Think back to the last image you saw. Was it on social media, TV, a computer screen, your cell phone? Or was it in a museum, library, or on a billboard along the highway? Every time we blink, turn our heads, or get into a car, we are bombarded with visuals. From stoplights to bumper stickers, we have almost become immune to the intended effects of such images. Yet, visual literacy is a 21st century skill and part of the Common Core Standards. Visual literacy is the ability to interpret, recognize, appreciate, and understand information presented visually.
Promoting Visual Literacy
In a video for the Toledo Museum of Art (see Resources), museum educator Philip Yenawine stated, “What’s interesting is how the process of education has taken people away from the image towards text to such a degree that people forget how to use their eyes for the complex reasoning that’s possible.”
Knowing this, what can we do to promote visual literacy in our art rooms? Modeling the use of art vocabulary during classroom discussion can set the stage for deeper conversations. Tips adapted from the Terra Foundation for American Art (see Resources) include the following:
Developing Skills in Visual Literacy
Providing time for class discussions about artwork enriches the art experience and can help to develop students’ abilities to think critically about what they see and ultimately understand. In a video for the Toledo Museum of Art (see Resources), Allison Reid, deputy director of the New Orleans Museum of Art, stated, “In terms of visual literacy and critical thinking, images can be very powerful tools for communicating messages, and people need skills to be able to interpret those messages and have thoughtful responses.”
Developing art curriculum that includes visual literacy strategies is not difficult, but it does take time away from art-making. Since our schedules may not allow enough time for deep discussions about artwork, we need to rethink our teaching to provide opportunities for students to engage in thoughtful conversations that lead to greater visual literacy.
Jane B. Montero is an art teacher at Creekside Intermediate School in Dexter, Michigan. MonteroJ@DexterSchools.org
Resources
Philip Yenawine, Toledo Museum of Art
Terra Foundation, Common Core Questions for Discussing Art
Allison Reid, Toledo Museum of Art
Art teachers encourage students to develop visual and digital literacy skills. Young students learn about Froebel’s Gifts and participate in a series of scaffolded lessons, elementary students explore the concept of unity in art-making and photograph compositional designs, middle-school students use surprising materials to construct hyperrealistic food items, and high-school students create imaginative Doodle Art inspired compositions.
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