Looking back over the definitions posted for the meaning of 'literacy', most included in their definition "the ability to read and write." I agree with this statement that to be literate or to be illetirate would be based on the ablility to read or write but I think this is the most broadest definitation available. Literacy is so complex and ever changing that it seems almost unfair to stick a one sentence definitation to the term.
As I explore visual literacy I begin to think of many more adjectivites and qualitlies that could be added to the definition of literacy. In order to become literate in visual literacy it takes much more than just the ability to read and write. First and foremost, to be a successful visual learner you do not even have to do any reading or writing. The most important "traditional literacies" that play a role in visual literacy would be speaking and viewing. After speaking and viewing was taken place then would come in the reading and writing.
Based on the skills needed to accomplish visual literacy (speaking and viewing) this will actually help with students language becuase they are trying to put into words what their eyes are seeing. If a student is able to pratice their speech and commucate what they are viewing/feeling this is a great skill that will reen much reward to them in the classroom and most of all the real world.
For a student to be able to have the skill to look around and reason about what is going around them with their eyes is a very important skill. But schools very rarely take advantage of this strength. This is something that I found shocking because after doing some research on visual literacy and the benefits students reveive while practicing this literacy it is a shame that teachers are not taking advantage of this literacy skill.
As a TESOL minor, I understand the benefits of using images to help students understand and make connections to the English language. While exploring on the wiki I found a great website (http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/esl.html) that talks about how digital story telling can be very beneficial to the students. The website also has a short movie that introduces food found in the kitchen. In the movie it will show a picture of a potato, the word potato will come on the screen, and then it will state potato. Having all three of these (picture, word, text) is very benefical when introducing new vocabulary for ESL students and all students.
I am going to be using a scrapblog as my new technology. I chose to use a scrapblog becuase of the features that I will be able to use. With creating a scrapblog you are allowed to upload images as well as add text along with the pcitures. With being able to design the blog however the creator wants to will allow for the blog to become very unique. After researching visual literacy I have my own definition and ideas about what is most important about this type of literacy. With using a scrapblog I am allowed to display my learnings in a creative, fun, and unique way showing off my own point of view.
This is the main thing that I am noticing when looking through different scrapblogs is that they are all different. Even if all of the scrapblongs are about visual literacy the different images, text, and design of each page of the blog makes them all unique. Which I enjoy becuase I think that one of the main aspects of visual literacy is based on the viewer (student) and that each viewer is going to have a different point of view or take on what they are viewing.
If the students in my field placement (2nd graders) were learning about how to create a scrapblog I would first start off with some finished examples to give them an idea of what a finished product could look like. Then I would find a step by step guide that I could show the students to help them see the order and steps needed to make a finished product. I dont think I would let the students go right away. I think I would start off with one page at a time and guide students for the first couple of pages. After students are comfortable with the technology, I would let them go some exploring and let them work on their scrapblog at their own pace.
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