digital kinder

This week I bit off a huge piece of technology by using digital cameras with kindergarten students. And so far so good.
I think most of us understand that this generation of students is more digitally and visually oriented than earlier generations. What gen are they? Integrating technology for this group can be a challenge- for the teacher. When I was a tech I found that the teacher was the one person in the classroom that needed the training not the kids! "What they can't save a document!" meaning "I can't save a document." What were the kids doing with their Game Boys all those year ago? Saving the game! (Makes me crazy that people are still saving to the HD on a networked computer because they are too lazy to go find their own drive and save in a folder they made for worksheets or book lists or whatever), and we are way beyond that now.
So digital cameras. Well yes I was a bit and more wondering how this would go. All I really wanted to do was get photos of the Kindergarten with their "Reading Buddies'- a stuffed animal or toy they hold while they read a book before going to bed. We talked bedtime routines and who reads you a story (or do you read to yourself?)
Then I thought, "shoot for the moon, land in the stars" take a chance and see what happens.
It happened awesomely. I drew a sketch of a digital camera front and back on the new easel with whiteboard we now have in the story area. We identified and labeled the wrist strap, the lens, the view finder screen, on/off button and the shutter button. BTW my school has Kodak Easy Share digital cameras, different models but essentially the same. My rule for kindergarten or any student is keep the wrist strap on your wrist- camera can't fall on the floor. If you don't follow the rule you loose the camera. Then I split the students in to small groups 3-4 max, 3 works best and let them go at it for 10 minuets.
They have to stay on the story rug - this helps for crowd control .The rug is 6 x9 divided in to colored squares. Meawhile I am circulating and shooting video with a Flip video camera. Students traded and shared the cameras and here's the shocker they took some pretty good pictures. Few heads cut off, the Reading Buddy and face together, good head shots, few feet.
I have one class to go and will have a photo inserted into a picture page for students next week so they can write about their Reading Buddy and stories.
Technology is great - when it works.