Viewing is a process that
supports oracy and literacy, and
is a part of an integrated
language arts program.

Viewing:
 understanding visual
images and connecting
them to accompanying
spoken or written words.
What can you see?

It involves
interpreting the
images for which
words stand and
connecting visual
images in videos,
computer
programs, and
websites with What can you determine
accompanying about the weather?
printed or spoken
words.

VIEWING
 enhances listening skills when students attend
to nonverbal communication and visual elements
of performance, video, television, film, and
multimedia presentations.
 enhances reading when students attend to
visuals accompanying print (e.g., charts,
diagrams, illustrations); specific textual
techniques (e.g., layout, colour, symbols); and
the assumptions, perspectives, and quality of a
variety of media (e.g., photos, plays, video).

Viewing was not a skill that was taught until
recently
• Students can learn to “read” the pictures, the
diagrams, and the tables, maps and charts.
• These skills will provide them with increased
information about the material.
• Many materials today can not be accurately
interpreted without the graphics.
• Many books relate stories that are
incomplete without the pictures

Visually Representing in the Classroom
• There are many •
ways to represent
ideas visually.
•
– Presentation can be
done by
• Drawing
• Photographs
• Formatting
information with a
word processing
program
• Video
• Multimedia
• WebPages – and web
based
correspondence

 Understands and
Interprets
 The student understands and interprets
visual images
 messages, and meanings (visual
representation)
 analyzes and Critiques
 The student analyzes and critiques the
significance of visual images, messages,
and meanings

1. Start by asking students to look quietly for
a moment at the work of art.
2. Begin the discussion with questions that
allow students to make multiple observations
and interpretations.
3. Ask students to support their
interpretations by citing evidence in the
picture.

4 . Depending upon the discussion, more
leading questions can be asked.
5. If introducing outside information, ask
students whether the new information affects
their interpretations.
6. Students can help summarize the
discussion.

TEACHERS ROLE
 Teachers should guide students in
constructing meaning through creating and
viewing non-print texts.
The teacher serves as facilitator, focusing
the discussion, recapping student
observations, modeling vocabulary, and
generating additional thoughts.
Select and use the appropriate strategies
and the language.

Before
o Prepare to view
o Consider what they know and need to know
about topic.
o Formulate questions before viewing
o Set purpose(s) for each type of viewing
situation

During
O Anticipate
and predict the presentation's message
and meaning.
O Associate what is being said with personal
experience and make connections.
O Identify the key idea or main point.
O Make notes to assist recall of the main idea(s)
expressed or the point of the presentation.

O Determine the difference between fact and
underlying message portrayed in visuals and
between real or imaginary images
O Use pragmatic, textual, syntactic, semantic, graph
phonic and other cues (e.g., the visual elements and
techniques used) to construct and confirm meaning

After
O Recall and summarize main points, important
details, and techniques employed .
O Relate what was seen to personal experience or
needs .
O Analyze and evaluate what was seen (including
elements, techniques, and overall effect) (e.g., critique
a video or drama review)
O Draw conclusions about the perspective and values
found in what was seen.

O Express and support personal reactions to and
opinions of the presentation
O Identify the strategies used to influence an
audience (e.g., exaggeration, one-sided view of a
group, jolts)
O Seek additional information from other sources as
needed or desired.

Defining Visual Literacy
•The ability to interpret the meaning of
visual images. Giorgis (1999)
•The ability to construct effective
visuals in order to convey ideas to
others. Valmont (2003) and Heinich (1999)

Visual Literacy should begin with Picture
Books
Children need others to ask the right
questions to spur on the skills of
viewing.
• Why do you think that was put in the picture?
• What does the picture tell us?
• What do you see?
• What is happening?
• TALK ABOUT IT!

Critical viewing
Just as in reading, writing, and
speaking, viewing entails giving
attention to facts, relationships,
inferences, and to critical analysis.

Critical viewing
 Viewer carefully to comprehend
and evaluate information
presented by television, video
recordings, and other visual
media .

Seeing – Thinking Activities (STAs)
• Most teachers are familiar with Directed Reading
Thinking Activities –DR-TAs
• STAs are the same sort of activity only using
visuals for the “reading”.
• STAs strengthen visual literacy skills and making
predictions from available information.
• There are four types of STAs
– Simple
– Single-frame
– Alternative ending
– Multiple frame

Simple Seeing Thinking Activity
Reveals bits of information as guesses
are made.
What do you think this could be?

Another

Seeing
Thinking
Activity
 What
happened
before this
picture was
taken?
 How do you
think she
got out?

Alternative-ending Seeing Thinking Activities
• Show two frames with an eminent
event. Discuss how you think the
event will turn out.

Show endings…discuss what you see and think.
• Do you think this is a good ending?
• Suppose he was not happy with his hat?

Multiple-frame Seeing Thinking Activities
What is happening? What do you think will happen
next?

What is happening now? What will happen
next?

What is happening now? What will happen
next?
Group discussion at this point about
possibilities.

Evaluate the predictions. Discuss other
alternatives.

 Picture Book
Studies:
Select various picture
books or illustrations for
viewing.
Through guided
discussion, talk about
the author or
illustrator's style, art
work, and other
interesting details.

 Gallery Walks:
 The teacher or
students construct
displays or
representations about
various aspects of a
topic. Usually a
student acts as the
curator at each
display site and
responds to any
questions about the
display.

 Drama and Puppet
Plays:
 presented by a
professional troupe
or informally staged
by peers, drama and
puppetry are
powerful vehicles for
developing students'
critical viewing skills.

Videos, Films, Television, CD-ROMs, and Internet
 to help students
analyze the visual
texts that students
experience outside
the classroom.
 used to extend
students' vocabulary
and experiences
 help students develop
lifelong critical
thinking and viewing
skills.

Assessment for Learning
Questions Level
of Viewing
based on
the video
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBPo0t6
9bi4]

1.What did the lady ask for?
o Books
o Time
o Food and drinks

2. I can tell the reaction of the librarian
from:
o Her body language
o Her tone of voice
o Her gesture
o The words she used

3. How can you describe the librarian’s
reaction?
o Disapproving
o Shocked
o happy
o Indifferent

6. What was the intention of using a
blond lady in the commercial?
7. Would the humor aspect be lost if
the
blond lady was replaced by:
(i) dark haired a dark‐lady
(ii) a (blond) male

8. What connection does the
commercial want to make between a
blond lady and the Mercedes Benz car?