Standing desks are becoming popular - here's a DIY solution.

A virtual white board

Turn your plain white shower into a whiteboard

Here's a clever use of a swimming pool noodle - you can split it and create a wrist rest to prevent wrist pain from too much typing.

Use Zoom? Turn a photo of your actual classroom into a virtual background for your online classroom.

Upcycle an old toilet paper rolls, turning it into a stand for your phone.

Watch this video if you want to learn how to build a portable backdrop.

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DON'T FORGET - if you have other questions about Teaching, Learning, and/or Assessment, contact the CTLA!

To submit a request for assistance:
https://ctla.cgc.edu/help.html

HAPPY TUESDAY, EVERYONE!
Mary