Changing the Lens: The Necessity of Visual Literacy in the ELA Classroom

Autor/in	Gilbert, Chris
Titel	Changing the Lens: The Necessity of Visual Literacy in the ELA Classroom
Quelle	In: English Journal, 102 (2013) 4, S.89-94 (6 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0013-8274
Schlagwörter	Criticism; Periodicals; Visual Literacy; Race; Social Class; English Teachers; English Instruction; Language Arts; White Students; Self Concept; Imagery; Teaching Methods; Stereotypes + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Kritik; Periodical; Journal; Zeitschrift; Fachzeitschrift; Periodikum; Literacy; Visualization; Visualisation; Schreib- und Lesekompetenz; Visualisierung; Rasse; Abstammung; Social classes; Soziale Klasse; English language lessons; Teacher; Teachers; Englischunterricht; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; English langauage lessons; Sprachkultur; Selbstkonzept; Metaphorik; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Klischee
Abstract	The author critiques covers of "Ebony" and "GQ" magazines in order to expose race and class narratives, and he encourages teachers to help students to become more aware of the ways in which other images "connote cultural information." Because of the prevalence of images in contemporary society, it is imperative that English Language Arts (ELA) instructors teach visual literacy to students so that they may become better able to reveal and rewrite the narratives of race and class that are inscribed in the innumerable images they unquestionably consume. Students are bombarded by still images projected online, inscribed on clothing, printed in magazines and newspapers, displayed in textbooks, etc. Because the medium of the image is omnipresent, it is imperative for students to be "visually literate." Although students access images through multiple means, the form of the magazine seems particularly suited for the promotion of "adult roles" because it is accessible (affordable and commonly shared) and typically characterized by an abundance of images. Once students have identified particular racialized and classed elements in each image, they could compare and contrast these images and then compare their conclusions to an additional, contemporary image that elicits questions regarding the representation of whiteness. This would be particularly interesting because it seems that many white students do not examine their own racial identity. There are many ways to directly involve students in the study of images, but the educator who pursues this avenue must be comfortable allowing for the construction of meanings that cannot be assessed on a standardized test or simply regurgitated by students. Such an intellectual exercise can introduce incredible tension into the classroom, but this tension is indicative of authentic student engagement. Students often adopt the attitudes that are modeled by their teachers, and if educators do not view the image as a text worthy of critique, it is likely that students will acquire this perspective as well. Without the necessary instruction of visual literacy, students will lose the opportunity to become critical consumers, and they will most likely develop the attitudes inscribed in the images they blindly consume. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	National Council of Teachers of English. 1111 West Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096. Tel: 877-369-6283; Tel: 217-328-3870; Web site: http://www.ncte.org/journals
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10