I'm not an official graphic designer, of course, but teachers are doing the job unwittingly! We develop and design hundreds of things each year: newsletter, notes home, websites, and so much more. Each of these has a specific purpose, and our design choices can make or break their impact with students, parents, and colleagues.
Incorporating graphic design into our classrooms can be so valuable! This video from Column Five discusses "making data powerful through visual representations." (2011) The data we are sharing can be any piece of information, but we can make all of it more effective by knowing how to use graphic design to our advantage: the color, size, shape of text and visual cues. As I mentioned already, I am no graphic design, but I found out that I have been following the "two font rule" that Heather Dowd mentions in her slideshow "Tell Me With a Graphic." (n.d.) I didn't know it was a rule - I just knew more than that was too much. Too many fonts on one page distract readers from the message. If we are creating classroom materials with a brain-blistering visual, you can bet that they are not absorbing the message that we intended! My students are generally either kinesthetic or visual learners (and often both). (Institute of Learning Styles Research, n.d.) They learn and remember best when there are motions taught along with whatever they are learning, or by writing something by hand. Seeing a video or graphic also helps them understand and remember. I draw lots of terrible sketches for the sake of teaching. (I should probably be embarrassed about my lack of artistic talent, but at least I'm entertaining my class while also teaching...?) I can support their kinesthetic and visual tendencies by including well-designed graphics and videos in my lessons. Using my new-found knowledge of graphic design basics, I can prepare more effective (and definitely better-looking) graphics and videos to illustrate my point rather than free drawing something in the moment. Dowd's slideshow was very informative in regards to designing digital and print resources effectively, and absolutely plan to use it! (n.d.) In our next literacy unit called "Exploring New Worlds", students will be participating in a simulation. They will act as explorers planning a trip across the sea to discover new lands. Their first tasks will be to name their ship and design a flag to hoist when they set sail. The graphic design lessons from this week's module will help tremendously with this activity! I can prepare examples ahead of time, one following the graphic design rules that Dowd discusses and one breaking those rules. (n.d.) We can use them to start discussions about which one is more effective and why. When students start designing their own flag, they will know at least some of the things to watch for in their own graphic design experience. Originally, I had little to no interest in graphic design; after this week's readings and resources, though, it is a fascinating topic. It is amazing how many aspects of what we see can affect our subconscious, mood, and thoughts about a topic. I hope that I can harness and use that power for educational good! Reference List Column Five. (2011). The value of data visualization. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/29684853 Dowd, Heather. (n.d.). Tell me with a graphic. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Y5LAxlRhRGgkqbFGKu9f5ZdZx2RwhlxZAC9eeJyUZ5Y/edit#slide=id.g162b29ada5_0_0 Institute for Learning Styles Research. (n.d.). Overview of the seven perceptual styles: Kinesthetic modality. Retrieved from https://www.learningstyles.org/styles/kinesthetic.html
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