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.