Picture from: http://clifflamere.com/Graphics/Img-Flags/firemen-flag-9-11-2001-b.jpg
G’day,
Wow, I work with an Australian teacher now, I think I’m picking up the accent! This evening I wanted to share some thoughts about the vast meanings found embedded in images waiting to be discovered. I visited a site called Center for Media Literacy that discusses the power of images. The website shares what images are and uncovers a lot of myths about current images portrayed in our world (a very interesting list that you might want to read for kicks), but my most profound discovery is a section that discussed the meanings of images. As I continue to find materials on visual literacy, I am really seeing that images have a lot more to them than I ever thought about. I typically used pictures to help my students make a connection with context, but I never thought how using images could bring out discussions beyond just the colors in the picture.
An illustration the author of the piece used was the American flag. Thinking about the flag typically brings to mind a vast amount of meaning for many people. Just as I type this, I think about the 9/11 tragedy and how the flag was placed in the middle of the rubble. I can also picture the flag and think of feelings of excitement and joy when my uncle came home from Desert Storm many years ago. Images convey meanings, sometimes deep, emotional meanings. On an elementary level, what power could images have for writing? Could elaborate stories be constructed based on looking at a picture?
Until next time,
Annette
2 comments:
Okay, reading that and thinking about the picture just gave me chills! You are right...images do bring about a whole line of emotions that you might otherwise not be able to get out of your students. Your wondering, "Could elaborate stories be constructed based on looking at a picture?" makes me think about the picture you have posted here and if I would be able to write an entire story about it. I think YES, stories would be able to be written based on a picture. I think it's a great way to spark a child's imagination.
You are soo right! Images are very powerful. Even without reading anything, just looking at that picture makes me want to cry. I can immediately remember what I was doing and how I felt on that day. And the Alan Jackson song "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" starts playing in my mind like a theme song. I have actually used that technique of showing the students a picture and having them write about it. One of my favorites was showing them a photo of a tropical island. I got all sorts of cute stories, from being shipwrecked, to being pirates, to going on vacations. They also added more vivid details to their writing, something that typically my first graders don't do. I got a lot of color words describing the water, the sky, and the beach...much better than I could have gotten out of them had I given them a verbal/written prompt to respond to. Thanks for sharing!
Sabrina
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