Visual learning/teaching

TEACHERS' LOUNGE

I guess all teachers are interested in getting effective ways of visualizing, understanding and learning information better.

As for me diagrams, flowcharts, mind maps or any other  visual 'tool' that may help students to improve their language skills might do... provided it is specifically adapted to their needs. These are pictures that illustrate ideas, to get them to plainly visualise what they need to discover, understand and learn  : thus infographics are now smart tools we can select, adapt, create... so as to use them at their best ;o)

Here is a recent talk David McCandless gave at TED Global Oxford about his passion for data visualization and information design : not only did it generate many smiles in a rainy afternoon, but it also confirmed this viewpoint  of mine. 

"McCandless and his cadre of info designers take a spin through the world of visualized data, from hard stats on politics and climate to daffy but no less important trends in pop music. McCandless' genius is not so much in finding jazzy new ways to show data  -the actual graphics aren't the real innovation here-  as in finding fresh ways to combine datasets to let them ping and prod each other." from 'TED Ideas worth spreading'

Besides... most of my students find these 'visuals'

quite aesthetic  -and so do I !