REFLECTIONS
Visual Literacy is one of the keys to unlock the potential within all the previous courses. We are currently living in a very Visual Age: social media is largely visual, texting is largely visual (emojis), TV, movies, most of the Internet is incredibly visual. We read visual texts far more often than we read verbal/linguistic texts, and yet, in many ways we have lost the grammar of visual language. Many students instinctively feel and are moved by images and colors, but aren't able to explain why they work the way they work. It's the classic English class issue regarding English grammar: "I'm not sure why the comma goes there, it just sounds right." Our English teachers take the time to explain the rules and regulations of language, but far too often we do not take the time to discuss the rules and regulations of camera angles. And, yest, camera angles do affect us, perhaps in ways even more deeply important than commas.
As educators, we need to be mindful of this, and whenever possible teach our students visual literacy. This goes beyond the reading of charts and graphs. They are important, and typically what educators think about when they think about "visual literacy." My above infographic shows that I am not arguing against charts and graphs. I also am not arguing against art class, another space in which "visual literacy" is important. Clearly, those spaces where we typically think about visuals are important, but other disciplines need to demystify visual grammar in their courses, as well. Looking at a video, a painting, a photograph, and yes, charts and graphs and maps are all incredibly important. Knowing how to decipher the codes within those images is even more important.
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Reflection
As I progressed through this unit, I found my thinking shifting. I have not been the biggest fan of flipping the classroom. In theory, it sounds nice- freeing up class time for more hands on practice. But, in my personal practice, I have found that attention spans seem to drift during videos, or students out right do not watch them. In my Broadcast Journalism class, we used several online tutorials for skill building. After two class periods, I noticed students were struggling hard, not able to complete the tasks. I asked what was going wrong, and the answer was that they did not want to watch the videos. “He’s boring.” Ugh.
“The flipped classroom is an easy model to get wrong. Although the idea is straightforward, an effective flip requires careful preparation” (7 Things). Just asking students to watch a video is wrong-headed. This method does require a lot of thinking on the part of the teacher. A lot of reflection and thought. It is also, often better to make your own videos. You can add a level of personalization that helps increase engagement. But, I think the more important piece is from Ramsey Musallam: Curiosity comes first, embrace the mess, and practice reflection. We need to foster that curiosity in our students by teaching them to be Active Viewers. This is the key to empowering our students. Far too often they passively consume information, videos, games, blinking lights on a screen and words floating through the air. They are not actively engaging with the material. I think some of this comes from the desensitization of the modern world. Attention spans have shifted and drifted, sure, but that doesn’t mean that we can stop thinking about what we see. For me that is the benefit of a thoughtfully and purposefully flipped classroom. Using these methods, we can train our students to think about what they are watching, and continue fostering that curiosity that is foundation of all learning. It is messy, and difficult, but possible. |
AuthorI am the Technology Coordinator for Chicago Academy High School, Chicago's first 1:1 Chromebo0k School ArchivesCategories
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