Tech Task #7 - Infographics
This weeks Tech Task is to discuss infographics - what they are, why they could be useful in a classroom, and also to make our own! This will be an interesting task. I'm daunted by having to make my own, but I'll give it a go!
An infographic is pretty straight-forward - it is a graphic, with information. The Wikipedia article for 'infographic' states that infographics are "graphic visual representations of information, data, or knowledge intended to present information quickly and clearly". Using images along with the information makes it more memorable and visually appealing, rather than just a long stretch of text.
I think infographics could be very useful in the classroom. I see simple ones as posters on the wall, like a rule reminder with a simple image. I could also see ones used to remind students of the goals of the class (ex. "I can feel the beat in my feet" for kindergarten, with an image of a child marching). I think the visual grabs peoples attention, and depending on the infographic, it may be able to break some language barriers for students. I say, why NOT include infographics and other visual tools in the classroom? I would say when I imagine an infographic in my head, I imagine ones that are still busy with words and not just a short sentences, but I think we need to keep in mind the age of our audience as well. Younger students would benefit from shorter bursts of information on a graphic, I would think. For example, the infographic above would be best suited for younger students. There are few words, and a visual representation as well. I think it would be better if it was a child demonstrating posture, but it suffices. This infographic describes similar concepts, but is better for an older student.
If I was to use the above infographic in my classroom, I would likely remove the section about the University of Florida masters program - I think this is just promotional material. I would definitely still include the sources, and the credit to University of Florida! That is important for the infographic. This infographic is intended for an older audience, and I would likely only use this infographic if I was in a senior years, maybe middle years teaching position - I think it's too wordy for early years. I would also remove the sections that are too focused on the United States, and not relevant to Canada, such as the green chalkboard section discussing funding.
This Tech Task, however, made me notice that there really isn't a lot of music education infographics out there that discuss things other than the benefits of music education (aka how it helps other subject areas...), popular music, or singing. Most of these are fine, but it does really bother me that music education (apparently) isn't valuable unless it helps other subject areas. I appreciate that the University of Florida infographic has a small section specifically for just the benefits of music education on its own standing, but otherwise it was really difficult to find. I also found there's not a lot of infographics I would consider kid-friendly enough for early years students. I think the best infographics for them would be about things like playing instruments or singing posture (like I shared earlier).
Infographics in the Classroom
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| Very simplistic infographic for younger students |
I think infographics could be very useful in the classroom. I see simple ones as posters on the wall, like a rule reminder with a simple image. I could also see ones used to remind students of the goals of the class (ex. "I can feel the beat in my feet" for kindergarten, with an image of a child marching). I think the visual grabs peoples attention, and depending on the infographic, it may be able to break some language barriers for students. I say, why NOT include infographics and other visual tools in the classroom? I would say when I imagine an infographic in my head, I imagine ones that are still busy with words and not just a short sentences, but I think we need to keep in mind the age of our audience as well. Younger students would benefit from shorter bursts of information on a graphic, I would think. For example, the infographic above would be best suited for younger students. There are few words, and a visual representation as well. I think it would be better if it was a child demonstrating posture, but it suffices. This infographic describes similar concepts, but is better for an older student.
If I was to use the above infographic in my classroom, I would likely remove the section about the University of Florida masters program - I think this is just promotional material. I would definitely still include the sources, and the credit to University of Florida! That is important for the infographic. This infographic is intended for an older audience, and I would likely only use this infographic if I was in a senior years, maybe middle years teaching position - I think it's too wordy for early years. I would also remove the sections that are too focused on the United States, and not relevant to Canada, such as the green chalkboard section discussing funding.
This Tech Task, however, made me notice that there really isn't a lot of music education infographics out there that discuss things other than the benefits of music education (aka how it helps other subject areas...), popular music, or singing. Most of these are fine, but it does really bother me that music education (apparently) isn't valuable unless it helps other subject areas. I appreciate that the University of Florida infographic has a small section specifically for just the benefits of music education on its own standing, but otherwise it was really difficult to find. I also found there's not a lot of infographics I would consider kid-friendly enough for early years students. I think the best infographics for them would be about things like playing instruments or singing posture (like I shared earlier).
My Infographic
Above is the infographic I created. I'm very sorry it's so hard to read! I think to make it any bigger, I need to upgrade to a paid package with Piktochart. Which I would rather not do.
I decided to make my infographic about careers in music! It is included in the Manitoba K-8 Music curriculum to make students aware of the jobs and careers that are available in music. So, for a few jobs, I wrote a bit about what the job is, if there is post-secondary school involved, and a few famous examples. I tried my best to have one man and one woman example - especially in conducting, it's hard to think of a famous woman conductor. But, it is important to have that representation for students. I think my infographic included a fair range of careers, but I also think that there's so many more possibilities out there. This will get the ball rolling for my students, however!
Thanks for reading!
Great job on your infographic. Might be worth paying and getting it printed when you get a teaching position!
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