Empowering Learning Through Technology: Insights from PS 19 East Village Community School

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In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, the integration of technology inclassrooms has become a crucial component in shaping the future of education. At PS19 East Village Community School in New York City, both the principal and teachers are at the forefront of using innovative tools to enhance student learning. We had the opportunity to speak with Principal Bradley Goodman and Ruth Frank-Holcomb, a fourth-grade teacher, to gain insights into how these technological advancements—particularly the ELMO document camera—have transformed teaching, learning, and student engagement. Their shared experiences demonstrate how these tools are making education more interactive, dynamic, and inclusive.

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Insights from Principal Bradley Goodman

We hear from Principal Bradley Goodman, who has spent over two decades in education. He explains how the ELMO document camera and other technological tools have transformed teaching and learning at PS19 East Village Community School.

Interviewer:
Thank you for joining us, Mr. Goodman. Could you startby telling us a bit about yourself and your school?

Bradley Goodman:
My name is Bradley Goodman. I'm the principal here at PS19 East Village Community School. I've been working here for 22 years, andthis is my 10th year as the principal. I started here as a teacher. We’re a small public elementary school in the East Village of New York City, with 175 students representing a very diverse and dynamic community here in New YorkCity.

Interviewer:
Could you explain how technology has been integrated into your classrooms and the impact of ELMO document cameras?

Bradley Goodman:
Well, at our school, we’ve always embraced technology.We were early adopters of the interactive whiteboards—several years ago, I want to say maybe 15 years ago, we got our first interactive whiteboards in the classrooms. Today, every single one of our classrooms, from Pre-K all the way through fifth grade, is equipped with an interactive whiteboard, a Promethean board, and an ELMO document camera. And these are essential tools for teaching and learning at our school. They allow our teachers to remain flexible, to be able to showcase student work for other students to learn from each other. Also, to be able to put a book underneath the document camera for an interactive read-aloud. Really, it opens up the lesson to be much more interactive and dynamic. For so many of our students, this is a really important tool in their learning. We know all students may learn in different ways, have different modalities that they tend to learn best through. The ELMO document cameras, along with our interactive whiteboards, really allow us to support 100% of our learners with that visual tool.

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Interviewer:
How are ELMO document cameras used in the classroom and what is your favorite way to see them utilized?

Bradley Goodman:
I see the document cameras being used in lots of different ways. I think that the age of the students often determines exactlyhow the document cameras are most well utilized. One of my favorite ways to see them used is for students to share their thinking in a very visible way. It can be really powerful for students to learn from each other, to see one another's work, and to talk through their process in that sort of real-time and visualway for all the students to benefit from. So for me, when I come into aclassroom and I see students sharing their own work underneath a document camera, I know that really authentic and powerful learning is happening in theclassroom.

Interviewer:
How user-friendly are the ELMO document cameras for teachers?

Bradley Goodman:
Yeah, it’s extremely user-friendly. All of our teachers are able to access this technology. The ELMO interface is so simple and elegant. It’s very easily adapted to classroom use.

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Interviewer:
Can you reflect on the evolution of classroom technology, particularly comparing the ELMO document cameras to older tools like overhead projectors?

Bradley Goodman:
Well, before we had document cameras, when I first started teaching, the cutting-edge technology was the overhead projector. This was a big part of my early experience as an educator. I would print out my lesson templates and slides on transparency film using the photocopy machine and project them onto a large screen for my students. We would also use clear transparency film and dry-erase markers, with students coming up to show their work on the overhead. In many ways, the way we used the overhead projector was a precursor to how we currently use our ELMO document cameras. Back then, it was also a powerful and essential learning tool for teaching and learning in our classrooms.

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Ruth’s Experience as a Fourth-Grade Teacher

Ruth Frank-Holcomb, a fourth-grade teacher, shares how the ELMO document camera boosts student engagement and collaboration in her classroom. Her insights reveal how this technology enhances both teaching andlearning experiences.

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Interviewer:
How long have you been teaching, and what grades haveyou taught?

Ruth Frank-Holcomb:
My name is Ruth, and I'm a fourth-grade teacher. This is my eighth year teaching. Previously, I had taught fifth grade for seven years.

Interviewer:
How do you typically use the ELMO document camera in your classroom?

Ruth Frank-Holcomb:
I use the ELMO camera for lots of different things throughout the day. It's particularly helpful for sharing student work, which is usually on printer or loose leaf paper that the whole class wouldn't be able to see at one time. So, being able to put it under the document camera and have the whole class able to see it at once means that students can learn from each other's writing and work. They can give feedback on each other's ideas. It's really helpful to do feedback and editing in real time with the class. The other way I often use it is for sharing books and read-alouds. I can share the whole book with the class, so that everyone doesn't need to be crowded around up front. Everyone can see the words or the pictures and talk about it together.

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Interviewer:
How has the ELMO document camera impacted student engagement in your class?

Ruth Frank-Holcomb:
The ELMO document camera has been really helpful inincreasing student engagement because the whole class is able to see, either the problem we're solving together or the student work that we're reviewing. They’re able to give feedback on each other's work, and they love sharing theirwork on the camera. They’re all very excited to take a turn to come up and read their work in front of the class, and the class can read along with them instead of just listening.

Interviewer:
Would you recommend ELMO document cameras to other teachers?

Ruth Frank-Holcomb:
I definitely recommend using ELMO document cameras to other teachers. They work very quickly and efficiently, and they allow the whole class to be able to view a document, a game, a book, a page at the same time.

As educational technology evolves, tools like ELMO document cameras are proving invaluable in creating dynamic learning environments. Principal Goodman highlights how these tools enhance student engagement and teaching methods, while Ruth’s insights showcase their effectiveness in fostering collaboration and interaction among students. The ELMO document camera not onlysupports diverse learning styles but also enriches classroom experiences.

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