Visual Literacy and the Internet

How can visual literacy and the use of the internet impact the teaching and learning process in the classroom?

Visual literacy is the learned ability to interpret visual messages accurately and to create such messages.

Visuals can play many possible roles in the teaching and learning process.

Visuals:

·         Provide concrete referent for ideas

·         Make the abstract concrete

·         Motivate learners: Visuals can increase interest in a lesson and enhance motivation. This is true because I have experienced this with my biographical interview lesson, where I first made a guess who bulletin board for my students. They were extremely excited after seeing the photographs on display. I also inform them that people are resources too. I placed a copy of one of the written biographical sketch on my blog. So visuals can motivate learners by attracting and holding their attention. Visuals also generate engagement in the learning process.

·         Direct attention

·         Repeat information in different formats

·         Recall prior learning

·         Reduce learning effort: Visuals simplify information that is difficult to understand.

With the rapid growth of the internet, most schools have been using it as a new medium to assist them with teaching, research and learning activities.

·         The internet has the potential to expand access to new students.

·         Enhance flexibility for traditional students and improve the quality of teaching by achieving higher levels of learning such as analysis, synthesis, problem solving, and decision –making.

·         Students from schools in isolated areas or marginalized neighborhoods can visit museums, exhibitions or libraries on the web.

·         In rural areas the internet can become a major instrument for allowing students to access a level of education that would be unthinkable by traditional means.

When we choose to use the internet for our students, we have to think of the diverse group of children we teach. Children in title one schools have many needs. They speak a number of different languages. They have special needs. They have IEPs and the list goes on and on. Therefore whether it is blogging, podcasting or discussion boards, they should be designed to meet the specific students that we teach.

Blogging

Blogging can be very effective for both students and teachers.

·         It is a unique tool for sharing ideas

·         Strategies, questions and concerns

·         Useful for completing and submitting assignments

·         Assembling e-portfolios and reviewing other students contributions

It is also great for ESl students. Children could connect with another class in another culture/country.

Podcasting

Podcasting is great for English learners. It is a means where in which students get access to authentic listening sources about almost any subject they maybe interested in.

·         They are great for listening comprehension exercises

·         Generates conversation based on students reaction to podcast.

·         Portability

Examples:

ESL Pod

The word Nerds

Benefits of Using Discussion Boards

·         It has time saving benefits.

·         Students are more likely to utilize critical thinking skills

·         Students develop a stronger class community

·         Students are more likely to cite research and class readings: This is so because students can reflect upon what they want to write in a discussion board posting.

·         Faculty members spend less time answering questions.

·         Students achieve greater cognitive and exploratory learning

·         Students participate more regularly and in a more thoughtful manner than they would normally do in a face to face instructional setting, especially in large enrollment classes

What are some visual thinking strategies you would like to use in your classroom?

·         Add virtual field-trips and simulations to my lessons.

·         Students will reflect more on images to form connections

·         Include think/pair/share in my lessons.

What role do you want the internet to play in your classroom?

I would like to use the internet in these ways in my classroom.

·         To introduce a concept

·         To meet the needs of all learners

·         Access primary resources

·         Promote high level thinking

·         Discussion

·         For animation and library website

·         E-mails

·         To further my teaching of information Literacy Skills

Reference

Instructional Technology and Media for learning

Sharon E. Smaldino

Deborah L Lowther

James D. Russell

www.learnnc.org

http:tesolandtech.blogspot.com/2012/01/blogs-and-tesol-classroom.html

Jennifer Matthews