Visual Literacy and the Internet

When I think back to the time when I attended middle and high school, the picture is so different. My teachers wrote on chalkboards and had students cleaned them at the end of the day. We read from textbooks and took notes on college ruled notebook paper. If there was any media shared, we had to take a field trip to the school library, where the librarian would set up the VCR media cart or a microfilm projector. The lights would be turned down and then we were quizzed verbally about what we saw. And if there was research to be done, we went to the old wooden cabinet, pulled out several drawers, and searched the card catalog for the books we needed. Well, times have definitely changed since then!

Now, teachers are equipped with the Internet, which offers various forms of media, laptops, as well as desktop computers, LCD projectors, and Smart Boards; some are even fortunate enough to have Apple I pads and IPods for each student in their class. Students even have their own tablets and phones that help record and dictate their lessons. Researching information can be accomplished with the blink of an eye by simply typing key words or phrases into an Internet search engine.

Technology is the primary source of change. With this change, teachers have had to also change from the primary form of direct instruction to a more hands-on, visual approach. More lessons have to be integrated with the use of presentations using audio, pictures, and animation in order to maintain the attention and motivation of the 21^st Century student.

During my teaching, I too have evolved from the textbook only teacher. I researched the internet regularly to find resources that would grab the attention of my students. I staying up late, many nights, creating PowerPoint presentations that not only provided the necessary information based on the curriculum, but also found supplementary resources including video-streaming and content-based websites that included interactive games, subject-related articles, even creating interesting, motivating handouts and scaffolding assignments that ensured that my students were learning the necessary information, but also allowing all the students to learn at a pace that was comfortable for them. All of these things have been done to ensure that my students were active participants in learning and not simply given information to recall by memory. Using visual learning strategies and techniques, in conjunction with the Internet, results in a critical thinker, a great communicator, and an evaluator of all concepts, views, and situations.

In the future, I plan to include, more frequently, Internet tools such as a class website, which would be an informative site for my students and their parents. This website would include links to student work and portfolios, so that the students can show their knowledge and mastery of the state assessed skills, but also show their progression of knowledge, that may not always be accurate from grading reports. I have also found an interest in the use of WebQuests to enhance and promote critical thinking of certain concepts.  I understand that prior planning is the key to my success as an effective teacher. So, I will continue to research valid and reliable sources for information, whether by using email with my fellow colleagues, or by using reputable sites for information, that can be used in the classroom and within my instruction methods.

Instructional Strategies and Technology

What is one of the most important tools used in classrooms across America? In one word, Technology. When I think of how teachers shared information during my elementary, middle, and high school years, I remember using a  textbook and quite a bit of workbooks as well as handouts. Today, these same tools are still used, but do they gain the interest of students and guarantee that the students of the 21^st century are learning quality and meaningful information that they can used in the today’s technological world? This blog will be a means of sharing how technology plays a significant role in the classroom based on research and collaboration with like-minded educators in my graduate studies class.

Today, the students of the 21^st century are being introduced to a wealth of information at the click of button. They are being taught and entertained in ways that my parents and even my siblings could have never imagined. As educators, we must be able to reach our students and create life long learners by preparing interesting, meaningful, and thought-provoking lessons that they can use in the future. Using one strategy will not produce great minds like Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, or Marie Curie. We must realize that in today’s society, we have various types of learners and the strategies and methods we use must vary as well. Although lecturing is a common way to share information, many students need more hands-on and critical thinking activities in order to gain knowledge.

Direct Instruction, like lecturing or drill and practice activities, is great for introducing a new topic or skill. But how can today’s teacher ensure that the students have actually grasped the information without simply memorizing the information? Whether the experience is independent or working with a partner or group, we must ensure that students understand what is being taught and why it is important in the real world. Using strategies like portfolios, collaborative learning groups, debating, problem solving activities, and even reflective journal writings could be used to ensure that the students are actively participating and critically thinking.  Incorporating technology in these types of lessons would utilize various types of media, such as text, audio, visuals, video, manipulatives (objects), and people, which would help to facilitate communication and learning.

Technology and media can help teachers become creative managers of the learning experience instead of merely dispensers of information. With the use of tablets, such as the I-pad, notebooks, and desktop computers, students can learn, be assessed, and given feedback in a matter of minutes. This allows the teacher to better prepare lessons and activities that are truly meaningful and helpful by going at the student’s pace.

Coming Soon!!
The Value of Technology using Instructional Strategies in the 21st Century