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The ASIDE Blog

Educating children to think like a designer can transform the way they learn.

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  • Why Design Matters
  • The Visual Classroom
  • Resources
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theASIDEblog
  • Home
  • Why Design Matters
  • The Visual Classroom
  • Resources
  • Media
  • About the Authors
  • Social Media Feed
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    • Where Learning Meets Design: Taking Control Of The Visual Classroom

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    • Why Design Matters

      "Visual literacy is about learning to look; visual thinking is about learning to design."

      Our Philosophy

      One of the touchstones of the design world is the unity of form and function. This “big picture / small picture” harmony is an equally crucial lesson for learners of all ages. Whereas art is something we look at, design is something we use everyday. It gives context to content and supports the relationship between the two. Good design of information delivers content that is engaging to the eye without becoming a distraction. It guides our attention through carefully controlled and selected visual components; it retreats to the background, enabling the purpose of the finished product to come forward.

       

      The ubiquity of handheld devices and learning media means that every educator (and student) makes daily choices in how to shape content. The prominence of visual stimuli places a heightened emphasis on the design of information and the broad reach of its effectiveness. The skills of graphicacy help learners see how cognition and perception can have real-world impacts on critical thought and creativity.

      Our Guiding Principles

      • Visual thinking and visual literacy represent crucial tools in a contemporary teacher's toolbox.
      • Hands-on applications of visual design practices enhance the value of learning materials and student creations.
      • Resources and real-world examples can help educators craft rich learning tools for student engagement.
    • The Visual Classroom

      "Thinking like a designer can change the way students learn."

    • Resources

      Learning Materials For Educators

      Graphicacy

      Visual Communication Skills

      Graphicacy Scholarship

      Graphicacy = Visual Literacy + Visual Thinking

      Graphicacy And Teaching The Art Of Seeing

      Graphicacy: The Neglected Fourth "R"

      Graphicacy: Deciphering the Code

      Graphicacy - The Key To Visual Thinking In A Differentiated Classroom

      Graphicacy: 4 Steps To Understanding An Image

      Info-graphicacy: Saving Visually Self-Destructive Students

      Literacy, Numeracy, Graphicacy

       

      Designing Information

      Visual Problem Solving

      Tips For Great Design

      Design Is A Method Of Problem Solving

      Visual Thinking: Where Learning Meets Design

      10 Commandments Of Visual Communication

      Design Principles For Students As They Create Visual Projects And Digital Stories

      Motivation Poster Designs With Free Templates

      How To Create The Ultimate PowerPoint Presentation

      Why Design Matters For Educators And Learners

       

      Visual Thinking

      Encoding Graphic Representations

      How To Teach Visual Thinking – 5 Strategies From Around The Web

      Visual Content Completes the ARC: The Value Of Appeal, Retention, and Comprehension

      Doodling & Visual Thinking: A Case For Paper

      Sketchnoting, Mapping, And Making Enhance The Visual Thinking Process

      Maps Vs. Mapping: Visualizing History & Geography

      Infographics

      Complex Information Made Simpler

      Teaching With Infographics

      If The World Were ... An Infographic

      Seeing Is Believing: Visual vs Linear Content

      Show and Tell: Visual vs Linear

      Words, Pictures, Numbers, WOW! – 2nd Grade Infographics Attract Attention

      Media Literacy And Graphicacy: 4th Graders Pitch Their States

      Creating Infographics With Young Learners

       

      Sketchnotes

      Connecting Visual Cues With Content

      Sketchnotes & Visual Thinking: A Different Way of Note-taking

      Sketchnotes: Visual Notetaking Made Simple

      Sketchnotes: Visually Mapping Ideas

      2nd Graders Go Wild For Sketchnotes

      Sketchnotes – Visual Note-taking In 3rd Grade

      4th Grade Sketchnotes, Visual Mapping, And Primary Sources

       

      Animation And Video

      An Input Stream For Learning

      Student Projects In MySimpleShow - Explainer Videos Have Never Been So Easy To Create

      NYSCATE 2016 Student Videos & Animations Empower Creativity

      Create Your Own Motion Graphics - Adobe's App For Making Explainer Videos Is Child's Play

      Renderforest: An Amazing Tool For Students & Teachers To Create Motion Graphic Videos

      The Power Of Student-Made Videos - Easy Apps For Projects & Primary Sources

      YouTube Channel - Patricia Russac
      YouTube Channel - Mercer Hall

      Typography

      Text Choices Make A Difference

      Design 101 For Educators: 5 Simple Typography Tips

      Beginner's Guide To Pairing Fonts

      Fun With Fonts or Teaching Typefaces As Tools

      Why Teachers Should Care About Typography

      Why Students Should Care About Typography

      Best Practices of Combining Typefaces

      The Do's And Dont's Of Typography

      New Typography of Language

      Visual Letters: Language In Motion

      Spelling With Flickr

    • Media

      Motion Graphics Make Excellent Visual Tools

      The Value Of Data Visualization

      This motion graphic describes how design takes advantage of preattentive attributes.

      What Is Graphicacy?

      This motion graphic emphasizes the need for graphicacy instruction.

      Visual Thinking: Writing With Pictures

      Text and visual pairings can inspire keen connections in the learning process.

      Literacy, Numeracy, Graphicacy

      Visual images can bring clarity to communication.

    • About the Authors

      We welcome your comments and feedback. Please get in touch.

      Mercer Hall

      Middle School History Teacher

      Buckley Country Day School

      @BCDS_History_78

      Mercer Hall is a a five-time honoree as Teacher Of The Year, a co-founder of The ASIDE Blog, and an education writer. Follow @theASIDEblog.

      Patricia Russac

      Librarian and Middle School History Teacher

      Buckley Country Day School

      @BCDS_History_56

      Patricia Russac is a co-founder of The ASIDE Blog, a TED Educator, a PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovator, and a NAIS Teacher of the Future. Follow @theASIDEblog.

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