Learning and Teaching using ICT
Teaching and Learning Centre
Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire
Example Lessons using Interactive Whiteboard and Visualiser
A visualiser or desktop visual presenter is a special video camera (also called an electronic imaging tool) designed to display documents and 3-D objects onto a plasma screen, television or monitor. You can connect the document camera to a projector and display onto a screen or an interactive whiteboard too.
You can place documents such as A4 printed handouts, papers, magazines or maps underneath them, so that they are displayed on screen. Overhead projectors do a similar job, but you have to print or photocopy onto acetate (clear plastic) sheets first. Visualisers can also display and magnify small objects such as insects, flowers, leaves, coins and watches, which overhead projectors cannot do. The visualiser combines many of the features of a camera, scanner, overhead projector and microscope into one single tool and you can capture the image (or the moving image) onto a computer for further working and manipulation.
The visualiser was used in maths lessons during the Primary Conference but it is not restricted to this subject. Delegates at the Primary Conference discussed the potential of this tool to assist learning and teaching as follows:
- Enables Teachers to demonstrate activites using the same medium as pupils
- Opportunities for Pupils to share their work with the class.
- Teachers can easily capture childrens work from exercise books or whiteboards to share and develop understanding
- Teachers in KS1 were particulary interested in the potential to use more practical materials
- Enables shared and whole class reading using any convenient text