Blog #5: I Can See Me...Webcams in the Classroom

This article, by Timothy J. Frey, Abby L. Houlton, and Elizabeth D. Gruis, focuses on using webcams in the classroom and how students can become engaged in reading and presenting material in front of their peers. The article begins by explaining one student's fear of reading aloud, but once he was exposed to a webcam, he was able to see his reflection and know exactly how he looked and acted in front of his fellow classmates. This creates a confidence within the students as they can improve on things that they might be embarrassed about or not like. The webcams help students improve their reading literacy by recording themselves first, then reviewing the videos to check for errors and room for improvement. This creates a sense of pride in their improvements and it is a very important part of learning and growing in the students' education.

Webcam exercises have shown that over time, students increase the word count per minute in their reading and reduce errors in comprehension and public speaking. They are more adept at noticing errors in their reading and correcting them before they happen. Their oral reading fluency greatly excels as well. Listening comprehension is also a big part of the webcam exercise, and studies have shown that it helps with social interaction as well. Students can participate in educational exercises outside of their classrooms by sharing their ideas and work with other students, reflecting on their strengths and weaknesses with others in the educational field. Webcams in the classroom correlate with the ISTE NETS standard 2.a "interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media"

Frey, T., Houlton, A. and Gruis, E. (2010). I Can See Me:Webcams in the Classroom. Learning and Leading with Technology, 38(3), 36-37. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201011#pg38