50 Ways to Use a Projector in the Classroom
I have been hearing and reading from teachers over and over again , having a ceiling mounted projector in their classroom is one of the best hardware pieces that help them integrate technology into their teaching.
Last year, we started out with two projector carts, that came equipped with a laptop, a DVD/VCR combo and a sound system. Few teachers took the time to check any of these carts out, unless it was a set day and time, pre-planned for the particular occasion weeks ahead of time.
Many of the teachers wanted support in the classroom while they were using it, since they were insecure and unsure if it would work for them at that precise moment. They never had consistent opportunity of getting used to handling the equipment.
This school year, we started mounting projectors into a few classrooms of teachers that have shown initiative and interest in INTEGRATING technology into their teaching. Integrating, beyond using a projector as a glorified overhead transparency. All teachers have access to the projector in TechConnect (our computer lab), where they teach and co-teach with us.
The response of teachers with a readily available projector in their classroom has been extremely positive and we are continuing to add projectors as budget and donations allow. It was time to offer a professional development on “50 ways to use a projector” as one of our monthly workshops.
We started out with a brief introduction by talking about the role of using a projector in your classroom. The first step being a “bigger†projection of whatever you have on your computer screen . No more an entire class huddling around one small computer monitor, no more students in the last row complaining that the TV screen is too small or fuzzy for them to read. It is a first step, but how do we use the projector to enhance our teaching and encourage students to think critically and make connections?
We acknowledge that working together, we are able to draw from each others experiences and can be part of a learning community of professional educators. It is our responsibility to share with our colleagues what we are learning and successful practices in the classroom. To this extent we have created a wiki, as a collaborative work space, where we can add thoughts, ideas, and resource links that will benefit the entire faculty.
Some resources to take a look at:
- Curriculum Corner: Projectors and Document Cameras
- Size Matters by Edutopia
- Power of the Big Screenby Edutopia
Here are 50 more ways to use a projector: (click your way through to our wiki for more ideas)
adapted from a discussion thread on Classroom 2.0 and Umatilla- Morrow’s Education Service District
- Demonstrate math manipulatives
- Show visuals for science experiments
- Modeling of the physical process of writing – hand movements
- Art: Virtual Museum Tours
- Audio visual resources from internet
- Whole class participate in practice test
- Going over tests
- Isolate new vocabulary
- Show and Tell
- Current Events
- Highlighted good vs bad grammar in writing
- Showing selected DVDs or Videos
- Graphing, charts, tables
- Creative writing – add a line
- Step-by-step math problem solving
- Displaying student work
- Comparison activities using split-screen
- Storyboarding
- Displaying class agenda/schedule
- Read-aloud
- Modeling note-taking
- Mapping and group editing
- Live web-cams
- Coins and manipulatives
- Finished project to look, model while going through directions
- No more big semicircle watching the teacher
- Video streaming (United Streaming and online videos)
- Sequence of pictures, time lapse, to demonstrate progression.
- Adding visuals to note outlines.
- Paperless handouts.
- Showing hands-on tasks.
- Compare and Contrast.
- Step by step instructions.
- Choral reading.
- Cloze activities.
- Labeling activities
- Display maps, charts, graphs, images from textbooks.
- Visualization of content-Reading comprehension-Making connections.
- Descriptive writing activities using image as writing prompt.
- Geography connections using Google Earth, Google Maps
- Picture books with read alouds
- Display a timer for assignments
- Powerpoint Jeopardy
- Freeze screen to get websites up without pop-up interference
- Skype video chatting with classes around the world
- Online Textbook
- Teach songs using pp
- Graphic organizer- Inspiration- Kidspiration
- Britannica & NetTrekker (model how to search)
- Surround your students with images from the unit you are studying. Show people, architecture, art, food, social scenes, etc. for a social studies unit.
Thanks for highlighting the simple projector. It is something I use nearly everyday in my class (I am at a 1:1 laptop school), and I could not integrate technology in the same way without it. The projector makes us a single community versus 20 different little screens. Just having something projected that the students may also be looking at on their screens allows me to move around the room and still follow along with what we are working through. I also find that having a student note-taker is GREAT. Yes, it models note-taking, and it also makes students pay a little more attention to what is being typed while I am again free to move around.
Susanne:
That was one of my favorite “take aways” from your class when I observed it a few years ago as a first year teacher. I loved how you have one of your students take class notes. I did that for a while in Geography. I may have to try it again this year in the spring. My students were fascinated with getting the chance to be the note taker.
I now have my own projector, too, and I love it. Often I think of something mid class that would be good to show my students and I can do it right then. Having it in my classroom permanently has really changed how I can teach things more visually.
[...] Langwitches » 50 Ways to Use a Projector in the Classroom – [...]
[...] however when I opened it to develop this post, one of the titles of a recent post jumped out at me: 50 Ways to Use a Projector in the Classroom. This post comes from the blog, Langwitches created by Silvia Tolisano, who I greatly admire. She [...]
I am in a district in which ALL classrooms in the district have a teacher notebook, ceiling mounted projector and an installed audio system and let me tell you the difference has been incredible. There are teachers using technology in ways they’ve never imagined before. Thank you for this list, there are several things I hadn’t thought of before. I will certainly pass this on to my teachers!
[...] to know 50 ways to use your data projector? Here are some ideas from her site (the rest are listed here). Thanks, [...]
Great stuff…
You might be interested in the following site that lists 100 ways to use your projector in your classroom.
http://www.umesd.k12.or.us/techlinks_100ideas
[...] Langwitches » 50 Ways to Use a Projector in the Classroom [...]
I read the 0 ways to use an OH. I use the Oh all day long and consider it a powerfool tool for solving word problems, also to introduce any topic in Math using manipulatives. A good way to draw graphic organizers for Social Studies, etc.
[...] Here is a very useful blog post which highlights 50 ways to use a projector in the class. [...]