iPad Camera is the window to your classroom. Capture evidence, scan documents, and support accessibility.
🔍 What does it do?
The Camera app is the primary way pupils capture their learning. It can take high-quality photos, record video, capture slow-motion clips, and even read text directly from a book or whiteboard. In a “1:1 iPad” classroom, it becomes a digital bridge between physical work in a jotter and digital work in the cloud.
🎓 Why is it useful?
-
Evidence of Learning: Not all work is digital. Pupils can take a photo of their physical models, posters, or written work and upload them instantly to Teams or Google Classroom.
-
Live Text: One of the most powerful features – if the camera sees text (on a whiteboard or in a book), a small icon appears that allows the pupil to copy and paste that text directly into a document or note or have it read aloud.
-
Scan QR Codes: No more typing in long web addresses. Pupils simply point the camera at a QR code to be taken directly to a website, a Form, or a video.
-
Magnifier: For pupils with visual impairments, the camera can act as a high-powered magnifying glass, allowing them to zoom in on small text or distant displays.
⚙️ How does it work?
-
Launch: Tap the Camera icon (Gray icon with a black lens) or swipe left on the Lock Screen.
-
Switch Modes: Swipe your finger up or down on the right side of the screen to switch between Photo, Video, Time-Lapse (great for long science experiments), and Slo-Mo.
-
Focus and Exposure: Tap a specific part of the screen to tell the camera where to focus. If the image is too dark, tap the screen and slide your finger up or down next to the “Sun” icon to adjust the brightness.
-
Zoom: Use two fingers to “pinch” or “spread” on the screen to zoom in or out.
-
Review: Tap the small thumbnail in the corner to view your most recent photo and use the ‘Edit’ button to crop or rotate it.
🚀 Beyond the Basics
-
Time-Lapse & Slo-Mo: Use Time-Lapse to record a plant growing over a day or a chemical reaction. Use Slo-Mo to capture fast-moving events, like a ball being dropped, to analyse the physics of the movement.
-
Shape Hunts: Send pupils on a “Shape Hunt” around the school. They can use the Markup tool in the Photos app to draw over their photos with their fingers, highlighting the 2D and 3D shapes they find in the real world.
-
Visual Timetables: Use the camera to take photos of the equipment needed for a lesson. Display these on the board or in a shared Note or Keynote to provide a clear, visual checklist for pupils who struggle with multi-step instructions.
-
POV Storytelling: Have pupils film “Point of View” videos where they act as a character in a story, speaking directly into the camera to explain their feelings or motives.
