What do you see?
Do you think this is a good way to teach elementary students about different animals and their habitats?
Which elementary grade would benefit the most from live viewing and why?
How can you incorporate live cam viewing in the classroom, and how can you make this an enjoyable experience for the students?
**Use this link to get started exploring the apes, koalas, pandas, polar bears, elephants, and condor cams! http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/video-more
I really enjoyed watching the elephant cam. As I was watching this live cam, I watched the elephant walk, drink, eat, and play around his habitat. This is an awesome experience for those that are not able to actually go to the San Deigo Zoo. It is amazing to me that this video is placed in the elephant's habitat, and you can watch the elephant roam as long as you want to. I have actually visited the San Diego Zoo, and I did not know that they had live cam viewing available. It really becomes a personal experience as you watch these amazing animals in their habitats.
I believe this is a wonderful way to teach elementary students about different animals. As a teacher, I would spend a complete lesson on the development of these animals and their habitats. As I explored the website, I found that not only is there live viewing, but there is an elephant blog link and an elephant facts link. This is true for all of the live cams. This would be a neat project for the students to do collaboratively. I think kindergarten-4th grade would benefit the most from this project because children at the younger age seem to be most engaged in the actions of animals.
In the classroom, I can see live viewing being taught in multiple ways. At first, I would show the students how to access the site, and what there is available to explore on the site. I would then let them use the iPads or desktop computers to explore the site on their own. This would allow the students to discover different things about different animals. I think it would be beneficial to put the students in groups as well. In the group, the students can work together and each group would be assigned a different cam to view. I noticed that in some of the cams the animals are not very active, so, as a teacher, I may have to modify the project and some groups may have to watch the same animal live cam. While in groups, the students can write down three facts they observe and share them with the class. Each group of students could also search the blog and fact link about the animal. Depending on the grade, the groups could then create a Google Slide or PowerPoint presentation. Students could also share there knowledge of the animal by creating a video or book about the animal assigned to their group.
I believe the possibilities are endless with live cam viewing. This type of viewing really engages the student to be their own teacher. The students can also see that technology is all around our world today just by viewing the animals at the San Diego Zoo. Science, history, and technology are 3 subjects that can be incorporated into this one project. By watching these animals in their own habitats, the students can also compare and contrast the differences of each animal. Live cam viewing is a great way for students to learn about different animals, and I hope that this viewing will still be available when I become an elementary teacher.
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