I read an interesting article on the importance of visual literacy in the classroom. It not only reminded me of the benefits
that come from incorporating it in my classroom, but it also caused me to think
about how I can best use visual literacy in my reading curriculum. My first
idea for using visual literacy would be a fun addition to the unit highlighting
our favorite authors and the books they have each written. I would love to have
an afternoon where the students could Skype with one of the authors. This usage
of visual literacy would touch on two methods: presentation, a behavioral method, and discussion, a constructivist method. The author could speak with
the students about the book and read one of his or her books to them.
Afterwards, the children would have an opportunity to engage with the author by
asking questions.
My second idea for incorporating visual literacy would be a practical
method to integrate into lessons. I can preview the text we will be reading
that day and create a power point slide that contains pictures that are
representative of the more difficult words from the reading. The behavioral
method I would be using with these slides is demonstration. I am providing a
way for our learners to view a real-life example of the words they are reading.
By providing these pictures, students will form a connection between what they
already know and what they are learning. In addition, this will help them associate
the letters of the word with a picture, causing them to remember it for the
next time they see it.
My last idea for using visual literacy is my favorite of the
three I have discovered, and it would capitalize on all the resources that are
available online for educational use! Wouldn’t it be fun for students to be
able to take a virtual trip to places that they have read about in their books?
Whether it is the tropical rainforest, a garden, or Hawaii, students will be
able to see and explore real-life representations of the information they have
read about. My constructivist methods for this activity would be simulation, which
allows for real-world experiences, and cooperative learning through discussion.
After reading a book in small groups, the children would (as a group) travel to
their book destination online. They would discuss their book as they explore
its setting. As we are realizing, media has changed the teaching methods of
today, and visual literacy is just one of many ways to get the full advantages of
all that technology has to offer. Visual literacy will foster an effective
learning community in our classroom!
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