VISUAL LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOM

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

In this course, teachers will learn how to use visual learning techniques such as graphic organizers, concept maps and outlines to help students at all levels achieve academic success. Visual learners benefit from seeing material in representations other than printed words on paper, and these techniques can make a huge difference in student understanding. Visual representations can also help IEP students, EL students and any students with a tendency to process information in unique (i.e. non-linear) ways.  Teachers will learn specific techniques for teaching with a variety of visual representations. This course is appropriate for all grade levels K-12.  Required text: Visual Leap: A Step by Step Guide to Visual Learning for Teachers and Students by Jesse Berg. Available on Amazon ($15 to $25 Used/New) and at other retailers. 

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of this course, participants will have:

• Understand the unique issues involved in the use of visual learning methods to support student comprehension and outcomes 
• Demonstrate knowledge of the use of visual learning methods across content area
• Demonstrate an understanding of a variety of visual learning techniques to enhance comprehension
• Evaluate their own use visual techniques 
• Demonstrate an understanding of the use of visual learning in instruction and assessment

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of all specified assignments is required for issuance of hours or credit. The Heritage Institute does not award partial credit.

HOURS EARNED:
Completing the basic assignments (Section A. Information Acquisition) for this course automatically earns participant’s their choice of CEUs (Continuing Education Units), or Washington State Clock Hours or Oregon PDUs. The Heritage Institute offers CEUs and is an approved provider of Washington State Clock Hours and Oregon PDUs.

UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT INFORMATION

REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
Continuing Education Quarter credits are awarded by Antioch University Seattle (AUS). AUS requires 75% or better for credit at the 400 level and 85% or better to issue credit at the 500 level. These criteria refer both to the amount and quality of work submitted.

1. Completion of Information Acquisition assignments 30%
2. Completion of Learning Application assignments 40%
3. Completion of Integration Paper assignment 30%

CREDIT/NO CREDIT (No Letter Grades or Numeric Equivalents on Transcripts)
Antioch University Seattle (AUS) Continuing Education Quarter credit is offered on a Credit/No Credit basis; neither letter grades nor numeric equivalents are on a transcript. 400 level credit is equal to a "C" or better, 500 level credit is equal to a "B" or better. This information is on the back of the transcript.

AUS Continuing Education quarter credits may or may not be accepted into degree programs. Prior to registering determine with your district personnel, department head or state education office the acceptability of these credits for your purpose.

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION

REQUIRED TEXT

Visual Leap: A Step by Step Guide to Visual Learning for Teachers and Students by Jesse Berg 

• Visual Leap: A Step-by-Step Guide to Visual Learning for Teachers and Students

  by Berg, Jesse
  
  Buy from Amazon

MATERIALS FEE

Text, Visual Leap: A Step by Step Guide to Visual Learning for Teachers and Students is approximately $15 - $20 from Amazon.com.

ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR HOURS OR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

A. INFORMATION ACQUISITION

Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators active in the course. Feel free to read and respond to others comments. 

Assignment #1: COURSE FORUM: Introduce Yourself

Introduce yourself in 250 to 500 words (1 to 2 pages).  What grade level(s) and  subject(s)do you currently teach? Describe your professional background in education and why you chose to take this course. How do you anticipate that this course will help you develop as an educator? 

Assignment #2: Graphic organizers

Read the Introduction and Chapter 1(pgs. xiii to 13). Write a 2-3 page reflection on your own use of graphic organizers in the classroom. Do you currently incorporate them in your lessons? If so, which ones do you tend to use most often and why? What are some of the compelling reasons given for the use of graphic organizers? If you do not currently teach, reflect on your own personal use of graphic organizers for problem solving or analysis. 

Assignment #3: COURSE FORUM: Affective & strategic networks

Read pages 14 - 26. In a 500 word paper (minimum), describe the main characteristics of the Affective and Strategic Networks, how they affect students in a classroom environment, and the implications of these networks for instruction and behavior management. 

Assignment #4: Dual coding

Read pgs. 27 - 48. In a 250 - 500 word paper, describe dual coding in relation to the brain and the benefits of dual coding for learning. 

Assignment #5: COURSE FORUM: Webbing

Read pgs. 49- 81. Write a 500 word paper (minimum) discussing the specific reasons that webbing is a good tool for pre-writing and for idea development. How does webbing relate to convergent and divergent thinking? How does webbing engage both hemispheres of the brain? 

Assignment #6: Visual thinking in older students

Read pgs. 82-102. The author states that "the deliberate use of visual thinking declines as students reach higher grade levels" and explains his ideas about why this may happen. What are your thoughts about this? Do you have experience using visual thinking yourself or in a secondary classroom? What are the reasons for using visual thinking methods at all education levels and in life beyond school that are offered in this section of the text? Write a 2-3 page reflection paper on these ideas. 

ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

B. LEARNING APPLICATION

In this section you will apply your learning to your professional situation. This course assumes that most participants are classroom teachers who have access to students. If you do not have a classroom available to you, please contact the instructor for course modifications. Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators active in the course. Feel free to read and respond to others comments. 

Assignment #7: COURSE FORUM: BOWL process

Read pgs. 103- 128. Take yourself through the BOWL process, using either the software or pencil and paper technique described in this section. Choose a topic related to personal planning or classroom instruction. Upload screenshots or pictures of your webstorm process into the group forum.

