Who are these men in blue and what is happening?
If
a picture is worth a thousand words then imagine how we can teach our students to interpret images as they would a passage of text.It is important for all teachers to collect and/or create images that will optimize visual literacy with their students.
What is Visual Literacy?
"Visual
literacy is defined as the ability to interpret images as well
as to generate images for communicating ideas and concepts".
(Stokes, 2002)
A visually literate person should be able
to
- Interpret, understand and appreciate the meaning of visual messages;
- Communicate more effectively by applying the basic principles and concepts of visual design;
- Produce visual messages using computers and other technologies; and
- Use visual thinking to conceptualize solutions to problems
from Jerry Christopherson, 1996 International Visual Literacy Association Conference, referenced from the book, Visual Literacy: Learn to See, See to Learn By Lynell Burmark, p.3, 2002
Media as Text
Today, the terms Digital Literacy, Visual Literacy, Literacy 2.0 and 21st Century Skills
are used to articulate the ever expanding range of digital knowledge and
skills in our world. Many educators now advocate that such media
instruction be equally inclusive with
traditional practices of text literacy. From this perspective,
decoding single and mixed media forms is the now text of our times.
"As we go about our everyday lives, we are bombarded with messages. These messages come to us in a range of media forms – some visual, some auditory. We view videos, still shots, and art work in other mediums. We listen to the radio and podcasts. We read – online (web pages, wikis, blogs,) and more traditional publications (newspapers, magazines and books). And, we talk with others, taking in the thoughts of others and sharing our own.
Some of these mixed media messages we pause to ponder and study, others we scarcely notice – but all have an effect on our attitudes, beliefs, and understanding of a topic or issue. For this reason, our definition of “text” must be widened to include this entire range of media.
Viewing media as text necessitates bringing comprehension and critical literacy strategies to the reading and writing of these media forms." Maria Nichols

Collaborative Learning Spaces in 21st Century Learning Environments
© 2012 all rights reserved
This website is used for teacher professional development and K-12 student resources by Douglas G. McIntosh. No revenue is generated from this site and any manufacturer, company, publisher or vendor products are presented here as instructional supports for teaching and learning in the classroom.

