Journal 5

Measuring Digital Images in Math and Science Classrooms. Learning & Leading, Vol. 35
Mike Charles.

This article is about the use of ImageJ, a website used by scientists and educators to analyze digital images. The prospects for use in science and math classrooms are amazing. Because digital images are made up of pixels, image-processing tools, like ImageJ, allow a user to set a scale and then measure the pixels in the image. The article examines how a teacher could use ImageJ to measure how long lightening strikes, which NBA player dunks a basketball the fastest and what percentage of a fall leaf stops producing food for a tree. The article walks you through the whole process of using ImageJ to do these activities.

1. How can an educator access ImageJ and how much does it cost?
ImageJ was created by the National Institutes of Health and is public domain. ImageJ has a documentation portal and you can download the software free.

2. What other ways could this site is used in a classroom?
The author states that using digital cameras in the classroom is a good place to start getting students used to digital images. Discussing how digital images are made up of pixels and teaching some of the basics of digital imagery would be a good way to introduce this concept to elementary students.