Big Huge LabsUsing Visual Literacy to Extend Learning

Calgary Regional Learning Consortium

presents

Calgary Regional Consortium

Elizabeth Cressman Tech Back-up

CRC

Brenda Dyck Session Facilitator CRC

A Web 2.0 mashup tool that supports deep thinking and helps to sharpen students' visual literacy skills. 

http://bighugelabs.com

Mashups combine similar types of media and information from multiple sources into a new creation (repurposing) 

Educational Tool?

NOTE TO SELF… No tool is an educational

tool until its used in a meaningful way to mediate learning

“Visual Communication is a process of sending and receiving messages using images. Visual literacy can be defined as the ‘ability to construct meaning from visual images.’ (Giorgis, Johnson, Bonomo, Colbert, & al, 1999: 146)

To make meaning from images, the ‘reader’ uses the critical skills of exploration, critique, and reflection.“ ~ The Visual Literacy White Paper, Dr. Anne Bamford, Art and Design University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

Making the cognitive jump from using the tool...

... to using the tool to promote inquiry and deep thinking.

to

”The more content is manipulated, the more likely it is understood and remembered.“

~ Janet Allen, from Reading History: A Practical Guide to Improving Literacy

http://bighugelabs.com/motivator.php

upload an image

fill in formatting informationAdd content

When you’re done, click “Create”

http://www.zoo-m.com/flickr-storm/ Use Flickr Storm

Need an Image?

• Do you have an idea for how you might use Big Huge Lab’s Motivator tool in your classroom?

1) Save an image to your desktop PC: right click

Mac: drag the image to your desktop

2) Open the Motivator toolhttp://bighugelabs.com/motivator.php

3) Fill in the information-- Create

http://bighugelabs.com/mosaic.php

upload an image

fill in formatting information

When you’re done, click “Create”

Add content

Use Flickr Storm http://www.zoo-m.com/flickr-storm/

Taking the Mosaic tool to a deeper level:VoiceThread

http://voicethread.com/#e684187

• Do you have an idea for how you might use Big Huge Lab’s Mosaic tool in your classroom?

Accessing your students’ metacognitive thinking

Combining the left and right side of the brain

Developing metaphorical thinking

Assessment Tool

upload a background image

Add magazine article titlesWhen you’re done, click “Create”

Using the Magazine Cover mash-up (combining Big Huge Labs with the Word document’s callout feature).

Here I’m going to show how I use the magazine cover with a Call Out Assignment to access student thinking. Example on next slide.

To create call-outs: Click the Autoshapes option on the Drawing toolbar.   Choose a call-out you wish to use.   Click and drag to create the bubble.   Resize by dragging a handle/dot from the edge of the graphic.   To send the bubble to the back or front of another picture, right-

click on the edge of the bubble and choose Arrange.   To move or resize the directional area of the graphic, drag by the

yellow dot.   To enter text, simply select the graphic and start typing. You will

not see an I bar.   You can change the line thickness, color fill, and font of the bubble.     (Thanks to Annette Lamb for the above instructions)

• Do you have an idea for how you might use Big Huge Lab’s Magazine tool in your classroom?

http://bighugelabs.com/education.php

Use the site advertising-free

http://wiki.crcpd.ab.ca/groups/newteachers2011webinar/