Visualization Project

 

You can also view the infographic here.

Why I made the choices I did on my infographic

Making an infographic for reasons to implement graphic novels in the English Language Arts classroom proved to start as a challenge to me. I wanted to implement lots of pictures of graphic novels, art, and comic strips. After looking at what I deemed to be a finished product, it all just seemed clumped together and unappealing. I had to look at the information I was trying to project: the statistics. The added imagery took away from my initial message of raising literacy rates and increasing enjoyment of reading. Instead, I choose to have the statistics themselves show as imagery. I don't want to pull peoples attention away from the information by having witty pictures of superman or batman. 

The Percentages themselves were found here and here. These would prove to be big service points in the field of literature. I wanted to spark a conversation about these statistics. The statistic about visual learners is meant to provide a speaking point about how students learn. Graphic novels contain both literature elements as well as imagery elements. The combination of the two should help visual learners get a more complete understanding of the reading itself. The statistics on the bottom are meant to show that students (and adults) are reading less and enjoying it less too. I wanted to cause a spark here at the end saying that things need to change. We need to have more enjoyable reading experiences in the classroom and those experiences should be vast and differing. By only offering standard prose, we are robbing our students of an actual representation of the literature that is out there.

What I learned through its creation

The creation of this infographic really caused me to think about why we currently have these statistics in the USA. Many of us go through regimented ELA courses from pre-K all the way through senior year. Throughout this process I remember reading prose, poetry, and articles. If I were to ask my peers, many would say the same thing. We, more often than not, are not exposed to types of literature we may enjoy. If a spark of joy is not instilled through prose, then that student... and then adult will go on their entire life assuming they dislike reading due to lack of exposure. For this reason, it is pertinent for educators to incorporate graphic novels into their curricula. To go even further beyond, students should be exposed to as many types of literature as possible. Reading is key in life, and by having our students assume they dislike reading, we may be depriving them of that skill.

The creation of those large statistics all brought me to the point I am at right now. I never contemplated graphic novel's potential to help lower the illiteracy rate in the US. I never thought about how many students are visual learners and how that may effect their reading. Visualization is key for driving learning. Posters/infographics are valid forms of learning. Creating videos/podcasts are exceptional ways for students to showcase their knowledge. Utilizing students' skills is essential for them to be able to express themselves in the way they best see fit.