I’m sitting here in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia at the 2011 EARCOS Teacher’s Conference following an all day session on “Visual Thinking and Literacy.” The premise of the session was that communication occurs just as much through images as text, and that data visualization and graphics enhance our understanding of complex information as they draw upon our native ability to tranlsate visual patterns and cues. This directly relates to a fabulous article I read, titled Visual Literacy and the Classroom, by Erin Riesland. She loosely defines visual literacy “as the ability to communicate and understand through visual means.”
I signed up for this session to find ways not only in teaching math more visually, but also to find ways of getting students to produce more visually in the math classroom. Erin mentions in her article that ”by educating students to understand and communicate through visual modes, teachers empower their students with the necessary tools to thrive in increasingly media-varied environments.”
Throughout the day, we were shown great videos from TED talks (see link here for one of them) and YouTube that could be used as story starters in an english or history class. We also saw several student-generated videos that were created to propose a new, world movement or teach about a topic in science. Everything I saw was fascinating, but of course, I sat in the course and kept asking myself, “How can I incorporate the idea of visual thinking to promote literacy in my math class?”
I am a firm believer that most of my students probably learn best visually, one of Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences. And throughout the year, I am constantly looking for ways to incorporate visual models in my lessons. I have included a few snapshots below, all used in my lesson on adding integers, created in a Smart Notebook:
But as I mentioned before, I really want to incorporate ways in getting the students to produce math work visually as a way to improve their understanding and literacy in math. Working at a one-to-one laptop school, and being aware of the digital native generation that I teach, I feel I need to take this another step … taking the students to a level in which THEY are producing work visually through the use of digital media. This is the struggle for me! How do you do this in math?
As I sit here and brainstorm, I have some initial ideas. First, I obviously need to model the concepts I am teaching visually, allowing the students to understand what they are learning. I could …
a) start each unit with a visual PowerPoint that tells a story; one that middle school students can relate to and that also incorporates the main mathematical ideas that we will be learning about in the unit. For example, at the start of a decimal unit, the story could be about downloading legal versus illegal music, and the costs that go with each (including fines for getting caught downloading illegal music). A comparison could then be made and a life-lesson taught/learned.
b) use visual images to allow students to explore/discover a specific topic. For example, show several faces of people from all over the world and ask for the shape of the face that is most attractive; move to the ”most appealing” sized rectangles – get students to measure the one that most people like – determine the ratio and go back to the faces to see if they are interrelated; then look at objects in nature that share the same ratio. Hopefully this would lead them to understanding the golden ratio.
Now, I need to make the transition by asking the students to produce work demonstrating/illustrating what they have learned visually more often. Here are some thoughts that I have that are inspiring me at the moment:
a) student-developed PowerPoints that use visuals to tell a story, incorporating a math concept/topic (adapted from the teacher example above)
b) students create probability games using the flash objects (i.e. spinners, flipping coins, rolling dice, pulling colored chips out of a bag) from Smart Tools (a Smartboard resource). We could then turn our classroom into a game room, where students rotate from game to game.
c) students can make their own web quest for a specific math unit (links to definitions, graphics, instructional videos, online games, etc), providing that the teacher has outlined what is expected and what needs to be included.
As an educator in the 21st century, I need to realize and capitalize on the fact that my students learn best through visual means. Erin states it best in her article Visual Literacy and the Classroom when she says, “visual literacy instruction will better prepare students for the dynamic and constantly changing online world they will inevitably be communicating through.”
Thanks for this insightful post Allison! My wife and I also just attended the EARCOS Teacher’s conference here in Kota Kinabalu and I’ve come away so energized and buzzing with a ton of ideas. I missed the workshop you described above regarding “Visual Thinking and Literacy” but I really appreciate your perspective – I am a math and computer teacher at American School in Taichung, Taiwan – and I’ve been specifically investigating the concept of mathematical literacy for about one year now. As well, I love this idea of data visualization (I’ve shown some TED Data Visualization videos in my Statistics course). Recently I’ve tried to “leverage” a tool I use in my computer class – Digital Storytelling – in my 8th grade Algebra I course. I’m still sort of experimenting with it, but I am trying student-created Digital Stories to illustrate/discuss a particular mathematical concept or group of concepts. I’ve just finished my second Digital Story project and I will see the results that the students deliver me after Spring Break. I’m looking forward to what they turn in! I wonder if this idea (Digital Stories) could fit into some of your brainstorming ideas you are discussing above? I would love to hear more of your thoughts on this subject – sounds like we have been reflecting on the same ideas.