Assignment #8: COURSE FORUM:  Webstorm

Read pgs. 129 -148.  Using the same webstorm that you created in assignment #7, take your visual information through the LADLE process. Did you identify any outliers in your web? Were they necessary? Did you re-categorize or delete any words/ideas? Upload an image of your web to the group forum after the LADLE process.

Assignment #9: Lesson development

Read pgs. 149 - 182. Adapt or create a lesson using the Webstorm or Reverse Mind Map visual technique. 

• Implement your lesson with students in your classroom.
• Write a 250-500 word commentary on what worked well and what could be improved.
• Include any student feedback or noteworthy student products.
• Submit your lesson to your instructor via the lesson tab below. 
• Lesson Plan Library here.
• Use The Heritage Institute lesson template or one from your district.
• Share what you've learned with other teachers taking our courses by checking the lesson library box when you submit your lesson.  

OR

Use this option if you do not have a classroom available:

• Write a 500+ word article concerning any noteworthy success you’ve had as a teacher with one or more students.
• Please refer to the guidelines for our blog What Works: Teaching at its Best prior to writing your article.
• When you submit your article to your instructor, please also email a copy to Yvonne Hall THI blog curator and media specialist.
• Indicate whether or not you are OK with having your article considered for publishing on our website. 
• Submit your article to your instructor via Response field and the modified lesson via Submit Lesson.  
• As you submit your lesson, consider sharing it with other teachers taking our courses by checking the lesson library box.

Assignment #10: (500 Level ONLY) COURSE FORUM

 Read pgs. 183-221.  This section outlines strategies for visual note taking and shows several graphic organizers for understanding ideas visually. Listen to an educational talk (online talk, such as TED talks or other) and take notes on the talk visually. Did this work well? Do you prefer visual note-taking or written note taking? How might visual note taking be incorporated into your instructional practice? Upload your visual notes of talk to the group forum.

Assignment #11: (500 Level ONLY)

Assignment #11 -A:

        Read about the visual learning style  and take the learning styles tests. What learning style do you have according to these tests? Do you agree with the assessment of your learning style? Why or why not? Can you think of a particular student that you have had who you believe had this learning style? If so, did you use visual learning strategies in your instruction with this student? Write and submit a two page (500 word) reflection on this learning style assessment and these questions.

OR

Assignment #11-B:

Use this option if you do not have a classroom available.

•   Explore the books listed in the bibliography listed on 232-239. 
•  Identify two books in the bibliography that you would be interested in reading and find two additional books not listed that you would add to this bibliography.      
•  Write a 500+ word article concerning any noteworthy success you’ve had as a teacher with one or more students.     
•  Please refer to the guidelines for our blog What Works: Teaching at its Best prior to writing your article.     
•  When you submit your article to your instructor, please also email a copy to Rebecca Blankinship THI blog curator and media specialist.
•  Indicate whether or not you are OK with having your article considered for publishing on our website.
• Submit your article to your instructor via Response field and the modified lesson via Submit Lesson
•  As you submit your lesson, consider sharing it with other teachers taking our courses by checking the lesson library box.

C. INTEGRATION PAPER

Assignment #12: (Required for 400 and 500 Level)

SELF REFLECTION & INTEGRATION PAPER
(Please do not write this paper until you've completed all of your other assignments)

Write a 350-500 word Integration Paper answering these 5 questions:

1. What did you learn vs. what you expected to learn from this course?
2. What aspects of the course were most helpful and why?
3. What further knowledge and skills in this general area do you feel you need?
4. How, when and where will you use what you have learned?
5. How and with what other school or community members might you share what you learned?

INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS ON YOUR WORK:

Please indicate by email to the instructor if you would like to receive comments on your assignments.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING THIS COURSE:

Stacey Shaw, M.Ed. has years of experience as an instructor at the middle school and elementary school levels. She has taught all ages, from kindergarten through college in subjects ranging from English Language Arts and Social Studies to English as a Second Language and Spanish. 

Stacey learned a second language as an adult and understands first-hand the processes involved in second language acquisition. She has a passion for language and a track-record of developing highly successful ELL and Spanish literacy programs for second language learners.

Stacey received her Bachelor of Arts from The Evergreen State College in 1992. Her undergraduate studies focused on bilingual education, Spanish language, and Latin American Studies. She received her Master of Arts in Education from Prescott College in 2003. Stacey is currently working on her Doctorate of Education at Lewis and Clark College.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

VISUAL LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOM

Hattie, John. Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact in Learning, Routledge; 1 edition, 2012, 296 pages.

Hattie, John, Fisher, Douglas, Frey, Nancy, Gojak, Linda M., Delano Moore, Sara, Mellman, William M. Visible Learning for Mathematics, Grades K-12: What Works Best to Optimize Student Learning (Corwin Mathematics Series) 1st Edition, Corwin, 2016, 304 pages.

Fisher, Douglas. Visible Learning for Literacy, Grades K-12: Implementing the Practices That Work Best to Accelerate Student Learning, Corwin; 1 edition, 2016, 216 pages.

Fisher, Douglas, Frey, Nancy, Hattie, John, Thayre, Marisol. Teaching Literacy in the Visible Learning Classroom, Grades 6-12 (Corwin Literacy) 1st Edition, Corwin; 2017

TeachThought: We Grow Teachers: http://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/technology/50-ideas-resources-visual-learning/ This website provides resources and ideas for visual learning across content area.