Take a look at the following words:
Hot dog
Once you've formed a visual image, click here to continue.
Was this the image you had in your mind?
Although fewer than 1 percent of those who have completed this exercise see the image above, Lynell Burmark likes to use this activity to point out how abstract words can be. "When we use words, we leave a lot to interpretation," she told educators. Burmark is an associate at the Thornburg Center For Professional Development in San Carlos, Calif., and has spent many years helping teachers enhance their instruction and better "connect with students" through visual imagery.
Teachers "are able to reach people much faster, much more efficiently, much more effectively" when they punctuate what they say with images that immediately help students "get the point," Burmark stated.
Suppose, for example, an objective is to help students identify a rose. "The absolute best thing to do is bring in a rose so everyone can see it and touch the petals," she said. Short of that, the most concrete way is to show a photograph of the flower, Burmark asserted, while projecting a pink rose in full bloom, wet with dew, on the screen. "If your goal is to get everyone on the same page, at about the same time, the best way to do that is to use a photograph."
And, if a teacher's goal is to reach all students, then it's critical to include visual imagery in lessons because all students learn in different ways. Some students need those images, Burmark observed. What's more, she said, students must be given opportunities to express themselves — to show what they've learned or are thinking — through projects that incorporate art.
"We really need to encourage kids to draw," because it makes for a richer learning experience, Burmark said. "When children are asked to tell stories, if they draw while telling the story, the story is richer, the vocabulary is richer, the communication is better." Why? "Because while kids are drawing, they're using another part of the brain, and all that creativity is coming out in the story as well as in the art."
Finally, Burmark noted that this modern world is becoming increasingly more dependent upon the use of visual images to communicate, so helping students become visually literate must be a priority. "It's no longer enough to read and write," she noted. "Our students must learn to process both words and pictures. They must be able to move gracefully and fluently between text and images."
Burmark's Recommended Resources, Web Sites
www.zephyrpress.com Described as a "one-stop shop" for resources in art, music, and other multiple intelligences materials.
www.polaroid.com/work/teachers Burmark noted that this is "one of the best designed sites on the Web." The Polaroid Education Program (PEP) offers workshops to teachers on Visual Learning.
www.randomhouse.com/seussville Dedicated to the art and whimsy of Dr. Seuss, the Seussville University page promises "lots of good fun that is funny" and helps children develop basic reading, math, science, and reasoning skills.
www.ivla.org The site of the International Visual Literacy Association, a nonprofit association of educators, artists, and researchers, is dedicated to the principles of visual literacy.