Hi Lance,
Thanks for your comments! It’s so nice to know that someone is actually reading my blog.
As for what you’re doing in regards to digital storytelling in math, I am extremely interested in hearing more about that. In addition, I would love to see some of the examples you have collected from your students. It’s been something I’ve been hearing and talking with others a lot about lately, and would be interested in doing something similar with my students as well.
My email address is: navea@tas.edu.tw. I would love to chat more with you about ideas and also to see some of the digital stories that your students create.
How long have you worked in Taichung? I am working at TAS up in Taipei and have been here for 7 years, although am getting ready to move onto a new country/school — my husband and I are heading to Jakarta International School this next year. Should be an exciting change ahead, as is with any move!
Thanks again,
Alli
Thanks Alli! Congrats on you and your husband’s next adventure in Jakarta! Sounds exciting. I’m sending you a longer response (right now) to your email, chatting more about this Digital Storytelling concept…
Wow, how lucky to attend something so applicable to our course at EARCOS. Thanks for the links, they have helped my thinking regarding visual literacy in music. Of course connections between music and the visual arts makes sense…just the same way that connections between music and math make sense, but for me I am haunted by the issue of time. I suspect we are grappling with some of the same issues of time and how to make using visual literacy to increase understanding of your subject. I really like your ideas of using student devloped games and think quests to further student understanding. As for modelling for your students …I think you are one of the most creative math teachers I know. I wish I could have had a math teacher like you!
Hi Jen,
thanks for your comment!
I just spent some time reading your blog post on “Pi”, and found it so interesting. I love that you are incorporating math into your music class … as well as all of the other subjects you integrate as well. You sound like an amazing teacher, and I’m sure the kids must be learning so much from you!
Alli
Allison, thanks for this great and thoughtful post. I too teach math and am always looking to bring more depth and visualization in the classroom. I’ve taught about the golden ratio before, but I’ve never used people’s faces. Cool! I also like the idea of student-created material. If you are comfortable with PowerPoint, I want to encourage you to check out Prezi as another option for your students.
Here’s one idea I’ll share with you related to student-generated material: Have the students create video tutorials on a math topic or concept. This forces them to learn a concept and then try to teach it to their classmates. I’m currently attempting this, and I’ll let you know how it goes in a couple weeks. Cheers!
Hi Grant,
Thanks for your comments! I appreciate your suggestions, and ironically, my students are currently working on their own MathCasts right now. This is the second year in a row I have had my students create these, and actually spoke about them in a previous post here. (You can find a few links here too.)
I have only posted 3 student-created videos, but have a handful of other “good” MathCasts created by my grade 6 students. I would be happy to share any of them with you. Have you used the site: http://www.mathtrain.tv? It’s one that I always start with and get my students to analyze student-created videos before creating their own. It’s a nice resource to use throughout the year too!
As for Prezi, I have never used it before, but am not opposed to learning something new. Maybe that will be something I try in the near future. What do you like about it compared to PowerPoint?
Thanks again,
Alli
Wow, Alli, are you in my head? I couldn’t have said it better myself. This is the very issue I have been struggling with…how to incorporate all of this digital media and visual literacy into the math classroom. I continue to see wonderful ideas for english, social studies, science, heck almost every subject, except math. Since beginning this COETAILS (http://www.coetail.asia/) program I have spent many hours searching the internet for great, engaging digital math lessons. The majority of what I come across is, yes, educational, but seriously BORING. The question that continues to surface is how do you create meaningful educational ScreenCasts, Digital Stories, etc, that are also engaging and, maybe even FUN? And how do you do this in a high school math class, especially? (For more of my thoughts & ideas on this same topic, visit my Blog).
I don’t know the answers, but I do know that the great thing about these searches is that, although you have to sift through ALOT of boring junk to get to the good stuff, every now and then, you come across a GREAT site, or a great blog, like yours that brings other great math teachers who are on the same quest, together in one place. Thanks Grant and Lance for your insight and suggestions. Now I have two more people to add to my RSS feeder.
I think this is the crucial piece of the puzzle that will bring about the true shift in teaching mathematics: to connect all of us around the world who are individually searching for ways to bring digital media and visual literacy into the math classroom, and give us an avenue to share ideas and brainstorm together. Alone we exhaust ourselves, but together we can move mathematical mountains