Learning with Visual Literacy and the Internet

How can visual literacy and the use of Internet impact the teaching and learning process in the classroom? What are some visual-thinking strategies you would like to use in your classroom? What role do you want the Internet play in your classroom?

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Incorporating visuals and internet resources into the classroom has a positive impact on the teaching and learning process.  We live in a digital world in which students today are considered digital natives.  They are born into a society inundated with technology and visual information.  Teachers should be using web sources to keep students engaged and encourage critical thinking skills.  Visuals should be included in lessons to appeal to diverse learning styles and reinforce concepts that can be difficult to understand. 

Currently I incorporate visuals into lessons to enhance students learning experiences.  Using visuals such as anchor charts, power points and thinking maps to support a lesson can motivate students, make content more meaningful and clarify concepts.  It is important to for students to be able to interpret and use information from visuals.  This can be done by using materials that are relevant to students' experiences and prior knowledge.(Smaldino, 2012)

I hope to be able to use the internet more as I learn more about using technology in education.  As more technology resources become available to my school there will be more online, inquiry based lessons and educational networking opportunities.  One way I plan to use the internet is to utilize an online collaborative website with ongoing discussions, apps and assignments.  Students are able to continue discussions and classwork at home and parents are able to join in and see what's happening in the classroom.  Additionally, I will be using the internet to allow students to explore topics and information.  They will apply their findings by creating and presenting free choice projects.

      http://www.connectionsacademy.com/blog/posts/2013-01-18/Understanding-Your-Student-s-Learning-Style-The-Theory-of-Multiple-Intelligences.asp
http://what-when-how.com/information-science-and-technology/constructivism-in-online-distance-education-information-science/aption

Smaldino, S., Lowther, D., & Russell, J. (2012). Understanding 21st Century Learners. In Technology and Media for Learning. Boston: Pearson.