Using picture books as a teaching/learning resource provides teachers with a range of options. Students aren't turned off by them - they're quick to read and the images can be interesting, challenging, edifying and entertaining. In this page you'll find a powerpoint presentation explaining some of the ways picture books can be used as a classroom resource. Also consider some of the suggested texts to include in your classroom. For more detailed analysis there are several books that will support your learning and support your understanding of current terminology used in the analysis of visual literacy. There's also a program proforma that will assist in the planning and teaching of a unit based on this webquest.
A very good resource for learning about the language, forms and features of images can be found in Kress, G, van Leeuwen, T; Reading Images, Deakin University, 1990.
Some definitions of terms used in visual analysis
|
Salient image
|
What is the first object, person or thing, within the image, that your eye is drawn to?
|
| Vectors |
How do the lines within the image suggest movement or highlight particular sections within the image (include lines created through shadow)?
|
| Modality |
High modality is closer to a 'real' image while low modality provides abstract or expressionistic imagery.
|
| Gaze - Demand or offer |
Do the participants in the image look directly out at the responder? Is there room for interpretation of their gaze because their eyes are hidden or veiled?
|
| Contextualised/ or Non-contextualised background |
It th background saturated with colour or does it provide a context within which we can make meaning?
|
| Framing |
How are the images framed? e.g. look at the curious boy - the TV provides a framing device.
|
| Reactive/active relationships |
Who/what are the relationships within the image?
|
| Real/ideal |
Are we seeing a real or idealised world within the image? (Advertisers often use idealised images to sell their products.)
|
How to select picture books
- Look at the quality of the illustrations - do they demonstrate artistic integrity or style
- Search for award-winning books.
- Select books that supplement other texts that you will be using in class e.g. Tomorrow When the War Began and Norton’s Hut
- Spend time browsing
- How to select picture books
- Ask yourself do the pictures expand and augment the text?
- Question whether the images are textually, historically, culturally, socially and personally dense
Websites that might assist when purchasing suitable prose fiction and visual texts
http://www.cbc.org.au/ & http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au
Other useful websites to check up on educational trends include:
English Teachers' Association NSW
Board of Studies NSW
HSC Online
Australian Literacy Educators' Association
