A LOOK AT ... Digital Cameras, Visual Literacy, and the Xbox Generation
By Charles G. Doe
MultiMedia & Internet@Schools; March/April 2006, Vol. 13 Issue 2, p. 26 - 30, 4p

This article focused on digital cameras. It reminded me of a presentation in my graduate course at UNI yesterday. It talked about a few cameras, what features to look for and how to use them both in the classroom and the library.
One of the most pertinent comments in the article, I felt, was the statement:

“Student experience seems to have become so much more visual in nature that educators can’t compete using the same tools we used when we were our student’s age. Given the amount of information students now get visually, the ability to communicate and understand through visual means—visual literacy—is becoming increasingly important.”

I thought this was a good point not only for the use of digital cameras, but also blogs, production software such as I-movie or Inspiration, etc.

This article shared what I already knew about digital cameras, which is that there are many, many out there. The author also suggested to focus on the need of the camera and how it will be used when deciding which one to purchase. I learned that a 3 or 4 megapixel camera is probably fine for most purposes and that a 3x optical – not digital – zoom is enough. I wasn’t aware of the difference between the two zooms until reading this article, and then it was also mentioned in my grad school class. I always love it when things are reinforced like that! I also learned that the camera speed is a consideration – as some have a faster image processor enabling you to take up to 5 pictures in 1.2 seconds. Fun! And of course, the battery is an important factor, and some cameras have a ‘super-life’ battery.

I have used digital cameras for a variety of projects in the library and will continue to do so.