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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AuthorI am the Technology Coordinator for Chicago Academy High School, Chicago's first 1:1 Chromebo0k School ArchivesCategories
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