Amplification or Transformative: Flip v/s Video Functionality in Digital Stills

There’s a lot of buzz about the Flips- they’re portable, they’re student and teacher friendly, the quick grab and record usability allows for spontaneous use and documentation of student learning and events.  The files lend themselves to easy incorporation in other multimedia and Web based tools.  They are also pretty hip.  I am thinking about elementary students, and the type of “tool kit” that should be available for them and of course the Flip (or similar model) comes to mind.  But I am wondering… what are the advantages of buying and using the Flip over just using the video feature that is already built into our digital still cameras?  I have started a mental list of pros and cons related to price and recording length and technical specs like file types and compatibility, but I keep coming back to the “cool” factor.

And now here’s the tie to integration and best practice.  Last  week I attended Vermont ASCD’s spring conference with Dr. Joan Hughes.  We discussed integration examples and evaluated them as they relate to Instruction, Student Learning and Curriculum.  We asked the question, do these integration activities serve as Replacement, Amplification or Transformative uses of technology?   

Can those that use the Flip speak to the advantages or reasons that would make it (or a similar model) a must include in a student “toolkit” over utilizing the video feature that is built into the digital still cameras? Is the Flip just an amplification of an existing tool or is there something about it that lends itself to more transformative uses and outcomes?