Visual literacy refers to the ability to understand and create visual messages. It involves skills like interpreting visual symbols, thinking visually, and critical viewing of images. As images and visual media have become more prominent in the digital age, visual literacy skills are increasingly important for communication, learning, and thinking in the 21st century. Students today need to be able to both understand and create visual content across various digital platforms and media. Schools should focus on developing students' visual literacy abilities through infusing instruction of visual concepts and skills into the regular curriculum.

1. Visual Literacy Maria D. Avgerinou, Ph.D., O.E.T. DePaul University- Chicago, US NECC 2008 San Antonio- TX

8. (Simonson, 2007)

9. (Simonson, 2007)

10. (Simonson, 2007)

11. (Simonson, 2007)

12. Visual Learning

15. what is visual literacy?

16. Just like in a Escher painting, we think we know but when asked to look closely, suddenly the term Visual Literacy becomes difficult to define…

18. Theoretical Foundations of VL Hortin’s Model (from: Dwyer and Moore, 1994, 23)

36. Why do we need VL skills? Why be visually literate?

37. Braden and Baca (1991): The Purposes of VL Communication ( symbols , graphic design , etc. ) Learning PURPOSES Aesthetic Enjoyment Thinking Creative Expression Constructing Meaning

38. We especially need VL skills today in order to reach the… DIGITAL NATIVES! (term coined by Marc Prensky, 2001)

40. Behaviors of Immigrant Teachers (Jukes & &Dosaj, 2006) )

41. Behaviors of Native Students (Jukes & &Dosaj, 2006) )

42. Moving from Print to Digital! (Toledo, 2007)

50. Angermeier (2005)

54. Learning has changed from to (Brown & Adler, 2008, pp. 18-19) Learning 2.0= social learning + learning to be

61. Thank you! questions? comments? ideas? video-clips? cartoons? [email_address]