Crutch It!

Crutch It!

Visual Literacy in the Classroom

As educators, we search for different ways to reach our students. One of the “tricks” that we can use in our classrooms is visual literacy, which can be used to provide a “crutch” for students so that their learning becomes more meaningful and permanent.

Visual Literacy is . . . a set of skills that include

the ability to understand and recognize the power of images, to manipulate images, and to use images

http://www.nmc.org/events/2005visual_literacy_conf/index.shtml

http://www.nmc.org/events/2005visual_literacy_conf/index.shtml

Why Visual Literacy Should Be Used in the Classroom

• The eyes are the most powerful conduit to the brain. They send information to the brain through 2 optic nerves, each with 1,000,000 nerve fibers. The auditory nerve has only 30,000 fibers. The nerve cells devoted to visual processing equal to 30 percent of the nerve cells in the brain, compared to 8 percent for touch and only 3 percent for hearing.

• eyes over ears

• 30% of nerve cells in brain cortex for visual processing

From Visual Literacy: Learn to See, See to Learn by Dr. Lynell Burmark

Why Visuals Should Be Used in the Classroom

• The eyes process visual information 60,000 times faster that textual information. Presenters that use visuals are 43 percent more effective in persuading their audiences to a desired outcome than presenters who don’t use visuals.

• 60,000 times faster

• 43 percent more effective in persuading



• One of the greatest reasons for adding visuals into the classroom is the use of color. Color improves learning by up to 400 percent and increases the willingness to read by up to 80 percent.

• the use of color• improves learning by up to 400

percent• increases willingness to read

up to 80 percentFrom Visual Literacy: Learn to See, See to Learn by Dr. Lynell Burmark


• The use of color in visuals increases motivation by up to 80 percent and improves retention more than 75 percent.

• increases motivation by up to 80 percent

• improves retention more than 75 percent



• Our students have grown up in a visual world. They have watched 22,000 hours of television by the time they graduate from high school. They have spent countless hours in front of video games, movies, and computers. Now, compare that to the 12,500 hours spent sitting in a classroom, and it is easy to see why we need to take advantage of their visual natures.

• approximately 22,000 hours watching television

• ?? hours playing video games, watching movies, and surfing the Internet

http://www.tcpd.org/burmark/Handouts/WhyVisualLit.html

http://www.tcpd.org/burmark/Handouts/WhyVisualLit.html

Hey, a girl and a guy frog are at the kitchen table, and the girl frog is upset because the guy frog is reading the newspaper instead of listening to her. He looks up from his newspaper and says to her, “What?! I just wanted to see who croaked today.” Unfortunately, this joke loses something in the translation. It is much more effective as a picture. Look at some of the things that are implied in the picture: frog on right is female; frog on left is male; he has been ignoring her by reading the paper; she is upset, and he doesn’t understand why.

Is a Picture Really Worth 1,000 Words?

http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/resources/resources/exp_lang/twoimages.html

Using Graphics and PhotosDoes using visual literacy in the classroom mean more work for that classroom teacher? NO, not if the teacher is creative.How can we provide these visual “crutches” for our students without adding another burden to our already heavy load? There are a multitude of ways that a smart teacher can take advantage of the students’ natural desire to see things. First, we can use graphics and photographs.




http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/local/archive/01/immig01/images/9_1_01immigration.jpg

Who are these men and what are they doing?

Who is this man and what is he doing?

What is he carrying and why?Where is this?

What is he

carrying?

Do animals have feelings like people do?

Discuss this writing prompt in your journal.

Do animals show emotions such as surprise and joy? Discuss this writing prompt in your journal.

Using this picture as an example of “dilemma,” write a definition for the word.

Have you ever had one of those days that you just didn’t want to get out of bed? Discuss this writing prompt in your journal.

Is seeing always believing?

Write your answer in your journal.

