Using Infographics

Created using easel.ly

I created this infographic using easel.ly based on information and opinions I gained from engaging with a design challenge that utilised both a wiki and a blog.

I found using infographics to be much easier than I first expected. I've seen them used more and more often to present facts in a more visually appealing way (and as a visual learner I find this so much more engaging and interesting). I am very excited by discovering how easy these are to make and definitely plan to use them in the classroom to present information to students. Not only that though, I would love to have the students creating these too, which I feel they would certainly be able to do considering how user friendly the platform was.

This would be a great way for students to present any number of things including:

• Information reports
• Data summaries
• Book or movie reviews
• Comparison of a book and movie
• Character analysis 
• Timelines 
• Historical person and place information "brochures"
• ... the list goes on really

Resource Link (2011) suggests "three key ways to use Infographics in the classroom.

1. As a source of information
2. As a tool to teach visual and critical literacy
3. As a way for students to express their or others’ data"

As ACARA (c. 2015) state in the Digital Technologies Rationale the curriculum "provides students with authentic learning challenges that foster curiosity, confidence, persistence, innovation, creativity, respect and cooperation". I feel that the use of infographics and other online, digital and multimodal forms of communication technologies help to engage students in these thinking processes, particularly confidence (using varied online platforms), creativity (in the design of infographics) and cooperation (when working in groups or giving peer feedback on infographics).

As I said, I can't wait to use these in my classroom for and with my students! However, creation of visual communication tools such of this is only brushing the surface of the intent of the digital technologies curriculum. I will explore it in further detail soon through a number of activities.
Watch this space ...

References

          Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (c. 2015). Digital technologies rationle. Retrieved April 23, 2015 from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/technologies/digital-technologies/rationale
          Resource Link. (2011, July 4). Info-what? developing visual literacy through infographics. Retrieved from https://resourcelinkbce.wordpress.com/2011/07/04/info-what-developing-visual-literacy-through-infographics/