When a Westerner hears “Nikkei,” he or she might first think about the Nikkei 225 index which measures the Japanese stock market. And that’s true, but Nikkei is bigger than just the daily highs and lows of the market. Nikkei, Inc. is actually one of the biggest media corporations in Japan, and they put out a variety of respected publications for finance, business, and other industries. And one of those publications mentioned the Point 2 View USB Document Camera! Nikkei Medical is a go-to publication for healthcare professionals, and in the latest issue, the Point 2 View was mentioned as a favorite new tool of Dr. Hitoshi Kozu, M.D. Dr. Kozu runs a medical clinic bearing his name in Tokyo, and recently he started to use the Point 2 View for throat examinations.

As the article explains — and yes, it’s in Japanese, so we’re paraphrasing! — traditionally the throat exam is done with a pen light and a tongue depressor. The doctor has to examine the patient, then put down the tools and sketch a drawing of the throat (or label a diagram) from memory as part of the case history for the patient’s medical record. But Dr. Kozu found a better way — by holding the Point 2 View and then taking a snapshot of the patient’s throat, a high-res image is saved that can be printed out for the physical record or stored digitally. Dr. Kozu’s method is said to have greatly improved the accuracy and comprehensiveness of patient case histories. After all, the image is a photograph, and not just what the doctor remembered from his examination.

Why is the Point 2 View the perfect tool for such an examination? Well, it features great image quality as well as a dedicated macro mode for fine details. But Dr. Kozu discovered another important benefit. The small and unassuming size of the Point 2 View didn’t intimidate patients like bulkier digital cameras did. Dr. Kozu tried digital cameras before settling on the Point 2 View, but found that their size made patients uncomfortable. With the use of the pen-shaped and feather-light Point 2 View camera, patients didn’t feel like they were being photographed and so they relaxed, allowing for better pictures and a more comfortable doctor’s visit.

One last little innovation: Dr. Kozu fitted an LED light onto the head of the camera so the throat would be well-illuminated. The light was intended to be worn on the finger like a ring, but it turned out to be just the right diameter for the Point 2 View. Now that’s creative thinking! The article ends by stating that Dr. Kozu hopes that other doctors will adopt the Point 2 View and embrace his philosophy of capturing actual photographs for medical records instead of drawings or diagrams. It simply results in a more accurate picture of a patient’s health and condition. To Dr. Kozu we say: thank you for using the Point 2 View, and we’ll defer to your superior medical knowledge!

A while back we heard about the Point 2 View being used in dentistry, and this newest development confirms that the Point 2 View USB Document Camera can be a great tool for doctors and health professionals. We’re glad an IPEVO product is making a positive difference in healthcare.

UDL is a term which has enjoyed a renewed focus in educational circles recently, and we wanted to tell you how the IPEVO Document Cameras — Ziggi and the Point 2 View — can help educators achieve this promising approach to learning.

What is UDL? It stands for Universal Design for Learning. It’s a concept that takes up after the universal design movement in architecture. In the same way that buildings can be designed to accommodate the most diverse range of people — like an entrance ramp that could serve bike riders, moms with strollers, and those in wheelchairs — UDL is a framework which encourages curriculum to be designed for the most diverse range of students. UDL acknowledges that no two students learn in quite the same way. As such, “more is more” when it comes to curriculum. By multiplying your methods and your media, you will reach more students and achieve better results overall.

UDL has three major elements:

Representation — Presenting material in many different ways and through multiple media

Expression — Allowing students to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways

Engagement — Making sure there are multiple ways to engage learners and instill that very important “love of learning”

And this is where IPEVO ed tech comes in. Ziggi and the Point 2 View give you the ability to present material in new ways. Just check out our Top 50 ways that educators can use document cameras and 50 MORE ways for ideas. That’s a mind-boggling range of ways to both present material and get your students excited about learning. When you multiply the opportunities for students to engage the material, you’re fostering a more universal (and thus more effective) learning environment.

Finding the right mix of teaching methods that “click” with your students is part of the challenge, but it’s also part of the fun. Ziggi and the Point 2 View can help you improve your teaching according to all three UDL elements — Representation, Expression and Engagement. It brings material closer to students than ever before, and it opens up a new level of interactivity that can really make a difference in your class.

Remember: We DO accept school purchase orders, and we DO have volume discount rates on both Ziggi and the Point 2 View. Contact sales-america@ipevo.com for more information. Try one of our affordable document cameras in your class: you won’t be disappointed!

Recently we had the pleasure of checking in with Tricia Fuglestad, a K-5 Visual Art Teacher in Arlington Heights, IL. She’s the current recipient of the NAEA 2012 Illinois Art Teacher of the Year. And she had plenty to teach us about using IPEVO’s Point 2 View USB Document Camera in her art class.

Tricia originally became interested in the Point 2 View after attending an education tech conference in her area. Many educators were praising the Point 2 View for its high quality and low price, and she decided to try it out.

Thus far, Tricia has developed 6 ways to use the Point 2 View in art class. We’ll let Tricia tell you more in her own words:

1. Animation: “The Point 2 View was a perfect tool for explaining and demonstrating the stop motion animation process to my students. Just move an object, click the snapshot button to take a still image, and move the object again.”
2. Augmented Reality: “We printed out an Augmented Reality marker in order to view a 3-D model of the Parthenon on the projection screen during our study of Greek art. Students could hold the marker at a comfortable level to view the model from all angles.”
3. iPads and iPods: “I connect the Point 2 View to the computer and project these devices for demos. This use is perfect for the Point 2 View.”
4. Photo Booth: “Apple’s Photo Booth allows the Point 2 View to record video. I can aim the Point 2 View at my students who are too small to reach the desktop camera or who can’t position themselves because of a disability. We recorded students’ lips for artwork we created.” (At the top of the page is their amazing video presentation of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax using this method!)
5. Sharing sketches: “The Point 2 View gives my students a way to share their sketches or writings with the class quickly. It’s perfect for playing guessing games or sharing with the class to see if artwork has communicated ideas clearly.”
6. Fine Art Techniques: “The Point 2 View is great for demonstrating small detailed techniques. Instead of calling all the students out of their seats to stand over me as I demonstrate, I use the camera to make art along with them.” (See picture below for the setup Tricia used to demonstrate in real time how to create the illusion of a curved 3D apple.)

Tricia sums up the Point 2 View this way: “The Point 2 View has amazing clarity and great weight balance, and I like that it uses USB as opposed to other document cameras that use VGA, which requires more fiddling with the projector. $69 is a very affordable price for a teaching tool that can make a world of difference for students.”

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and your images, Tricia, we really appreciate it. Please check out Tricia’s school website for even more great artwork. And for any readers interested in learning more, head on over to our Point 2 View page for more info and ideas.