Visual Literacy In the Classroom

From the beginning of our lives we use visual cues to make sense of the world. Seeing a mother's face or a teddy may calm a child while seeing a scary face, or a dark room may frighten them. New age learning actually has infants using sign language before they can talk. They learn to link a certain action or hand signal with an activity such as eating or drinking. How is visual literacy used later on in lives to further our education?

Modern-day classroom's use pictures to provoke feeling and emotion in kids. Decorating a classroom with summer colors, and summer images helps children understand what the season means. Getting kids to draw picture's of what they will do on summer vacation will initiate thought about what feelings the season gives them. When it is time to learn the continents, and countries of the world, children are given pictures of the map to color and label (canada still and always will stand out in my mind as red). Photo's of insects and animals are posted all over the walls to help kids learn what difference between mammals, insects and reptiles is.

Over all, teachers use many tools in order to develop the minds of children. It is important to raise creative and curious children. Digital images and visuals are one of the most important parts of this education.

Cyber-language and emoticons

Cyber-language is accompanied by the development of networks and the emerging of a plane which is different from the traditional forms of media and language. It is a concise and lively form of expression. It is preferred by cyber citizens and develops rapidly. Cyber-language, including emoticons and abbreviations, contains some specific meanings and vivid pictures. Cyber-language is originally used by cyber citizens In order to improve the efficiency of online chatting or a particular purpose. Then a specific language is formed as time goes. The new terms emerge on the network depends primarily on its own vitality, if the dynamic cyber-language can stand the test of time, we can accept it and practice it widely.

Emoticons, which are widely used in cyber-language are often expressed as a few punctuation marks combined to form a graphical representation of the expression, which is a kind of "hieroglyphics." As the web users were unable to see and perform feelings and emotions, they create a series of expressions and images by the colorful symbols to show their humor and imagination.

For example:

:-）The smiling face

:-D Big smile

:-( Not happy

^_^ Gentle and polite laughter

^.^ Elegant smile

@--->>-->------- Beautiful roses

*<|:-) Santa Claus

Zzzzzz…………Sleeping

Rabbit Series:

Source: http://www.yoho.cn/group/AnnounceList.aspx?id=10288

What is Visual Literacy?

"Visual literacy is the ability to interpret, negotiate, and make meaning from information presented in the form of an image. Visual literacy is based on the idea that pictures can be “read” and that meaning can be communicated through a process of reading."

SOURCE:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_literacy


Visual Literacy has various definitions and uses. The earlier concept of visual literacy was mainly reading prehistoric signs and symbols. Now, visual literacy is applied on modern mass media (like advertisements and other mass-circulation material) and internet media (like blogs, podcasts, video sharing). A Visual is considered one of the most important and widely used tools in learning; it is not just used in early learning stage but even in more complex ways. And like written and spoken words, a visual is also one way of communicating messages to people; message relayed through it is as effective as other forms of communication.

Photo-visual literacy and children's education

Children are born with the relationship with photo-visual literacy. Kids are fond of imitating and drawing pictures to display their imagination of the world which is unknown to them. They consider drawing pictures as a casual play and glad to accept the feeling and objects the pictures have bring to them. As a result, photo-visual literacy is substantially valuable to children's education.

The major purpose of this education is to promote their perception ability through high-quality visual education, so that they can develop their other abilities such as building their own value system and self esteem as well. With the setting up of various photo-visual practices, we can record children's emotional development on perception, social contact, creation, appreciation of beauty etc. by observing their respective react of photos.

By exploring the visual world, children learn the arts in their daily lives. They learn to appreciate those feelings between the natural environment and human creations through a variety of wonderful patterns, and learn to draw different things which happen every day to other visual aspect of things. In this way, children realized that they are able to change their visual environment, and even learn arts which created from people from different background through their daily lives.

How the Advertising and News Media Use Digital Images

Interpreting the meaning of an image is what we have don since we first opened our eyes. Throughout our history our visual representations change. they change through culture, technology, environment. Everyday we are bombarded with images simple and complex, in which we identify meaning. To comprehend these underlying meanings, one must understand the emotional, and psychological influences of the image. Image is one of our widest form of communication

The media culture is saturated in visual communication. These images are created or digitally enhanced to send a message. Each message targets a specific audience to persuade, inform, or move to action. Media specialists determine how specific images and symbols affect viewers and their responses to the pictures when choosing illustrations for articles, magazines, and websites.

Photos are easily doctored, an increasing concern with the rise of citizen journalism. The images may be altered to add clarity, but in the process, the message of the image might change.

Continued high standards of media ethics and thorough fact checking and vetting of photographs can help to mitigate these important media issues. Digital forensics is an emerging field working to address the issues of faux photography

Read more at Suite101: Visual Communications Literacy Development: Understanding and Analyzing Images Used in Media Culture http://medialiteracy.suite101.com/article.cfm/visual_communications_literacy_development#ixzz0iJJaCOOl