Visual Literacy to be is the ability to understand, analyze and capture/create visual images. As in all cases with literacy, it is important to be aware of purpose and audience; why are these photos in front of me? Why do they exist? Who are they designed to target? What is their purpose or goal?
The Baker text works to define visual literacy as requiring viewers to interpret and evaluate images (Baker, 2012, p. 42). It also goes on to ask such questions of the viewer as "what am I looking at? What does this image mean to me? What is the relationship between the image and the displayed text message? How is this message effective?" (Baker, 2012, p. 50).
I think that while visual literacy has always been important to teach, its importance only increases as time moves on. In today's world, our lives are entirely dominated by the visual. Our lives are our computers and phones. We spend so much time thinking of what to Instagram or what to make our profile picture on Facebook. The time we dedicate to thinking of our own photos shows how we need to learn to appreciate other photos. The number of ads flashing at any one person at any one time is astonishing. From the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep we've been bombarded by images and advertisements. It is important to be able to differentiate real from fake and beneficial to irrelevant.
In order to make distinctions like these we must be able to assess an image: why is it here? What is it's goal? How does it affect me? I believe that in answering those photos we can move forward more informed. If the image is rooted in advertisement, it will have the goal of selling. Once we've realized this, we can analyze it through the lens of a creator hoping to sell me their product.
In class, we discussed looking at things through alternate lenses. This is why I've chosen to include these photos in this post. Together they could perhaps tell a story, but more accurately they portray myself as photographer, trying to see the world in a way that goes deeper than surface level; capturing something I may not regularly give a second look.
Many of what we have done has made me think of Humans of New York (https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork). Humans of New York is able to tell stories through imagery. While the captions show the questions asked of the people and allow us as viewers to dive deeper into their world, the images themselves show more than enough.
We should teach visual literacy to teach awareness and critical thinking. Students are expected to become critical thinkers. As people who are surrounded by imagery all day, every day, it is important for them to develop a filter through which they see things. A filter through which they question. Questioning the purpose, the validity and the intended audience will help them see the world in a clearer fashion. It will also help them avoid hoax's as spoken about in the Baker text with examples such as Derrie-Air airlines and the Havidol drug (Baker, 2012, p. 65-66). Being visually literate will allow students to see the humor in these hoax's rather than falling victim of them.
When students become visually literate, they become more ready for the world. They can take critical thinking skills into their lives and apply them to all other forms of media and all other experiences. They can also try to expand their own lens; get out of their way of thinking. Seeing things differently can enrich their worlds, both academically, personally and socially.
Interesting Links:
http://www.vislit.org/visual-literacy/
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/ccia-10-visual-literacy-strategies-todd-finley (The video under Visual Thinking Strategies is worth a watch. It discusses the importance of visual literacy while making it clear how receptive students are to this learning)
https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork - If you've never visited, you've been missing out
References:
Baker, F. (2012). Media LIteracy in the K-12 Classroom. Washington, D.C., International Society for
Technology in Education.
The Baker text works to define visual literacy as requiring viewers to interpret and evaluate images (Baker, 2012, p. 42). It also goes on to ask such questions of the viewer as "what am I looking at? What does this image mean to me? What is the relationship between the image and the displayed text message? How is this message effective?" (Baker, 2012, p. 50).
I think that while visual literacy has always been important to teach, its importance only increases as time moves on. In today's world, our lives are entirely dominated by the visual. Our lives are our computers and phones. We spend so much time thinking of what to Instagram or what to make our profile picture on Facebook. The time we dedicate to thinking of our own photos shows how we need to learn to appreciate other photos. The number of ads flashing at any one person at any one time is astonishing. From the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep we've been bombarded by images and advertisements. It is important to be able to differentiate real from fake and beneficial to irrelevant.
In order to make distinctions like these we must be able to assess an image: why is it here? What is it's goal? How does it affect me? I believe that in answering those photos we can move forward more informed. If the image is rooted in advertisement, it will have the goal of selling. Once we've realized this, we can analyze it through the lens of a creator hoping to sell me their product.
In class, we discussed looking at things through alternate lenses. This is why I've chosen to include these photos in this post. Together they could perhaps tell a story, but more accurately they portray myself as photographer, trying to see the world in a way that goes deeper than surface level; capturing something I may not regularly give a second look.
Many of what we have done has made me think of Humans of New York (https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork). Humans of New York is able to tell stories through imagery. While the captions show the questions asked of the people and allow us as viewers to dive deeper into their world, the images themselves show more than enough.
We should teach visual literacy to teach awareness and critical thinking. Students are expected to become critical thinkers. As people who are surrounded by imagery all day, every day, it is important for them to develop a filter through which they see things. A filter through which they question. Questioning the purpose, the validity and the intended audience will help them see the world in a clearer fashion. It will also help them avoid hoax's as spoken about in the Baker text with examples such as Derrie-Air airlines and the Havidol drug (Baker, 2012, p. 65-66). Being visually literate will allow students to see the humor in these hoax's rather than falling victim of them.
When students become visually literate, they become more ready for the world. They can take critical thinking skills into their lives and apply them to all other forms of media and all other experiences. They can also try to expand their own lens; get out of their way of thinking. Seeing things differently can enrich their worlds, both academically, personally and socially.
Interesting Links:
http://www.vislit.org/visual-literacy/
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/ccia-10-visual-literacy-strategies-todd-finley (The video under Visual Thinking Strategies is worth a watch. It discusses the importance of visual literacy while making it clear how receptive students are to this learning)
https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork - If you've never visited, you've been missing out
References:
Baker, F. (2012). Media LIteracy in the K-12 Classroom. Washington, D.C., International Society for
Technology in Education.