Visual Literacy and the Primary Learner

Stokes, Suzanne. (2002). Visual Literacy in Teaching and Learning: A Literature Perspective. Electronic Journal for the Integration of Technology in Education, 1(1). Retrieved March 28, 2008, from http://ejite.isu.edu/Volume1No1/Stokes.html

As a first grade teacher I feel that images are crucial to my students’ understanding of concepts. I believe that when most people think of visual literacy, they tend to focus on literacy as a skill related to reading, when in fact we use visual literacy in all aspects of teaching, learning, and daily life. Therefore, I appreciated how Stokes (2002) defined visual literacy as “the ability to interpret images as well as to generate images for communicating ideas and concepts” (p.1). Pictures, photographs, and other images are often the keys to students understanding and retaining the information I present to them.

My ultimate goal is to reach as many of my students as possible…often using a single lesson. I agree with Stokes (2002) when she says that “cognitive/learning style is an important factor in individual student differences. Instructional materials as well as teaching styles should be matched with cognitive styles for greatest learner benefits” (p. 2-3). When planning lessons, I keep in mind all of the different ways in which my students learn and incorporate varied strategies throughout the lesson in order to reach each student.

The following is an example of how I have used visual literacy strategies to enhance the learning of my students. The writing lesson described involves live-action, photographs, and written language to help students understand the concept of sequencing when writing a set of directions. Our weekly basal story, All That Corn, provided the prefect segway to having the students help me compose a set of directions on how to make popcorn (using seeds and an air popper). Before the lesson I took photographs of the steps involved and put them into a power point. I began by bringing out the popcorn popper and modeling how to make popcorn. I could have just had the students go from the memory of what they had just seen and heard to write the directions. However, I agree with Stokes (2002) when she says that “visual literacy precedes verbal literacy in human development, it is the…foundation(s) for reading and writing” (p. 4). Ifelt as if the students didn’t have enough experience with this particular concept to achieve a detailed set of directions. To supplement this lack of experience, I used the power point photographs, because as Stokes (2002) states, “pictures or illustrations are analogs of experience and are only one step removed from actual events, these visual representations may be able to capture and communicate the concrete experience in various ways” (p.5). The first slide had all of photographs of the steps, but they were out of order. I called on the students to help sequence the photographs correctly. Then the next slide had the first photograph and the students had to help me write a sentence that described that step (First we put in the seeds.) and so on until the last step. Finally the last slide joined all of the sentences into a paragraph that described the steps needed to make popcorn. The students then wrote and illustrated the directions independently. We discussed how they would be able to take the directions home and their parents could follow them to make popcorn. They loved it and were actively engaged for the entire lesson and really understood the concept…something that I truly believe would not have been possible without the cues of the photographs.

I feel that it is important to not only use visual literacy strategies when teaching students, but to allow students to use the strategies themselves. Stokes (2002) says, “Students develop their visual abilities through use” (p. 4). Therefore, I would like to continue the above lesson by allowing the students to choose an activity they could teach someone how to do. With lots of guidance (and parent volunteers) I would like to have the students follow the same steps as above (pick a topic, photograph the steps, describe the steps in writing, make a power point to share with the class) to complete the activity. This lesson would cover many aspects of learning that I feel to be important such as: a defined purpose, student ownership, integration of subject areas, and the use of different forms of technology. I truly believe that for students to be successful in the future of this technological age we have to give them the skills necessary to achieve and we can never start that education too early. Hopefully by integrating these areas I can reach each learner and help him/her achieve to the best of his/her ability!

I tried to upload the power point, but I guess that doesn't count as a movie. If anyone knows how to do that, please let me know! Thanks!

Sabrina