Visual Literacy, the Internet, and My Classroom

Almost everyone has heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”. This phrase applies well when discussing visual literacy. Visual literacy is the capacity to learn from information taught in the form of an image or images. Not everyone is visually literate; yet, many students are or can benefit from the use of visuals in the classroom.


Using visuals to enhance one’s teaching is not a new idea. Teachers have been doing this since the profession started (think chalk and slate). What has changed is the plethora of visuals available to today’s teachers, thanks to the Internet. Today’s teachers can, more often than not, find a visual that corresponds with the subject matter they are covering.


Visual-thinking strategies I would like to use, or do use, in my classroom that are available on the Internet for free are: posters, charts, photos, books, clipart, PowerPoint, Videos (including educational music videos), demonstrations, tutorials, and educational games.


Utilizing these strategies impacts the teaching and learning process in my classroom in a positive way. My students are more engaged and excited about the lessons. They want to participate if it is an interactive visual, they ask questions at a deeper level when they can see real life photos or demonstrations, and they are having fun while learning.


Sometimes these positive results begin with a negative because it can be time consuming to look for an appropriate visual to use for a particular subject matter. Nevertheless, the positives undeniably outweigh the negatives! This is the main reason why I choose to use these strategies.


I also want to use these strategies because I feel the Internet is a significant part of my student’s lives now and will continue to be. Therefore, it should be an important part of my classroom. However, the role of the Internet in my class should be, and I strive for it to be, educationally significant. What I mean by this is, when I incorporate the Internet into a lesson it is because it enhances my lesson, otherwise I do without using it.