Lesson 13

TEACHING WITH VISUAL SYMBOLS

“Visual symbols will be made meaningful if we can use them as summaries of our own rich indirect experiences… A little can stand for a lot!”

INTRODUCTION

            From an experience of real-world experience we proceed to a world of symbols. Here, we don’t see real things but symbols. Visual symbols include drawings, cartoons, strip drawings, diagrams, formulas, charts, graphs, maps, globes. For the sake of mastery and clarity, let us divide this lesson into seven (7) parts.

ABSTRACTION

            Your experience of the words and the graphs convinces you that a graph is easier to understand than the words of a paragraph. A graph is “worth a thousand words”. A graph and any visual symbol for that matter such as drawings, cartoons, strip drawings, diagrams, and maps are worth a thousand words. They are more clearly understood than mere words.

A.   DRAWINGS

A drawing may not be the real thing but better to have a concrete visual aid than nothing. To avoid confusion, it is good that our drawing correctly represents the real thing.

On essential skill that a teacher ought to possess in order to be understood is drawing. It helps you a lot if you are capable of doing sample freehand sketching. You will find out that as you lecture, you need to illustrate on the chalkboard.

B.   CARTOONS

Another useful visual symbol that can bring novelty to our teaching is the cartoon. A first-rate cartoon its story metaphorically. The perfect cartoon needs no caption. The less the artist depends on words, the more effective the symbolism. The symbolism conveys the message.

SKETCHING CARTOONS

Want to develop your skill at sketching for cartoons? See Figures below.

Start with simple shapes and add details. Note changes in expression.

Side view starts with same basic shapes.

Most cartoon figures are about four heads tall. Keep them simple.

C.   STRIP DRAWINGS

These are commonly called comics or comic strip. Dale (1969) asserts that a more accurate term is strip drawings. Make use of strips that are educational and entertaining at the same time. Here is an example:

D.   DIAGRAMS

It is “any line drawing that shows arrangement and relations as of parts to the whole, relative values, origins and development, chronological fluctuations, distribution, etc.

TYPES OF A DIAGRAM

·         Affinity diagram – used to cluster complex apparently unrelated data into natural and meaningful groups.

·         Tree diagram – used to chart out, in increasing detail, the various tasks that must be accomplished to complete a project or achieve a specific objective.

·         Fishbone diagram – it is also called cause-and-effect diagrams. It is a structured form of brainstorming that graphically shows the relationship of possible causes and subcases directly related to an identified effect/problem. It is most commonly used to analyze work-related problems.

E.   CHARTS

A chart is a diagrammatic representation of relationships among individuals within an organization. We can have a:

1.    time chart

2.    tree or stream chart

3.    flow chart

4.    organizational chart

5.    comparison and contrast chart

6.    pareto chart

7.    run chart or trend chart

EXAMPLES OF CHART

·         Time chart – is a tabular time chart that presents data in ordinal sequence. Here is an example:

·         Tree or stream chart – depicts development, growth and change by beginning with a single course which spreads out into many branches.

·         Flow chart – is a visual way of charting or showing a process from beginning to end.

·         Organizational chart – shows how one part of the organization relates to other parts of the organization.

·         Comparison and contrast chart – used to show similarities and differences between two things (people, places, events, ideas, etc)

·         Pareto chart – is a type of a bar chart, prioritized in descending order of magnitude or importance from left to right. It shows at a glance which factors are occurring most.

·         Gannt chart is an activity time chart.

F.    GRAPHS

These are several types of graphs. They are: 1) circle or pie graph, 2) bar graph, 3) pictorial graph and 4) line graph.

·         Pie or circle graph – recommended for showing parts of whole.

·         Bar graph – used in comparing the magnitude of similar items at different ties or seeing relative sizes of the parts of a whole.

·         Pictorial graph – makes use of picture symbols.

·         Graphic organizers – you met several graphic organizers in your subject.

G.   MAPS

A map is a “representation of the surface of the earth or some part of it…”

KINDS OF MAP

·         Physical map – combines in a single projection data like altitude, temperature, rainfall, precipitation, vegetation, and soil.

·         Relief map – has three dimensional representations and show contours of the physical data of the earth or part of the earth.

·         Commercial or economic map – also called product or industrial map since they show land areas in relation to the economy.

·         Political map – gives detailed information about country, provinces, cities and towns, roads and highways. Oceans, rivers and lakes are main features of most political maps.

MAP LANGUAGE

·         Scale – shows how much of the actual earth’s surface is represented by a given measurement on a map.

·         Symbols – usually a map has a legend that explains what each symbol means. Some symbols represent highways, railroads, mountains, lakes and plains.

·         Color – the different colors of the map are part of the map language. What colors represent the bodies of water? What about contours of the earth and railroads, highways and other cultural features.

·         Geographical grids – the entire system of these grid lines are called grid lines. These grid lines are called meridians and parallels.

Poster

A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface.