VISUAL LEARNING
Enhancing instruction with technology

This Professional Development is a workshop where we will explore different tools that help enhance instruction through improving visual context cues for
students.  Such improvements align with the principles of brain-based learning. 

Visual Learning Syllabus

 
Visual learning helps:
  • Clarify thinking. Through diagramming, or providing a visual users understand how ideas are connected. They easily see what they already know and where they have gaps in their knowledge about a particular topic. Visual techniques also help students more easily understand new concepts. Students can quickly see how ideas may be grouped, broken down or thought about in new ways.
  • Reinforce understanding. Students use symbols to  reinforce what they have learned. This helps them absorb and internalize new information and gives them ownership of their ideas. One way an instructor might check for understanding is to have students create a metaphor for what they have learned, and then to use their visual images to explain how the key ideas/concepts are integrated into their metaphors.
     
  • Integrate new knowledge. Visual diagrams can be updated throughout a course or workshop. These diagrams can be a catalyst to help integrate prior knowledge with new ideas. By regularly reviewing these visual diagrams, students begin to understand how key ideas and concepts fit together.
     
  • Identify misconceptions. Just as a concept map or web will show what students know about a particular topic, misdirected links or wrong connections reveal what they don’t understand. This makes visual learning not only a valuable teaching tool, but also a powerful way to assess students’ knowledge and thinking.

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE- Visual/ Spacial

HOW PEOPLE LEARN (Read parts of the book online)

 

There are several key products and software we will use:

OVERHEAD- Inexpensive, almost every teacher has access and there is a minimal learning curve.  We will enhance using an overhead by learning how to create color transparencies with the Internet and PowerPoint. 

DOCUMENT CAMERA-Only a few hundred dollars and can be used with a TV.  They allow you to do live action demos in a classroom.  Can also be used with a data projector for large displays.

DATA PROJECTOR-Under 1,000 now, data projectors allow you to display your computer screen or a document camera for whole class instruction.

DIGITAL CAMERA- Allows you to capture still images to a digital file which is easily transferred into a computer program like Word or PowerPoint.

VIDEO CAMERA- Allows you to capture movies that can be used for instruction in the classroom.

SOFTWARE- Presentation software like PowerPoint

Desk Paint- Allows you to paint on your desktop, or within any program like Word or Internet Explorer- Free Download


A Teacher checks work using a document camera and plain paper.
Using an overhead requires special transparency film.

  Photos courtesy of Lightsmith
A teacher uses a pencil and a map displayed for the class
with a document camera.

A document camera will display any paper, photo or live action on a TV or with a data projector.  Some models allow you to
connect a microscope (LightSmith) as well.

DOCUMENT CAMERA SOURCES:

Light Smith -Microscope can be displayed with these models

Avermedia- This company is in the REMC bid list

Elmo-The Cadillac-in fact many people refer to a document camera as an "Elmo"

DATA PROJECTOR SOURCE:

EPSON-(Epson provides us with the best product and service for education)

VIDEO:

Tips for teaching with video

OUR LEARNING LESSON:

Visual Learning Examples from PowerPoint

How to Create a Transparency in PowerPoint -Learn how to add visual elements into your instruction and how to create different types of transparencies.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: