This week’s blog post discusses the importance of visual literacy in both the classroom and in real life. It is essential for educators to create visual literacy opportunities in every lesson plan in order to allow students to become visually literate individuals. Today more than ever it is important for people to become visually literate as we all live in a visual literate world.
We come across visual literacy every day at a click of a button. Some places that we may come across visual literacy are:
- Snapchat
- Vine
From these various apps and websites we are able to witness how everyone can be a artist in how they try to advertise who they are as a person, where they have been, and what their interests may be through their social media profiles (as discussed in “Selfies” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Kk9R2rhwlQ (Links to an external site.)). We are able to create our own personal story through a click of a button.
These pictures are examples from my own personal account on Instagram. The way I pose and take pictures I attempt to compliment the landscape that I am in, or who I am with, as well as, trying to depict to the world who I am as a person. I attempt to display to the world that I enjoy spending time with my loved ones as wells as having adventures. Through my Instagram I am creating my own personal story with images for the world to interpret. (“Selfies” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Kk9R2rhwlQ (Links to an external site.))
As educators this idea presents a very exciting opportunity by incorporating visual literacy in the classroom through the use of these social media applications. Some examples of these may include;
An Instagram or a Facebook page of historical characters the students are studying (i.e. Princess Victoria or Marie Antoinette) and how they would
convey that person’s story to the world. (i.e. https://www.instagram.com/historyphotographed/)
- A Snapchat account in which students are able to take selfies during a field trip to depict what they found to be interesting or exciting.
- Challenge students to talk to friends in only Emojis for a whole week. This opportunity allows for students to create their own vis
ual definitions between them and their friends (Me and My Girlfriend Texted Only in Emoji for a Month: http://www.wnyc.org/story/what-emoji-did-one-couples-relationship/ (Links to an external site.))
The possibilities are endless through these outlets and it allows for the students to be engaged and display their visual literacy in ways that elicit excitement.
As discussed in the video clip, “Visual Literacy and Critical Thinking”, the use of visual interpretations allows for students to create multiple interpretations of what those images are conveying. This allows students to challenge one another to think of different ways an image can be depicted and furthers the growth of their critical thinking skills.
Our students already have an awesome sense of how to be visually literate, one only has to look to their social media profiles to witness their use of visual literacy skills. As educators, it is our duty to allow our students to harness these skills and enable students to be critical thinkers as they are exposed to so many visual outlets in their everyday lives. When our students are witnessing these various images we want them to be constantly thinking and questioning the images they are exposed to in hopes of prevent them from being taken advantage of or being mislead. Visual literacy and critical thinking allows for students to have the skills to think and probe information they come across on a everyday basis.
The Multimodal Critical Literacy Blog 
Sophia,
First of all, I thought your blog was very appealing in appearance. I loved how you added pictures of your personal life. I thought that was a nice touch and it was a great example of what you were explaining. I loved when you said, “everyone can be an artist in how they advertise who they are as a person.” By taking selfies and pictures you are portraying who you are as a person and what you love to do through an artistic way. Second, I loved the examples you gave about how students can use these social media sites. I feel like a lot of parents and teachers think that social media is a waste of time, but kids love it and if it’s what they love than why not make it apart of their school work. Students will have the opportunity to be creative and they can convey information in the process. Well done with this blog post and every image compliments what you are talking about.
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Hi Sophia!
I really enjoyed this post and how relate able you made it to real life by using examples from your own social media. I personally have rarely put much thought into what I post and why outside of making sure it is appropriate to be sharing. To think about the context of the photos, setting, staging, etc. is interesting and it was cool to see examples of your own. Overall, I liked how you integrated social media, something that is a part of so many of our everyday lives, into the post and the theme. Loved it!
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