Technology can help differentiate instruction for different learners. This is especially so for visual learners — the many kids who learn better through pictures than words. Infographics and data visualization are two main tools for presenting complex materials visually.
Here’s a YouTube video explaining Infographics. Though the video promotes business uses in particular, Infographics’ potential for education is huge and clear.
So, how would infographics and data visualization fit into elementary school guidance lessons? Here are some I can show to grade 4-5 students, for information sharing and putting their technology use in perspective.
Cell Phone Usage Infographics: Grade 4 students really get into texting, and I thought this might be interesting
Video Gaming Statistics: Kids, especially boys, love to talk about gaming. In guidance class we spend time sharing and talking about our favorite games.
*I wish Japan sale didn’t get written as “JAP”. I could use this as a teachable moment, I guess.
The Music Industry and OnLine Piracy: Downloading music legally is another favorite topic of upper elementary school kids, but explaining how the music industry works gets arcane and obscure. This visual will definitely help.
From here on I will track Infographics and Data Visualization closely. Do you have recommendations for a site that caters to elementary school students?
Last Thought…… There doesn’t seem to be any information about how Infographic statistics are compiled: measures used to collect data, sample sizes etc. Are they really valid, and how can we find out?
