MEDT 7466 Project 4
Janissha Williams
July 12, 2018
Overview
Rationale
This professional development workshop is created to assist teachers in implementing the use of visual literacy into their lessons, using Piktocharts. 21st century learners are seeking ways to express what they know using technology, which is a media that they are comfortable with. Our teaching approach needs to match that of the learners, however, many teachers do not believe that can integrate the use of various technologies that students desire to use without additional support. This workshop is set up to assist teachers in gaining the pedagogical theory that supports the use of visual literacy and introduce the use of a web-based program that will be able to utilize in their lessons.
Goals and Objectives
Goal 1: Teachers will understand the importance of visual literacy for 21st century learners.
Objective 1: Define visual literacy
Objective 2: List 5 reasons visual literacy is important in the educational arena
Goal 2: Teachers will build their confidence while increasing their knowledge regarding the skills required to design and implement lessons that integrate the use of visual media like Piktocharts in order to increase students learning and engagement.
Objective 1: Each teacher will create a Piktochart about themselves
Objective 2: Teachers will work collaboratively to create a lesson in their content area that incorporates images and piktographs
Literature Review
As a nation we spend hours looking at images. In a recent article Scheon states, “Technology shifts have led to more visually-rich websites, and the widespread use of mobile devices has greatly increased the use of photography across all areas of life. However, just because people are consuming more visuals, this does not automatically train them to effectively interpret and use them.” (Schoen, 2015) This is why it is imperative for teachers to have a discerning eye when it comes to visuals, and to pass this skill onto students, to boost their chances of academic success. Students must be able to improve their comprehension skills. “With the assistance of visual literacy skills, the acquisition of sight words and phonics skills and the building of vocabulary and reading comprehension strategies are fostered in developing readers.” (McVicker, 2007)
Visual literacy is does not fall solely in the domain of Language Arts. Developing lessons that incorporate visual literacy will offer a more engaging learning climate in the classroom. Becoming visually literate is a skill that stretches across all curriculum areas. “However, images also hold the power to stimulate complex language use, pushing students to extend their abilities. Therefore, while visual literacy can be integrated with different content areas, activities with images make an especially effective contribution to language learning.” (Baker, 2015) An example of this can be found in math. It is much easier for students to gaining a deeper understanding of an abstract concept if there is a visual that will demonstrate what this concept looks like.
Some may think why am I adding photographs to my lessons? Making learning experiences personal is away to get more students involved with their educational progress. Creation is a higher level thinking skill, allowing students to create images that will convey a message is a powerful tool. This is where the creation of infographics meets photography. “Images can be used to influence and persuade, so it is incumbent upon educators to learn how to teach with and about images and to help our students understand the language of photography.” (Baker, 2012)
When creating an infographic with a tool like Piktochart students select images and give voice them by their choice of text to make a meaningful artifact of their own personal learning. Sellers states, “Motivating students with texts that resonate with their personal interests and identities will increase their investment, leading to greater exposure to words, greater vocabulary acquisition, and more frequent use of reading strategies — three cornerstones of comprehension.”(Sellers, 2007) This is a major goal in all classrooms.
Audience
This workshop is for teachers at Laurel Heights Academy, who teach students in self-contained classes, that have been admitted to a psychiatric hospital for residential treatment.
List of (Tasks/Activities)
At the end of this workshop, it is expected that the participants will have an understanding of the positive impact using technology has on student engagement and motivation. The participants will be able to describe the importance of visual literacy for 21st century learners. They will be able to describe some of the elements and principles that guide visual literacy. Participants will be able to effectively use the Piktochart tool to create material that is tied to the standards, as well as instruct their students on how to do this. The participants will integrate the use of Piktochart into their future lessons.
Example:
Janissha Williams
July 12, 2018
Overview
Rationale
This professional development workshop is created to assist teachers in implementing the use of visual literacy into their lessons, using Piktocharts. 21st century learners are seeking ways to express what they know using technology, which is a media that they are comfortable with. Our teaching approach needs to match that of the learners, however, many teachers do not believe that can integrate the use of various technologies that students desire to use without additional support. This workshop is set up to assist teachers in gaining the pedagogical theory that supports the use of visual literacy and introduce the use of a web-based program that will be able to utilize in their lessons.
Goals and Objectives
Goal 1: Teachers will understand the importance of visual literacy for 21st century learners.
Objective 1: Define visual literacy
Objective 2: List 5 reasons visual literacy is important in the educational arena
Goal 2: Teachers will build their confidence while increasing their knowledge regarding the skills required to design and implement lessons that integrate the use of visual media like Piktocharts in order to increase students learning and engagement.
