Images in the Classroom

Images can be used for many purposes in the classroom. I have thought of two (2) occasions when an image would be an effective tool in the classroom.

1. Children go through stages of development where they learn about, practice and explore art skills. Children begin by drawing scribbles and lines but this will eventually lead to realistic representations of the world around them.

Prep aged students should have explored the scribbling and preschematic stage and are moving on to the schematic stage, where they are now attempting to create realistic representations. (Lipoff, 2010). Drawings in this stage also tend to have a strong narrative element.

According to Piaget and Inhelder (1963) preschoolers draw what they know about the world, rather than trying to capture a photograph of reality. That is why we see drawings illustrate both the outside and inside of an object at the same time (transparencies or x-rays) and everything is rainbow.

This is where I believe the use of images would come in handy, displaying and discussing the realistic representation of objects with children before hand will ensure the children are aware of the object and create a mental visual note of what that particular image looks like in real life. The use of google images or Flickr would make finding and accessing appropriate images quick and efficient for a Learning Manager. For example, last year in my prac class (prep) the students were learning about animals from around the world and their habitats. When discussing the animals and their homes factual texts with realistic representations were used to enhance the students understanding. The children enjoyed identifying the actual colours of the animals.



As you can see from Zacks drawing (age 5) he is beginning to use color realistically to represent things. The chick has a yellow body, orange legs and beak, and a brown eye. He has separated the head from the body, this indicates that he has already progressed past the scribbling and preschematic stage. Zack's chick floats in space on the page (Herchenahahn, 2005).







2. Children rely heavily on picture cues while learning to read and write. A picture helps a reader/writer connect the ideas in the text with past experiences and knowledge, confirm the message being constructed from/for the print and help the reader/writer acquire new information to enhance comprehension (Mcmackin, 1993).


Using images during literacy (reading & writing) lessons can help engage and enhance student learning. For example students in 1A are presented with this image and asked to construct and write (type) 2 simple sentences about the image. The Learning Manager can guide the students through the process by posing key questions such as:
-What do you think could be happening in this picture?
-What might the fairy be saying to the lion?
-Look at all that food, I wonder what they are doing with all that food?


References

Herchenahahn, M. (2005, April). Drawing Development Timeline. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from Drawing Development Timeline: http://mary-h.com/timeline/index.html

Lipoff, S. (2010). Art Development in Young Children. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from eHow: http://www.ehow.com/about_6130190_art-development-young-children.html

Mcmackin, M. C. (1993). The Parent's Role in Literacy Development. Childhood Education , 69, 10.

Piaget, J., & Inhelder, B. (1963).The child's conception of space. London: Routledge.