How can Infographics be used as a differentiation tool in your classroom?



The Moves Of Argument In Infographics


As teachers, you want your students to be successful. So what do we do? We differentiate our assignments to meet the needs of all of our students. Many teachers prefer to group their students heterogeneously, especially for projects. According to an article, on the verywell family website, Bainbridge (2020) describes the pros and cons to this type of grouping. A positive aspect to grouping this particular way is that it doesn't call for the students to have to go to a resource teacher. "Students may feel stigmatized socially if they have to go to a "special" class every day and could find themselves the targets of bullies" (Bainbridge, 2020, para. 6). Additionally, this type of grouping may be helpful to those students that may have social anxiety. They will be able to develop and practice their social skills. 


There are also negative aspects to this type of grouping. According to Bainbridge (2020) gifted or advanced students may feel as if they have to help those that are not understanding the material being presented. This can sometimes lead to the gifted students becoming bored or even frustrated. 


The chapter introduces the readers to a tech tool called infographics. Turner and Hicks ( 2017) illustrate different examples of how teachers and students can use infographics. The chapter gives specific details on the characteristics and content elements of infographics. I would use an infographic assignment in my classroom as a formative assessment. This way I can assess them in a more authentic manner than a multiple choice test. In my math classes, this could be an engaging activity to use when I complete my scatter plot unit. Pairing my students heterogeneously, will allow my left brain students to use their creativity, and my right brain students to showcase their knowledge of a the scatter plot. My infographic will be used as a template for the students as they begin their development process. The first few class periods will be used to begin the engineering design process. 



After the problem is defined, they can begin collecting data using one of the research categories defined in the chapter. Turner and Hicks ( 2017) separate research into two categories, "conducting primary research and accessing existing data"( p. 75). One category, primary research, is where the students collect the data themselves, from a survey or an interview. The other category, is the process of disaggregating the data and thinking about how it will be displayed in their infographic.


Infographics also can be used in a professional development workshop. They can be used to introduce new digital platforms to teachers, stakeholders and even students. The one I am including in my blog is just one example of how they can be used in a school environment for a math teacher workshop.

                                    

Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 15, 2020 at 12:28 PM

    This is Jenni Spradlin

    I love that you focused in on differentiation as your topic, and I really love your idea of using an infographic when your students are working with their own data from scatter plots. Turner and Hicks (2017) title this section you refer to as "A Word About Sources and Inquiry" (p. 75). Student inquiry is one of the key components of authentic learning, and allowing students to complete the research to their own questions makes the work student-centered. It is very important for students to be given to time see their own work as something valuable while also reading works from others, and I think this will help students understand why giving credit to other people through citations is so important.

    I also love your idea of using an infographic for teachers. If we make it aesthetically pleasing and easily distributed, teachers may be more likely to keep it in a place where they can quickly glance and find ideas during lesson planning.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Phillips' Fabulous FindsJune 15, 2020 at 7:09 PM

    I think you did a fabulous job on this blog. I love how you not only pulled in information for teachers to use in the classroom, but also for teachers to use in professional development. When you talk about using infographics as a differentiation tool in your classroom, it really hit home with me.

    My three children are very different learners and all have their strengths. I love how you brought to light that when you do bring different types of learners together, they can use their own strengths in the creation of infographics. This aligns with what Turner and Hicks (2017) mentioned that "student don't go to the library with a stack of 3x5 cards anymore, and we need to change our teaching practices accordingly" (p.77). As a teacher, I see the potential in introducing more digital resources to my students in the classroom.

    Reference
    Turner, K.H. & Hicks, T. (2017). Teaching Adolescents to Read and Write Digital Texts: Argument in the Real World. Heinemann Publishing.

    ReplyDelete

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