Going to the Beach by Margaret Mahy and illustrated by Dick Frizzell.

http://www.stuartjmurphy.com/visual.html




by David Drew; illustrated by Robert Roennfeldt at http://k-8visual.info/

The Cat on the Chimney

http://k-8visual.info/

http://k-8visual.info/tKitUsing.html#genre_gloss

Using

Flow

Charts

http://k-8visual.info/tKitUsing.html#genre_gloss


Using Exploded Images


http://www.enchantedlearning.com

Study the following vocabulary words.

wheel

sheep

tepee

seal

leaf

needle

peas

meat

queen

key

Using Worksheets

http://www.edhelper.com

http://k-8visual.info/recomposing.html

Compare/Contrast Earth and MoonThese two pictures become a great comparison/contrast activity using the same asking questions that

a teacher might normally use to derive meaning.Do both places have mountains? Do both places have rivers? Do both places have animals? Do

both places have plants? Do both places have clouds? Do both places have footprints? Do both places have rocks?



Comprehension Tables


Using Cutaways

http://www.pcfonts.com/

Using Better Fonts

YummyBloodSnowFlameAnger

Using visuals in the classroom can be as simple as finding and incorporating the perfect font into a worksheet, test, or presentation.

Using Better Fonts

Stone

http://cooltext.com/

Using Better Fonts

http://cooltext.com/

http://lakelandschools.org/EDTECH/Inspir.htm

Using Graphic Organizers

One of the easiest ways of using visual literacy in the classroom is through the program Inspiration. There are hundreds of templates that can be downloaded and modified for teacher and/or student use. Teachers and students can create their own templates and webs to display information in a more interesting format. Teachers can use Inspiration to present complicated information (notes, concepts, etc.) in a way that is easier to see and understand.


Independent Reading Assignments

Our Trip to the Zoo


Even young students can use and understand webs created with Inspiration. The use of pictures gives the non-reader as much opportunity as the words give the readers.

http://www.tech-bytes.com/Kidspiration.htm

Building a Wolf Proof House


Writing Assignment

Spelling Words

Number 1

Number 2

Number 3

Number 4

Number 5

Number 6

To Do:1. Click on each picture and type your spelling word for the picture into the box below it.2. Click and drag each picture into its correct alphabetical order. Use the blank space to the right of this box.

Teachers can even use Inspiration webs to test students . . .

Total area

Abbreviation

Residents called

Capitol

Year statehood achieved

Population

Climate

Flower

Tree

Plant

Motto

Song

Bird

Insect

FactoidFactoid

Factoid

Factoid

How to use this template1. Replace the main idea symbol with the state you are studying. Research official facts about your selected state on the Internet. Use at least three web sites to verify information.2. Enter the information you find into the symbol linked to each category.3. Enter some additional (or surprising) information you discovered about the state into the star symbols.

Louisiana

http://www.inspiration.com to record information . . .

Louisiana Natural

Resources

Louisiana Natural Resources

and to assess learned information.

ride

Using PowerPoint

PowerPoint is possibly the most versatile tool for creating visual “crutches” that can help students learn and remember. One use is with spelling and/or vocabulary words.

mice

to

the

park.

They

the

bus

ride

liketo

Here, a PP slides works with sentence structure.

into

into

This PP slide deals with positional words.

water

This one with word recognition.

Using a Digital Camera

Another excellent tool that teachers can take advantage of is the digital camera. Here, students were given Skittles to use for creating fractions. They took pictures of their fractions and created their own PP slides. Once the slides were merged, the class had a PP presentation. While looking at the presentation, it became obvious who understood fractions and who didn’t.

Pictogram of Subtraction Problem

Monica has 3 bottles of glue.

Monica gave Dalton 1 bottle of glue.

Monica now has 2 bottles of glue.

Dalton now has 1 bottle of glue.

Subtraction

Problem

3

- 1

2

It’s not only permissible but also smart to “crutch it.”

If we, as teachers, could control the world that our students live in, television, movies, video games, cell phones, computer games, and lots of other distracters might not have such a strong influence on our kids. However, that is not now the case nor will it ever be the case. But what we can do is take advantage of their visual strengths. So let’s give some them “crutches,”—those visual stimuli that use their interests and their abilities to help them make better and more solid connections between ideas and realities.

Documents

Crutch It!