A comprehensive guide to visual learning strategies with easy-to-use activities. Emojis . . . avatars . . . icons . . . Our world is becoming increasingly reliant on visual communication. Yet our classrooms still heavily focus on traditional oral and written instruction. In this first-of-its-kind resource, Dr. Susan Daniels channels over twenty years of research and experience into a comprehensive guide of visual learning strategies that enable educators to rise to the challenges of 21st century education no matter what age range they serve within the K–8 population. This hands-on resource helps educators create a “visual toolbox” of tools that promote visual literacy across the curriculum, and it offers interactive activities to encourage visual learning and communication in all students via mind maps and visual journals. Drawing on her experience working with gifted, creative, and twice-exceptional children, Dr. Susan Daniels has created visual learning strategies that all children can benefit from. Digital content includes customizable forms and examples of completed forms as well as a PDF presentation for professional development.

A creative guide to visual learning strategies with easy-to-use activities for increasing visual literacy. Emojis . . . avatars . . . icons . . . Our world is becoming increasingly reliant on visual communication. But even as we edge toward a virtual world, it's still critical for students to comprehend and know how to make simple, meaningful marks. In this easy-to-use resource, Dr. Susan Daniels channels over twenty years of research and experience into a creative guide of strategies that enable educators to present the foundational skills of visual learning in the classroom. Educators will learn how to create a "visual toolbox" of tools that promote visual literacy across the curriculum and discover interac-tive activities to encourage visual learning and communication in all students. Digital content includes customizable forms and a PDF presen-tation. A free online PLC/Book Study Guide is available at freespirit.com/PLC.

"Hold on to this author—he is magical! I learned more from reading Gangwer′s book than I have in eight years of professional development workshops." —Laura S. Gulledge, Media Literacy Teacher Benjamin Russell High School, Alexander City, AL "Gangwer has effectively organized information from many sources into a form that is readable and practical for a wide variety of education practitioners, including classroom teachers and fine arts teachers." —Ellen Herbert, Art Teacher Longview High School, TX Spark learners′ enthusiasm and promote retention of content with visual teaching techniques! Each day, teachers look for new ways to get students excited about learning and new ways to help them retain the information they learn. In this practical guide, Timothy Gangwer incorporates the latest research on visual learning and shows how you can stimulate students′ interest and participation. Offering classroom-tested techniques to engage learners′ brains, this book includes hundreds of ready-to-use visual learning activities in language arts, math, science, social studies, environmental studies, the arts, and more. This resource covers: Differentiating instruction based on how students process visual information Using graphic organizers, digital photography, the Internet, and other visual communication tools Incorporating music, art, and drama to enhance instruction and learning Teaching visual communication strategies to English language learners Discover how to use visual strategies and activities to help students think critically about the way they understand and perceive the world.

This book takes a fresh look at approaches to teaching reading, writing and communication skills. It presents a wealth of innovative ideas specifically designed to support visual learners, including those with autism spectrum conditions and special educational needs. Some children are more responsive to visual stimulation than spoken words, and this book shows how to engage these children in literacy lessons by using strategies that cover everything from the latest assistive technology to getting creative on a limited budget. There are tips for sharing stories with children who find it hard to sit still, supporting reluctant writers, enabling the pre-verbal child to answer questions and helping the child who never stops talking to develop listening skills. The strategies are supported by practical resources, examples and case studies, to show how to instil in children the confidence to create and share their thoughts. This is a must-have resource for special education teachers and coordinators, as well as speech and language therapists, looking for new strategies for teaching literacy.

"What’s going on in this picture?" With this one question and a carefully chosen work of art, teachers can start their students down a path toward deeper learning and other skills now encouraged by the Common Core State Standards. The Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) teaching method has been successfully implemented in schools, districts, and cultural institutions nationwide, including bilingual schools in California, West Orange Public Schools in New Jersey, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. It provides for open-ended yet highly structured discussions of visual art, and significantly increases students’ critical thinking, language, and literacy skills along the way. Philip Yenawine, former education director of New York’s Museum of Modern Art and cocreator of the VTS curriculum, writes engagingly about his years of experience with elementary school students in the classroom. He reveals how VTS was developed and demonstrates how teachers are using art—as well as poems, primary documents, and other visual artifacts—to increase a variety of skills, including writing, listening, and speaking, across a range of subjects. The book shows how VTS can be easily and effectively integrated into elementary classroom lessons in just ten hours of a school year to create learner-centered environments where students at all levels are involved in rich, absorbing discussions.

Offering classroom-tested techniques to engage learners' brains, this book provides ready-to-use visual learning activities in language arts, math, science, social studies, the arts, and more.

Each day, teachers look for new ways to get students excited about learning and new ways to help them retain the information they learn. In this practical guide, Timothy Gangwer incorporates the latest research on visual learning and shows how you can stimulate students' interest and participation. Offering classroom-tested techniques to engage learners' brains, this book includes hundreds of ready-to-use visual learning activities in language arts, math, science, social studies, environmental studies, the arts, and more. This resource covers: Differentiating instruction based on how students process visual information Using graphic organizers, digital photography, the Internet, and other visual communication tools Incorporating music, art, and drama to enhance instruction and learning Teaching visual communication strategies to English language learners Discover how to use visual strategies and activities to help students think critically about the way they understand and perceive the world.