Technology & the Visual Learner

Technology and the Visual Learner

With the advent of digital imagery, an entire new world of methods and ideas has opened up to teachers. Before, I think we knew that an image and the old adage that “a picture is worth a thousand words” was true, and I know we tried to involve images for all learners, not only those tending to be visual. And now, there are no excuses and no limitations to involving all and making our lessons and the process of learning more interesting and valuable, not only to our students, but to us as well. The following are but a few ideas that I have garnered from the readings, group discussions and interactions with my colleagues at school. I believe each can be used simply and inexpensively, and I think, very successfully.

Physical Education

When I taught phys-ed a few years ago, I remember searching and searching the Internet for images of athletes demonstrating proper technique for fitness stations. Basically what I had to do was describe and demonstrate proper positions at each station, then leave written instructions with my stick people figure diagrams for the following days when my demonstrations were long gone from the students’ minds.  Late last week I went into our gym where our current gym teacher is working on Fitness Stations. She doesn’t have anything posted on the walls and so I suggested to her the idea to allow some reluctant participants to use the school camera and recruit the more athletic students to model proper and safe positioning for each station. I think it is working very well so far. As an unanticipated benefit, the “reluctant participants” are now having to think athletically, and what’s correct in terms of positioning, safety and fitness. And so, I think they are being exposed to information that they most likely would have ignored, and who knows, maybe they will even try out some of the stations! The benefits to the participating students is obvious in that they will have visual instructions and be able to get the most out of each station and stay safe while doing so. For the teacher, she can be comfortable in knowing that students have the resources available – she has helped improve the safety level of her gym.

History

One area where I have trouble is helping students relate to historical events and help them see how they affect today. While I live in Burlington, I teach in Milton and it is apparently the fastest growing place in Canada (grew 70% last year). Houses are going up incredibly fast, streets are being widened and new ones built. There used to be a column in one of the newspapers called “The Way We Were” by Mike Filey. Although the articles were good, what I always enjoyed the most was the accompanying images taken in the exact location, but taken sometimes up to 100 years apart. So with that inspiration, I took a couple of pictures last year and recorded the location I was standing. What I would like to do as an introduction to history is have students take their own pictures around town using my coordinates. What I wish I would have done now is search for some pictures from years ago then take my images now and then the student images. I think it would have had more impact.

As further incentive for history, I believe a good exercise would be to have students “Place Themselves in History”. Using Photoshop, students will place an image of themselves into an important point in history, for example, driving the last spike in the CPR. I believe that this would make the event more personal and meaningful, and thus give the students more interest in writing about the event or era. Students could write a reflection about what it was like to “be there” or write about events that preceded that photograph or even a “what happened next?”.  The camera and its images have been invaluable in recording history. I can now see its enormous value in teaching history.

 

Language

The digital camera offers numerous incentives and ideas in teaching English. We often ask students to design a new book cover. A twist on that of course could be to use the camera to gather images to design that cover. Again, students could be asked to make themselves the main character to be included on the cover. They could also take an old story and give it a modern look by being forced to take local (school area) pictures. I again believe this would make the reading more relevant to them.

Often I find students don’t see how they relate to a story. Again, by involving photos that they take, that are part of their environment, would be an excellent way to show the “relate” part of the reflection writing when reviewing a novel.

I mentioned before  that I have students making movies right now. What I will have them do is take a series of still images (I’ve been doing it for them up to now) and have them use them to compose a movie poster (again using Photoshop) promoting their video. This would incorporate persuasive writing and make them think about plot point and climax, etc. Also, students will be required to select one photo and use it as their central point in the writing of their reflection piece on the making of their video.

I liked one of the ideas I saw in the readings "Similes and Metaphors" exercise in which students create a list of things like “school is like…” and then take images to go along with their writing. It would also be worthwhile for students to create a pictorial essay with a teacher guided question such as: “What is power?”. Reponses could come back as muscles, engines, the principal, etc. Students would then use their pictorial essay as the basis for an essay on that theme. Again, I believe the photos would be the motivator.

Math

Although I don’t teach math anymore, I found students always had problems remembering formulas. A good idea would be to have a student be responsible for taking a picture of the board at the end of the period, and post it onto the teacher’s web site. This would provide an ideal resource and trigger memories from the lecture. As a side benefit, the homework/reminder board could be photographed so students and their parents could have immediate access to class activities.

A more specific use of the camera in math would be for geometry.

Students would be divided into small groups and assigned one or more geometry terms. They would define the terms and then use the camera to take photos of objects around the school that illustrate their definitions. Students could create a booklet using iPhoto. The book would combine their definitions with their photo examples. Each student could create their own book or contribute pages to one classroom reference book..

Art

There could be obvious uses of a digital camera to any art program, but I think that what would be most effective would be allowing students to create a portfolio of their paintings, sculptures, and other art work. These images could have multiple uses. Teachers could use them as a reference for evaluation or as examples for future students. Students of course have a keepsake and also something to show parents. Also, these images could be placed on the class/school website.

General

I have found that a good general use for the digital camera is for placing a name to a face. I have 120 students, so at the beginning (and even now) it helps immensely. I have each student create a nameplate on 8.5 x 11 inch paper and then hold it chest high while another student takes their mug shot. These photos are used to learn names and I have also placed them into a seating plan for supply teachers. I have had great notes left by supply teachers telling me how wonderfully helpful it is. I also use these images for an end of the year video. It’s amazing how much the students change in those few months. I will also take a end of year mug shot and have them play on after another. The end of year shot will be of each making a funny face, so they will see a shot of a serious, start of the year student, then a silly end of the year student right after. It is very effective and always a big hit.

Conclusion

Almost every person has access to a digital camera of some kind. That access to them and their relative ease of use makes their value in the classroom as a motivator and recorder limitless.