Visual literacy and the internet in the classroom. . .

According to Smaldino, Lowther, and Russell, visual literacy is, “…the learned ability to interpret visual messages accurately and to create such messages”, (p. 52). Students are constantly gathering information from their environment and the internet and then decoding those visual stimuli. It would be safe to say that the internet and visual literacy can work hand-in-hand and significantly impact learning in the classroom. As teachers network and accumulate vast varieties of visuals for a range subjects, their students will have increasing opportunities to experience the world around them right in their classrooms.

This year I had the pleasure of having a most rare student, whose academic talents and desire for learning really stood out. Not only did her gifts stand out among her classmates, but they also stood out against other students that I have taught over the years. One day she told me she knew what the “DC” in Washington, DC meant. When I asked her how she found out, she explained that when she asked her mother for the meaning, her mother refused to tell her but challenged her to find out by herself. She admitted to me that she “Googled it”.

At first, I was amazed at the persistence of this particular six-year-old, then I realized that I would like for all of my students to be able to use the internet to find information about any of the subjects that interest them. I would like for them to experience virtual museums online and I want to incorporate the internet more within assignments for them by allowing them to do more meaningful research. Finally, I would simply like them to be able to use the email accounts the school district provides for them to communicate with one another. I believe providing young students with more opportunities to safely navigate the internet is a great beginning towards them becoming independent, life-long learners. I have always felt that one does not have to know all of the answers but it is helpful to know where to look for them.

This video is composed of snapshots I took while we were studying the ocean. At the time, the focus was on hands-on learning. The children used the internet to watch a movie on BrainPop Jr. They made Rainbow Fish, read ocean stories, measured sea creatures, studied conservation, tasted sea kelp and seaweed, and got to touch a real squid. Fun learning was had by all!

Smaldino, S.C., Lowther, D.L. & Russell, J.D., (2008), Instructional technology and media for learning (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Use a variety of strategies to reach all learners. . .

Teaching today requires that teachers hold a range of instructional strategies in their repertoire. According to the constructivist point of view, “[students] must have an active role in the learning process; . . . they are not receptacles to be filled but rather engineers of their learning”, (Smaldino, Lowther, and Russell, 2008). Because of this, students need opportunities to discover, experiment, collaborate, ask questions, explore, play games, and investigate. There are a variety of strategies available for teachers to provide students ample environments that will suit each individual student’s learning style or modality. Technology will enable teachers to reach students and provide quality environments which push them toward higher order thinking.

The implementation of technology by teachers of 21st century learners can and will undoubtedly be essential in assuring each student is able to meet his or her educational goals, be able to think critically and independently as well as compete globally. This impacts my teaching because it pushes me away from my comfort zones. It also allows me to examine methods of teaching which are most effective in increasing student achievement, piquing their interest in learning, and it will hopefully improve their desire to continue learning for years to come.

This is a short movie of my students during centers. We were learning about magnets and the students worked with electromagnets with my student teacher, played computer games about magnets, played with magnetized cars, wrote magnet stories, and collaborated to create a magnet rap song. We had a ball!

Reference

Smaldino, S.C., Lowther, D.L. & Russell, J.D., (2008). Instructional technology and media for learning (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.