Journal 3

Krauss, J. (2012). More than words can say: Infographics. Learning and leading with technology, 39(5), 10-14. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/February-2012.aspx.

Summary

Krauss gives a rough explanation of what infographics are, and provides examples of how computational thinking skills can and should be used within a classroom setting. As a future high school English teacher, I was concerned that infographics would not be applicable to my own classroom, but Krauss addressed these concerns immediately. Any kind of data, from statistics, to networking website data, to characters within a novel, can be expressed through computational thinking skills. The students can then take this information and transform it into an infographic to better understand the material. Krauss continues on to provide specific lesson plans that educators could make their own and use in educational settings. She also lists wider ideas for lesson plans to promote imagination including an interactive map, a visualization of time-travel plots, and representations of the history of bankruptcies. There are three simple steps to follow when creating an infographic: get an idea, sketch it out, and collect the data. Krauss also provides essential information regarding the rules of infographic making. There must be an ultimate purpose for the infographic- to answer a question, or provide specific data. Krauss expresses the importance of using valid and up to date sources to ensure that one is providing accurate information. One must also be sure that the infographics are clear and easy to read, so that the viewers understand the material with ease.

Question 1: What is an example of a lesson plan I could use in my classroom encouraging students to use infographics?
Students would be assigned a reading assignment, and then compare character or scenes in the novel using infographics. The students would likely be more excited about learning this information because it is visually appealing, and they would have control over how it looks when presented to the rest of the classroom.

Question 2: Can infographics be used for all subjects in an education setting?
I definitely can imagine infographics becoming a part of every classroom at all grade levels and in every subject. I think the hardest class to incorporate infographics would be math, but even then, data is involved in most math classes and can easily be understood through the use of infographics. Using infographics for word problems at a younger age might make them more exciting, as well.