Visual Literacy and the Use of the Internet in the Classroom

 Visual literacy is the ability to create meaning from images and to produce messages which are visual. In the 21^st century we are surrounded by images at all times from artwork, books, videos, pictures, charts, graphs, and signs to things like body language and gestures. Because the brain processes images in the long-term memory, it makes learning with visuals much more meaningful and long lasting.  Visual literacy teaches students to interpret and interact with all kinds of images which promotes critical thinking and engages students in developing new understandings. These skills are necessary in order to be successful in today’s digital age.

The internet provides students with a wealth of opportunities to develop visual literacy. Through the internet students are able to access images that are both visually engaging and interactive in nature. They are also provided with tools to produce and share their own visual images. Sites like Prezi and Tagxedo offer students the opportunity to create exciting visuals. Also, there are many great sources for videos which could help students develop deeper understandings of concepts. BrainPop and Discovery Education are excellent sources for videos. In addition, the internet also links students and teachers to primary documents which could certainly enhance a student’s understanding and appreciation for historical events.

Since beginning this course, I have already begun to make changes to my teaching strategies. I want to continue to make my classroom more student-centered. I would like to incorporate activities that actively engage my students in their own learning. I have already begun to develop graphics and guided notes to assist my students with note taking. I also want to incorporate more group activities and utilize the internet to allow my students more choice in their learning. Currently, my students are working in groups to take pictures of real-world objects and create a math vocabulary book with these pictures. I am hoping to utilize their pictures as a vocabulary word wall in my class next year.

Because so many of my students have access to the internet at home, I would like to expand my use of the internet to include some “flipped” lessons next year. My goal is to post one video at the beginning of each week. Students would have until Friday to watch the video and come to class prepared to discuss and utilize the information from the video. In addition, I would like to incorporate web quests into my instruction next year and involve them in online research projects.