Digital diversity: a basic tool with lots of uses.

When it comes to equipment that I cannot function without, a simple point and shoot digital camera (3.1 megapixel or higher) reigns supreme. The digital camera has altered the way I teach and the way my students learn.

Depending on your school's technology budget, purchasing a camera is relatively affordable. Having the software to edit, print, and incorporate photos into your teaching is equally important. For any teacher wondering how to advocate for one, here are some ways to show how it will help your program.

PowerPoint Presentations

I create slide presentations showing digital photos of student work that have creatively met assignment objectives. After my initial lesson, the presentation scrolls unobtrusively on a large monitor in my room for the duration of the project visually reinforcing expectations on a daily basis.

Photos are clearly labeled to convey to students that I value what they do in class. ("Notice how Marie incorporated a sgrafitto technique into her pottery. She had a challenging time in the beginning, but look how beautiful her piece turned out.") I tend to see improvement in the motivation of poorly behaved students when they see their friends' work earn a place of honor in my slide presentation.

Open House

Given the parameters of speaking for ten minutes in the library with the other "specials" teachers, I use my digital photos of student work in yet another PowerPoint presentation to parents. As I explain the objectives and some anecdotal information (such as, "This student's work appeared in SchoolArts!"), parents see my standards for artistry and the variety of projects offered. Art advocacy starts early in the year.

Art Exhibits

Digital photos of student work can be used in permanent or temporary art exhibits in the school hallways. Photo kiosks or copy shops can enlarge and reduce photos of student artwork to fit inexpensive frames.

Personalized Gifts

I often use digital images of student work to create gifts for special occasions. When nearly 100 speakers came to our school for our Kaleidoscope of Careers program, each one was given an inexpensive kaleidoscope with a thank you card attached depicting designs my students created which I had photographed and printed out. Annually in the spring, I award framed digital prints to two students in each seventh grade class who do particularly well in our painting unit.

Parent Correspondence

When sending e-mail to parents, digital pictures can be sent along to help them better understand how their child is doing. Upon receiving an e-mail from a mother saying her son was sick and wouldn't be able to complete his drawing by the deadline, I took a photo of the still life he was working on, e-mailed it home with the directions, and had the student complete the drawing to the best of his ability. E-mailing a photo of work in progress and a note saying" your child's showing more effort" can make a parent's day.

Travelogues

I often create photo CDs of where I've been and include historical or other pertinent information so that interested colleagues (art and foreign language in particular) can supplement their lessons. The same goes for field trips.

Special Events

Documenting art openings promotes the art program in the school and the community. Digital photos easily can be e-mailed to local papers or administrators for public relations purposes. When giving workshops to graduate art-education students at a local university or teachers at our state art-educator's convention, the digital photos I show of my students and their work enhance my presentation greatly and help me avoid carrying many materials!

Seek Advice

Before you purchase a digital camera, ask your technology chairperson or camera salesperson for advice on its ease of use, zoom capabilities, clarity of image, and overall handling. Some cameras are easier to use than others and come bundled with printers and battery chargers; others don't. Consider applying for a school technology grant to cover costs. Once you get a camera, you'll soon realize how you much you can do with it to enhance your teaching!

Mary Coy teaches at Spry Middle School in Webster, NY, and is a contributing editor to SchoolArts. marycoy@rochester. rr.com