Image Conscious

Images are everywhere. It is estimated by tech firstpost that there are 1.8 billion photographs being shared online everyday. Internet Live Stats reports that 2,699 instagram photo’s are uploaded every second. As images play an increasingly significant role in our society, should we as educators be valuing and using this exponential resource more effectively?

Images are often quickly selected in classrooms as an add on. Perhaps to add ‘a bit of colour’ to a display board or to ‘liven up’ a text. There is of course value in supporting text with images, but could we be using images in a more significant way? Are we utilizing this resource? Images have the potential to provoke and inspire students. A powerful image of a social problem can spark interesting debates immediately. The presentation zen website has some excellent views and suggestions about visual literacy. Garr Reynolds advises on the purpose of using visual imagery:

Visuals that surprise people, touch them, delight them, and support your story are best because they affect people in an emotional way.

Garr Reynolds, Presentation Zen. The Power of the Visual

I wondered how I could be using images in other areas of my classroom to provoke thinking. I usually launch new Maths units with questions to spark inquiry. I decided to experiment with launching a new Maths unit using just one image. My concerns were:

• will this hinder vocabulary development
• can mathematics be reflected effectively in just one image
• will the image limit connections to Mathematics
• is there an available image for our needs

I used the creative commons image search to help me find an image that had the potential to lead students into a maths investigation. I found the following image which I hoped would spark inquiry questions related to symmetry and the properties of 2D and 3D shapes.

The central idea for our Maths unit is:

The interrelationships of shape allows us to interpret, understand and appreciate our two-dimensional and three-dimensional world.

I decided to present the image using google slides. This was to allow students to share their ideas instantly and collaboratively.  After reading the excellent post by @tracyblair on ‘Visuals in the Classroom‘ I decided to also use a visible thinking routine to support the students exploration of the image. We used the ‘See Think Wonder‘ routine and recorded our ideas on the following google slide presentation.

By discussing each stage as we went through this process I was able to ‘channel’ the students thinking towards possible Mathematical investigations. As a group we filtered through the comments that we felt lead to a Mathematics inquiry. When we reflected on the ‘I wonder’ section together the discussion prompted some excellent investigation ideas. We created this poster of the highlights of our thinking routine.

Was Using an Image Successful?

I found using an image to launch a Mathematics inquiry was an effective way to begin discussions as well as assess some prior knowledge of vocabulary and understanding of shapes and symmetry. Students who are new to English surprised me by being able to contribute immediately. They were able to learn from their peers comments which effectively modelled sentences. Using an image also left the scope for inquiry more open. If I had begun with specific questions students would have been searching for my answers. The image enabled them to construct their own inquiry without my influence. And by filtering out the questions I felt were not relevant I was still able to guide the inquiry into a mathematical context.

Interestingly the inquiry took a slightly different path to the one I expected. Students became interested in the structural side of the tower and wanted to find out if different shapes also created strong structures. Our study of shapes is quickly becoming an engineering project. Let the inquiry begin!