The number of new technologies available to K-12 schools is continuously increasing as new software and hardware solutions are constantly being released. While these new technologies can undoubtedly help make teaching more efficient, add excitement to learning and increase retention, it can be difficult for many teachers to fully grasp the concepts and capabilities of these solutions. Although technology departments and classroom training programs are becoming more readily available, a digital divide between current teachers and technology is at times difficult to overcome. Without proper training and understanding of not only the product itself, but the technology behind it, teachers can find themselves scratching their heads rather than fully utilizing the solutions' capabilities.

Due to this apparent technology divide, many colleges and universities implement technology-based programs into their teacher education curriculum. Preparing pre-service teachers for a classroom setting now includes technology application development programs, as well as traditional K-12 teaching methods. Such is the case for the Rhode Island College Department of Elementary Education in providing professional development and preparing teachers for early childhood through middle school curriculum. Rhode Island College Associate Professor, Maria Lawrence, conducts field-based programs with her pre-service elementary and middle school teacher educators that combine currently adopted curricula with instructional technologies commonly used in today's classroom.

One such piece of technology Professor Lawrence integrates into her curriculum is a document camera. As document cameras are becoming increasingly common in K-12 classrooms, Professor Lawrence feels it is an integral part of technology found in a typical school. In 2007, RIC User Support Services were introduced to the AVerVision CP300 document camera from AVer. In turn, they integrated it into the teacher education curriculum. Professor Lawrence quickly realized the benefits of the AVerVision CP300 , especially when compared to technologies previously used such as overhead projectors and other document camera products.

Along with the standard document camera function of capturing live images of documents, objects, and microscopic images to display through a projector or monitor, Professor Lawrence decided that the clarity of the AVerVision CP300 was the most noticeable improvement over the other technologies. Upon exploring the product further, the additional features such as image and video capture, auto focus, zoom and pan, and others allowed Professor Lawrence to expand her own classroom applications with the document camera while providing her pre-service teachers with even more ideas and methods for classroom use.

Professor Lawrence uses the AVerVision CP300 in a variety of applications while teaching curriculum to her pre-service teachers, and in turn, the pre-service teachers integrate similar applications into their field training. Some common classroom applications include the use of manipulatives and living organisms to show the structure of insects, or how to hold a crayfish. The ability to move the camera head in various positions allows for the presentation of three dimensional objects and organisms in various views and angles. She also uses the document camera to view printed images and text such as picture walks and student notebook entries for analysis and feedback. Video capture has allowed Professor Lawrence and her students to record incline motion and dissolution of solutes into solvents and replay these lessons at a later time.

During field training, pre-service teachers have noted the AVerVision CP300 is so easy to use, that 1st grade students are more willing to participate by using the product to share and self-assess their writing projects in front of the class. 3rd grade students working on living organisms are able to examine and compare different seeds, and then express the differences to the class as a whole. Overall, pre-service teacher confidence has greatly improved as they enter field training and implement classroom applications because they feel better equipped to use a variety of teaching and presentation methods. Instead of the old “tell us what you did” method, pre-service teachers can ask students to “show and tell us what you did” in a clear large projection. Other improvements noted while using the AVerVision CP300 include the ability to respond to questions and provide feedback while showing different scenarios immediately. The ability to share two and three dimensional examples, as well as manipulate them with zoom, pan and annotation has been extremely valuable.

While the AVerVision CP300 is not the only product used by RIC to prepare pre-service teachers for the classroom, the ability to integrate it with other technologies such as a computer, interactive whiteboard, and others, provides versatility and expanded use with additional technologies. By using the AVerVision CP300 in RIC instruction, pre-service teachers are able to easily integrate curriculum using technology into their field training, and in turn, their eventual permanent teaching assignments. The AVerVision300AF+ has allowed both Professor Lawrence and her students to better equip themselves for the changing digital environments in today's K-12 schools.