Tag Archives: DIY

DIY iPad Document Camera

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I’m pretty big into DIY lately (Pinterest anyone?!) and a few weeks ago one of my science teachers asked me about document cameras. Immediately I thought: iPad. I knew I had read a blog post somewhere about turning an iPad into a document camera, so I immediately began Google-ing. By the time I got home on Friday I had my list written out for Home Depot and had already roped my dad into agreeing to help me. Here we go:

I used this video to started:

It shows 2 different iPad Document Camera stands…I decided to make them both.
Here is my drawing…I am no artist, but I needed a plan to follow:

 

 

 

My dad cut the grooves in the PVC pipe because he was afraid I would cut my fingers off!

After we got started making the different parts we were like an iPad stand making assembly line.

 

Here is the iPad stand in action. The base of this one is super sturdy and the iPad fits in there perfectly.

View from below.

This is the “cheaper” stand. It takes up more room on a desk, but it works pretty well.

Another view from below.

I brought the iPad stands in on Monday and gave one to the science teacher and one to my iPad pilot teacher and they were super excited.

While we are talking about document cameras, we are also trying out these babies:

 

This is the Point2View ($69.00)

And this one is the Ziggi ($89.00)from iPevo. These are inexpensive, USB document cameras that we are considering buying for teachers next year. I have always used ELMO doc cams, but they run between $400-$800 each! Yikes. We bought one of each and we are having teachers try them out to see which one we like better.

Ok, enough document camera for tonight. Anyone else have a doc cam they love? Or have you made your own? Please share!

 

 

 

 

DIY: Dry Erasers

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“Miss O., can I hand out the socks?!”

This may not be a normal request in your classroom, but it is in mine!

When I posted the other day about using page protectors to create instant dry erase boards, it reminded me of another idea! I got this idea from my cooperating teacher when I was student teaching. I was perplexed when all the students brought a sock with their school supplies, then Mrs. Huisman explained that the socks were used as dry erasers. Brilliant! Of course, I forgot about this until later…

When I started using page protector dry erase boards on a regular basis, I would hand out tissues to everyone to erase their boards. But then cold and flu season hit, and we did not have tissues to spare! Then I remembered those socks. I made a run walmart and picked up a class set of socks (only one per student, not a pair!). Then I put one skinny marker and one thick marker in each sock.

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Ok, clearly these socks have been used! :) The great thing about storing your dry erase markers this way, is that you get your markers and erasers handed out in one step…and the kids can’t see what color marker they are getting, no arguing… perfect. I store my markers in a container like this:

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Remember that container from my garage saling this summer?! I have put it to good use.

So there you go, DIY dry erase boards and dry erasers! Unfortunately, I do not have an idea DIY ideas for making dry erase board markers…we have these on our school supply list at the beginning of the year.