Objective 1: Each teacher will create a Piktochart about themselves
Objective 2: Teachers will work collaboratively to create a lesson in their content area that incorporates images and piktographs
Literature Review
As a nation we spend hours looking at images. In a recent article Scheon states, “Technology shifts have led to more visually-rich websites, and the widespread use of mobile devices has greatly increased the use of photography across all areas of life. However, just because people are consuming more visuals, this does not automatically train them to effectively interpret and use them.” (Schoen, 2015) This is why it is imperative for teachers to have a discerning eye when it comes to visuals, and to pass this skill onto students, to boost their chances of academic success. Students must be able to improve their comprehension skills. “With the assistance of visual literacy skills, the acquisition of sight words and phonics skills and the building of vocabulary and reading comprehension strategies are fostered in developing readers.” (McVicker, 2007)
Visual literacy is does not fall solely in the domain of Language Arts. Developing lessons that incorporate visual literacy will offer a more engaging learning climate in the classroom. Becoming visually literate is a skill that stretches across all curriculum areas. “However, images also hold the power to stimulate complex language use, pushing students to extend their abilities. Therefore, while visual literacy can be integrated with different content areas, activities with images make an especially effective contribution to language learning.” (Baker, 2015) An example of this can be found in math. It is much easier for students to gaining a deeper understanding of an abstract concept if there is a visual that will demonstrate what this concept looks like.
Some may think why am I adding photographs to my lessons? Making learning experiences personal is away to get more students involved with their educational progress. Creation is a higher level thinking skill, allowing students to create images that will convey a message is a powerful tool. This is where the creation of infographics meets photography. “Images can be used to influence and persuade, so it is incumbent upon educators to learn how to teach with and about images and to help our students understand the language of photography.” (Baker, 2012)
When creating an infographic with a tool like Piktochart students select images and give voice them by their choice of text to make a meaningful artifact of their own personal learning. Sellers states, “Motivating students with texts that resonate with their personal interests and identities will increase their investment, leading to greater exposure to words, greater vocabulary acquisition, and more frequent use of reading strategies — three cornerstones of comprehension.”(Sellers, 2007) This is a major goal in all classrooms.
Audience
This workshop is for teachers at Laurel Heights Academy, who teach students in self-contained classes, that have been admitted to a psychiatric hospital for residential treatment.
List of (Tasks/Activities)
- Greetings, handout agenda
- Pre-Survey
- Activating Strategy
- What is visual literacy PPT.
- Turn and talk
- FIP activity to check for understanding
- What are infographics and Piktocharts, YouTube video
- Exploring Piktochart together
- Independent work creating their Piktochart with the pictures they brought in
- Learning walks of Piktocharts
- Work in collaborative pairs to create a lesson in one of the core subjects that would integrate the use of piktocharts
- Sharing of created lessons
- Q and A
- Post survey
At the end of this workshop, it is expected that the participants will have an understanding of the positive impact using technology has on student engagement and motivation. The participants will be able to describe the importance of visual literacy for 21st century learners. They will be able to describe some of the elements and principles that guide visual literacy. Participants will be able to effectively use the Piktochart tool to create material that is tied to the standards, as well as instruct their students on how to do this. The participants will integrate the use of Piktochart into their future lessons.
Example:
About the Instructor
The instructor is a student in the master’s program for Instructional Technology at University of West Georgia. She has 15 years of teaching experience and received her BA in education from Lakeland College, in Wisconsin. She holds a certification in Early Childhood Education and Middles Grades Math and Language Arts.
References
Baker, F. (2016, October). Media Literacy in the K-12 Classroom. ISTE.
Baker, L. (2015). How Many Words Is a Picture Worth? Integrating Visual Literacy in Language Learning with Photographs. English Teaching Forum, 53(4), 2-13.
McVicker, C., (2007). Comic Strips as a Text Structure for Learning to Read. The Reading Teacher, 61(1), 85-88.
Schoen, Molly J. (2015) "Teaching Visual Literacy Skills in a One-Shot Session,"VRA Bulletin:Vol. 41: Iss. 1, Article 6. Retrieved from https://online.vraweb.org/vrab/vol41/iss1/6
Sellers, J. (2007, December 5). Comics in the Classroom. Retrieved from https://www.gsa.harvard.edu/news/uk.17.12.comics-classroom.
Profession Development Workshop Survey retrieved from http://enhancinged.wgbh.org/pdfs/wkshop_evaluation.pdf
The instructor is a student in the master’s program for Instructional Technology at University of West Georgia. She has 15 years of teaching experience and received her BA in education from Lakeland College, in Wisconsin. She holds a certification in Early Childhood Education and Middles Grades Math and Language Arts.
References
Baker, F. (2016, October). Media Literacy in the K-12 Classroom. ISTE.
Baker, L. (2015). How Many Words Is a Picture Worth? Integrating Visual Literacy in Language Learning with Photographs. English Teaching Forum, 53(4), 2-13.
McVicker, C., (2007). Comic Strips as a Text Structure for Learning to Read. The Reading Teacher, 61(1), 85-88.
Schoen, Molly J. (2015) "Teaching Visual Literacy Skills in a One-Shot Session,"VRA Bulletin:Vol. 41: Iss. 1, Article 6. Retrieved from https://online.vraweb.org/vrab/vol41/iss1/6
Sellers, J. (2007, December 5). Comics in the Classroom. Retrieved from https://www.gsa.harvard.edu/news/uk.17.12.comics-classroom.
Profession Development Workshop Survey retrieved from http://enhancinged.wgbh.org/pdfs/wkshop_evaluation.pdf