Viewing It refers to perceiving, examining, interpreting, and construction meaning from visual images and is crucial to improving comprehension of print and nonprint materials. This is the skill to be taught as the learners are exposed on multimedia.
Viewing Helps student to slow down reflect and think about the images they are seeing and develop the knowledge and skills to analyze and evaluate visual texts and multimedia texts that use visuals. Viewing also helps students acquire information and appreciate ideas and experiences visually communicated by others.
Guided Viewing Principles and Practices (Hebert, 2006)
According to an article in the Gifted Child Today j ournal, authors Thomas Hébert and Daniel Hammond asserted that guided viewing is a tool that can be used to help teachers and counselors guide students towards problem solving and self-understanding.
OBJECTIVES OF GUIDED VIEWING Is to have students identify with the characters, reflect on that identification, make connections with the issues faced by the characters in the film [or television program], and experience emotional growth as a result.” (Hebert, 2006).
THE 4 STAGES OF GUIDED VIEWING F irst stage: Identification During this stage, parents help children to recognize similarities between the characters in the program and themselves. Second Stage: C atharsis is when the child starts to vicariously experience emotional reactions similar to the characters in the program.
THE 4 STAGES OF GUIDED VIEWING Third stage: Insight Th e parent might ask the child if they have ever experienced a similar problem and then instruct the child to pay attention to how solve the problem. Final Stage: Application wh en the child is engaged in independent work (such as school work) parents will examine how the child is operating to determine if they are using the strategies from the television program
Importance of Viewing Comprehension
Viewing is one of the most important skills in education because it is a way of portraying information in the record, thus, giving more emphasis on the importance of mental faculty that allows a perceiver to give details about the target that is difficult to get to normal senses due to time, distance or shielding.
Teacher’s Role in Teaching Viewing
Teachers guide students in constructing meaning through creating and viewing non-print text. The teacher serves as a facilitator, focusing the discussion, recapping student observations, modeling vocabulary, and generating additional thoughts. Select and use the appropriate strategies and the language .
Before Prepare to view Consider what they know and need to know about the topic Formulate questions before viewing Set purpose(s) for each type of viewing situation
During Anticipate and predict the presentation’s message Associate what is being said with personal experience and make connections Identify the key idea or main point Determine the difference between fact and underlying message portrayed in visuals and between real and imaginary images Use visual elements and techniques to construct and confirm meaning
After Recall and summarize main points, important details, and techniques employed Relate what was seen to personal experience or needs Analyze and evaluate what was seen (including elements, techniques, and over all effect) e.g critique video Draw conclusions about the perspective and values found in what was seen. Express and support personal reactions to and opinions of the presentation
How is Viewing Done?
Approaches, Strategies and Methods in Teaching Viewing in the Elementary Level
Pre-Viewing Activities Pre-viewing activities help set the stage for what the students will watch or observe, activating prior knowledge and preparing them to engage with the visual material. These activities help students anticipate and focus their attention on the upcoming visuals, making them more engaged and better prepared for learning. .
Examples: Prediction : Teachers can provide students with a title or a few stills from a video and ask them to predict what the video will be about. KWL Chart (Know-Want-Learn ): Before viewing, students fill out what they already know about the topic, what they want to know, and after viewing, they reflect on what they learned. Vocabulary Review : Introduce key terms or concepts that students will encounter in the video to ensure they are familiar with important language. .
. During-viewing activities encourage active engagement with the visual text, helping students to process and analyze the content while watching. These activities maintain student focus and encourage critical thinking, ensuring that they actively interpret the visuals and connect them with their prior knowledge. 2. During Viewing Activities
Examples: Guided Questions : Provide students with a list of questions to think about as they watch the video. Note-taking : Encourage students to take notes on key details or concepts while viewing, which helps reinforce attention and retention. Pause and Discuss : The teacher pauses the video at key moments to discuss or clarify complex concepts or ask questions.
3. Post-Viewing Activities Post-viewing activities allow students to reflect on and process the information they just viewed. They help reinforce understanding and promote deeper analysis. These activities enhance comprehension and retention by encouraging students to reflect, analyze, and synthesize the information they viewed.
Examples: Summarization : Students are asked to summarize the main points or key ideas of the video in their own words. Discussion : Hold a class or group discussion about the video’s content, asking for students' interpretations or emotional reactions. Graphic Organizers : Use tools such as Venn diagrams or concept maps to visually organize and analyze the relationships between ideas presented in the video.
4. Think Aloud Think Aloud is a strategy where teachers or students verbalize their thoughts as they engage with a visual text. This helps learners become more aware of their thinking processes and model critical thinking. This strategy fosters metacognitive skills, teaching students how to critically analyze visual content by making their thinking process explicit.
