In order to incorporate Visual Language into our lessons, it was important for us to learn how to use the physical tools at our disposal.  One of the ways we did that was to create masks for Mardi Gras using the draw tools in Microsoft Word and we learned how to use the tools in Paint by drawing one of our shoes.  Although these projects were fun, learning the use of these tools was more than just "learning" the use of the tools.  By learning the use of physical tools we also learned how to use symbolic tools, such as color, perspective, texture and composition.

One of the most important symbolic tools is color because color is what gives objects their emotional qualities and physical effects.  We confirmed this by taking the Mardi Gras masks we drew in Word and changed their color.  My choice was to take one mask and color it in shades of blue and the other in shades of red.  I felt the blues represented coolness or a sense of calming/peace and the reds represented warmth or anger/rage.  By changing the color of the masks I, hopefully, did what I set out to do and that was to evoke emotion from the viewer.

One of my absolute favorite projects, we've done so far this semester, was when we did graphic manipulation.  We were assigned the task of taking a simple picture of ourselves and transforming it into an "alter ego" using Paint.  I had so much fun with this assignment that I had a difficult time finding a stopping point.  What I learned most from this assignment was, it's not that difficult to take a picture you may have and change it into something you need it to be.  I did learn, however, that even if you manipulate a picture that does not originally belong to you, you always need to be aware of copyright laws.

Obviously, none of what we've learned makes any difference if we don't set goals for our students.  Incorporating graphics into lessons has to make sense with what we are teaching.  Throwing graphics into lessons, just because we can, isn't going to teach our students anything.  They won't retain the information they learned with regard to creating graphics and the real lesson we want them to learn will go in one ear and out the other.

There is nothing wrong with incorporating different types of technology into your curriculum, provided the technology fits what you are trying to teach.  For instance, video is a great teaching tool.  It gives students the opportunity to break out of their shell and produce something unusual and different.  There are many things students need to learn, however, before they are able to pick up a camera and begin filming.  To begin with, they need to understand the process of creating a video, such as the basics (who is their audience, what is its purpose, how long is the video going to be, what style do they intend to use).  It is important for students to be excited about this type of project, and one of the ways they can get excited is for them to understand that they have several styles to choose from.  They can do an Interview type video, where they are filming a "man on the street" kind of thing, or a News Brief, or even a Documentary, Training Video or an Advertisement.  The sky really is the limit and students should be given the opportunity to learn how to do as many different styles as possible.  They will find that the more styles they learn, the more they may be able to use video in their assignments.  One of the styles we learned in class, was the Video Essay.  Some students may find this more difficult than others, because it does require knowing how to effectively write and essay (this would be a great project for an English class!).  When doing a Video Essay, it helps to see examples, such as the one we saw.  Our example was an essay Ben Stein did a few years ago (http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3623803n&tag=mncol;lst;1).  Although the content was informative, watching the video again and again helped us learn how to use close-up, middle and far away shots, as well as how to add still pictures and other items to the video, in order to emphasize the importance of what were trying to say.  Our finished Essay, which we forgot to title, was not only a lot of fun to put together and shoot, but served the purpose for which it was intended - to show parents how video games can be useful in the classroom.

Which leads me to my next point; introducing and using video games in the classroom.  It is no secret that there are quite a few opponents (parents, administrators and educators alike) who feel video games are not appropriate for the classroom.  It is their belief that video games have no teaching value and are not a constructive way for students to spend their time.  What we learned is that video games do have a place in the classroom - they teach skills such as eye/hand coordination, experimentation (by teaching students how to step into someone else's shoes) and strategy, among other things.  Because of role playing and simulation games, I feel they also teach tolerance, which is not something we really covered.  I do feel, however, with all of the differences in the world today, a good role playing or simulation game helps older students, especially, to step into someone else's shoes and live their life for a while.  I wouldn't exactly say games like Grand Theft Auto have a learning place in the classroom, but not all video games are bad or inappropriate and they should not be ruled out completely.