Visual Literacy and the Internet: Necessaties in the Classroom

          The number one complaint that I hear from the teachers that attend my professional development sessions on Blended Learning is how do they find the time to integrate technology into their lessons when they have so much content that they have to give their students for them to learn. There is an abundance of digital tools available to make the lives of these teachers better if they would only give up the time they think they need in front of the classroom. Teachers need to consider their visual learners when planning a lesson. Using visual literacy is a way to meet those students’ needs by associating visual images with the content the students need to know.   

       Teachers should refrain from using heavily worded presentation when they speak to their students and give them images they can focus on that they can relate to the knowledge that they need to acquire. The following link is to a visual presentation that was created to give a lesson on diabetes 2:  https://sway.com/561fX0MgANEZuwC4?ref=Link

            The use of digital tools and the Internet have become the focus of my professional development sessions. Using these tools frees up time that the teacher uses to teach directly to the students and allows more time for them to do other tasks in the classroom that they always complain they do not have time to do. See the graphic below:

       

          Using tools available on the Internet that allow students to communicate and collaborate with classmates and others is necessary for student success. Those students who are not able to participate with others in the classroom may flourish because they can express themselves better digitally than face – to – face.  The Internet is a powerful tool for the classroom; both for the teacher and the students.