Digital Tool 4 - Images

There is a natural progression in the way we process information: first the image, then the words. We run into trouble in schools when we try to reverse that order, when teachers use words and assume every student sees the same image.                                                             - Lynell Burmark

http://clifmims.wetpaint.com/page/Images+in+Education 

We have all been relating to images in education for decades. From picture books and posters to textbooks and now internet. Today, the 21st century is now demanding everything to be more digital including images (digital cameras, digital photo editors etc).

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and in education, it has become just as imperative. Especially if our students are more visual learners (explained more by Felder and Soloman). Visual learners are able to retain, understand and remember knowledge or concepts through visuals such as images.

Images are also a strong source for the learning theory of Cognitivism (which is the 3 stage model of the mental process of knowledge by the brain). According to this theory, the image is accessed by the visual sensors, the Working Memory organises the image for long term storage (short term memory) and is then deposited into the Long Term Memory Bank.

The image shown here was resized using MobaPhoto. MobaPhoto is a software where you can resize, crop and edit digital photos you have taken. I find it to be really handy for those restricted uploads.
For more information on MobaPhoto, click here.

This can be real handy if certain websites, wikis or blogs can't upload digital photos of a certain size (usually in kilobytes or kb) and resolution.

But you always have to be careful when uploading digital pictures. Some securities can be breached in according to licensing, permissions and identity protection.

In all KLAs across the school, digital images are capable of becoming very powerful visual activities to help and promote effective learning.
Here is a table of my two KLAs and what activities I could employ the students the be involved in.

Music	Business
Take pictures of instruments, pulled apart and how to put back together	Take pictures of what is appropriate business wear
Demonstrate how a stage could be set up	Show potential OHS hazards around the school
Take photos of school music events and recitals	Appropriate digital tool (digital camera) use
Show set ups of certain practical assessments	Uploading digital pictures to document creations

Here is a SWOT analysis for using and creating digital images in a learning environment.

Strengths      ·         Express creativity      ·         Visually engaging      ·         Powerful source for Visual Learners      ·         Ease of learning	Weaknesses      ·         Quality (resolution or pixilation)      ·         Appropriateness of subject or content
Opportunities      ·         Activities for student engagement                                    ·         A chance for student articulation of subject	Threats      ·        Online safety and copyright      ·         Image subject permissions and privacy

References

Fasso, W. (2013). Learning Materials; A Brief Overview of Learning Theory. Retrieved from CQUniversity e-Courses EDED20491 ICT’s for Learning Design, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=115326