Examples: Teacher Modeling : The teacher views a visual, such as an image or video, and narrates their thought process. For instance, "I see that the character looks sad, maybe because of what happened in the previous scene." Student Participation : Students can take turns verbalizing their thoughts while watching a video or looking at a picture, explaining why they notice certain details.
5. 3C’s and 3S’s The 3C's and 3S's method is a visual analysis strategy used to decode meaning from visual texts. The 3C's stand for Color, Character, and Composition, while the 3S's stand for Story, Setting, and Symbols. This strategy encourages detailed visual analysis and critical thinking about the elements of design, narrative, and symbolism.
3C’s Examples: Color : Students analyze how colors are used in a video or image to convey mood or meaning. Character : Students focus on how characters are portrayed visually, including facial expressions and body language. Composition : Students examine how the visual elements are arranged in the frame and what that arrangement suggests.
3S’s Examples: Story : Students identify the story or narrative conveyed by the visual text. Setting : Students consider how the setting influences the meaning or mood of the visual. Symbols : Students analyze any symbols or imagery that have a deeper meaning in the visual.
6. Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) is a method that promotes inquiry-based learning through visual art and imagery. It encourages students to observe closely, ask questions, and engage in group discussions. VTS develops students' critical thinking, observation, and communication skills as they explore multiple interpretations of visual stimuli.
Examples: Open-Ended Questions : The teacher shows an image or painting and asks, "What is going on in this picture?" and "What do you see that makes you say that?" Group Discussion : Students share their interpretations, and the teacher facilitates by guiding the conversation without giving direct answers.
7. Gallery Walk A Gallery Walk is a collaborative strategy where students move around the classroom to observe visual texts or materials displayed on the walls. It promotes active learning and discussion. This strategy fosters movement and interaction, encouraging students to engage with visual content in a collaborative and exploratory way.
Examples: Visual Stations : The teacher places different images, diagrams, or charts related to the lesson at various stations around the room. Students walk around, make observations, and jot down reflections or questions. Peer Discussion : After viewing the visuals, students can share their observations with classmates and discuss what they learned.
8 . Jigsaw Viewing Jigsaw Viewing is a cooperative learning technique where students watch different parts of a video or visual text and then share their observations with each other, combining their insights to understand the full story. This strategy promotes teamwork and ensures that students actively engage with the visual content, learning from their peers as they piece together the full narrative. .
Examples: Dividing Content : The teacher divides a video into several segments and assigns each group a different part to watch. After viewing, groups come together to share and discuss what they learned. Synthesis : Each group synthesizes the information they gathered and presents a complete picture of the entire video content. .
9. See, Think, Wonder This strategy encourages students to carefully observe visuals, think about their meaning, and generate questions about them. It encourages curiosity and deep thinking. This approach fosters curiosity, observation, and deeper critical thinking about visual content, prompting students to ask meaningful questions. .
Examples: See : Students begin by describing what they “see” in an image or video. For example, "I see a mountain in the background." Think : Students then express what they “think” is happening or being communicated. "I think this is a peaceful scene because of the colors and the calm expressions." Wonder : Finally, students “wonder” about what they don't know. "I wonder why the person in the picture looks sad?"
10. Storyboard Creation Storyboard creation involves students summarizing a visual text, such as a video or story, by creating a sequence of images or illustrations that represent the key events or concepts. Storyboarding reinforces comprehension by encouraging students to break down and visually represent a narrative or concept, helping them organize and summarize the information they viewed.
Examples: Creating a Sequence : After watching a short video or listening to a story, students create a storyboard by drawing 4-6 frames that outline the main events or ideas. Visual Summaries : Students can use basic sketches or stick figures to convey the progression of the plot or concept, adding short descriptions underneath each frame.
These strategies and approaches provide a comprehensive framework for teaching the viewing macro skill, helping students engage with and critically analyze visual texts. By using a combination of pre-viewing, during-viewing, and post-viewing activities, teachers can enhance students' visual literacy, critical thinking, and communication skills.
ACTIVITIES
Activity 1: 4 PICTS ONE WORD
Activity 2: SPOT THE DIFFERENCE Visual Thinking Strategies It encourages students to observe closely, ask questions, and engage in group discussions See, Think, Wonder . This approach fosters curiosity, observation, and deeper critical thinking about visual content
Activity 3: Visual Memory Game Chunking - Break down information into smaller, manageable chunks. For example, if you’re trying to remember a sequence of numbers, group them into sets of two or three. 3C’s and 3S’s- This strategy encourages detailed visual analysis and critical thinking about the elements of design, narrative, and symbolism