If you are relying on Google Meet to do lessons, and miss the convenience of having a document camera at your disposal, the following instructions will walk you through how to use the Google Meet app on your phone and make a DIY Document Camera.
- Download the Google Meet app for your phone.
Android folk here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com. google.android.apps.meetings& hl=en_US
iThing folk here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hangouts-meet-by-google/ id1013231476 - Start your meeting on your computer (laptop, Chromebook, etc).
Mute your microphone. You'll be using the mic on your phone instead. More on that later. - Jot down the meeting code. You'll need this to connect your phone.
- If saving this meeting for later, be sure to start the "Record meeting" feature on your computer.
- On your phone, open the "Meet" app, tap the "Meeting code" button at the bottom, and enter the meeting code from step 3.
- Tap the three dots in the top right corner of the screen and choose "Switch camera" on the menu that pops up. You'll now be looking out the camera on the back of your phone.
- Here's the crafty Pinteresty part - get at least two items that are sturdy, narrow, but tall - and (I'd suggest) a small washcloth. On one of the suggestions I saw, they used some cans of soup. Stack one or two items on the desk. Put half of your phone on top so the other half is hanging off. Then put the small washcloth over the side that the phone is resting on (protect the screen!), and put something heavy on top of that. Here's the basic setup that I saw in one of the suggestions, but I got it to work with a box of tissues and a small jar of coins:
Tada, you now have a document camera!
Buuuut there's one more catch. You may not want to only record the document camera. Maybe you want to record your screen and switch between the two. Here's how to do that.
- Option 1: Switch between the "document camera" and your laptop's camera.
Google Meet will display the view of whoever is talking. In this case you can mute the device you don't want to record and un-mute the device you do want to record. Switch back and forth as many times as you'd like. You will probably want to mute your speakers while doing this or else you may get some scary feedback. Or better yet, use a pair of headphones or earbuds. - Option 2: Switch between the "document camera" and your laptop's screen.
Only use the microphone on your phone. But if you want to show your screen of your computer (laptop, Chromebook, etc), just switch on Present now on your computer which will then show a window being displayed on your screen. When done, click Stop presenting and you'll now be back on your document camera.
This is a pretty neat hack, and can be very useful for those who are and even those who are not document cameras aficionados. I do have one more tip for you:
- The taller you make your camera, the more room you have under it to work, and the more work area will be visible by the camera. But keep in mind you may start to see your "camera stand" in the frame the higher up you go, and it may also start to become unstable. So, elevate responsibly!