Wikis, Visual Literacy, and Brain Information

There is really so much that a teacher needs to know to help his or her students to be all that they can be.  Actually, a teacher should strive to learn every method possible for use in the classroom.  Wikis, visual literacy, and brain information are just some of this important information that exists.  By learning about these resources and topics, teachers can enhance their classrooms and their students’ learning potentials.

Wikis are websites which encourage collaboration for entering, submitting, managing, and updating information on a web workspace.  More information on what makes up a Wiki can be found at http://eduscapes.com/sessions/wiki/wiki0.htm.  A video introducing Wikis can also be viewed at http://commoncraft.com/video-wikis-plain-english.  With a classroom workspace, according to the link http://pbworks.com/content/edu-classroom-teachers, class resources can be published, group projects can be developed, parental involvement can be encouraged, student portfolios can be created, and classrooms around the world can interact.  The benefits of Wikis are evident in the vast amount of learning that can take place using them.

Visual literacy has been given several definitions which can be found at http://visual-lit.wikispaces.com/What+is+Visual+Literacy%3F.  The definition for visual literacy which I prefer on this website comes from Thibault and Walbert:  “Visual literacy is the ability to see, to understand, and ultimately to think, create, and communicate graphically.”  This is an important concept for students in the classroom, especially in relation to technology.  Some excellent lessons for elementary students concerning visual literacy can be found at http://www.pbs.org/parents/arthur/lesson/medialiteracy/index.html.  These lessons involve issues such as advertising as well as others to aid students in understanding how the visual aspects of something can create particular meanings.  Links to other lesson ideas for the classroom which deal with visual literacy can be found at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/knowledgequest/kqwebarchives/v36/363/KQW36_3PBSVisualLiteracy.pdf.

As for the brain, what isn’t important about this topic for teachers?  The brain has everything to do with a students’ learning.  Therefore, teachers should make certain to keep updated on issues pertaining to the brain.  For example, there is a lot of research into gender differences according to the brain, especially by Michael Gurian who has written several books on this issue.  This information can be helpful to both teachers and students as educators discover how to better teach students and these students can therefore receive a better, more effective education.  Of course, there is so much more to know about the brain.  It is stated at http://www.dana.org/news/cerebrum/detail.aspx?id=28896, “A better understanding of the brain and how it functions can improve study skills, promote improvements in neurological health, and encourage brain-based teaching strategies while at the same time boosting general science library.”  Another great website where several interactives for students can be found concerning the brain can be found at http://www.dana.org/resources/brainykids/.

So much can truly be found online about important topics on which teachers should educate themselves.  Every opportunity to make teaching more effective in hopes of benefiting every individual student should be utilized.  Learning about and making use of wikis, visual literacy, and the brain are merely some of these important topics.

Image from http://www.braininjury.com/symptoms.html