Graphic Design
Teaching graphic design principles is important in order to engage students in conversations on digital and visual literacy. When students create technical visual representations, like infographics, they make sense of complex ideas in a format that is meant to be viewed by an active audience. Understanding the importance of font choice, white space, organization, color selection, and imagery allows students and teachers alike a chance to make something that not only looks professional, but is most importantly helpful or insightful.
Example
Teaching Slaughterhourse-Five has always been difficult for me. Students either get on Vonnegut's wavelength or they are completely baffled by the seeming randomness of the narrative. So making the whole idea of time travel coherent is key, and that’s what I wanted to build this infographic around. I’ve always drawn Billy’s spasticity on the white board at the outset of the novel, but now my students have several other visualizations to turn to when trying to make sense of the senseless.