Flickr & Visual literacy

Absent from school to catch Pai Soi fish, originally uploaded by Bеn.

Widely researched literature exists on how children read and respond to isolated images or pictures in text books and how this directly relates to developmental psychology. Both Piaget and Vygotsky have never specifically referred to the way in which children learn through artistic images. However, Vygotsky’s study on cognitive development can be linked to aspects of visual literacy such as sign language, maps, works of art, signs, image and codes and the manner in which children gain the ability to decode visual language.

The use and interpretation of images is a specific language in the sense that images are used to communicate messages that must be decoded in order to have meaning (Branton, 1999; Emery & Flood, 1998). If visual literacy is regarded as a language, then there is a need to know how to communicate using this language, which includes being alert to visual messages and critically reading or viewing images as the language of the messages. Visual literacy, like language literacy, is culturally specific although there are universal symbols or visual images that are globally understood.

Students can use this learning tool for a wide variety of learning opportunities. They can reach outcomes related to the Arts when they address learnings on elements of art and principles of design that include line, shape, form, colour, proportion and emphasis.

Students can also adopt knowledge and understandings in visual literacy when Learning Managers use the 'Four Resources Model' framework where students become code-breakers, text particpants, text users and text analysts when responding to images.

Learning experiences could be designed by the Learning Manager that incorporates students using these ideals in creating their own image and response and posting them onto 'Flickr'. As a result of this, opens various opportunities for students to reach outcomes in wide range of KLA's, for example, students are asked to construct a narrative that relates to a particular image. This is intrinsically linked to the 'English Essential Learnings'.

This image could possibly create tasks for students that relate directly to learnings related to culture. Students could participate in a 'Global Art Project' where students create and share artwork via 'Flickr' with other students from all around the world. Check out this website:
http://media.iearn.org/projects/globalart