Rationale for Use of Images
The use of images permits me to differentiate in my classroom. All students can be successful reading an image on some level. This is not true of written materials. To be successful with written materials students have to be able to read, comprehend and have a basic mastery of the vocabulary and style used. While it is possible to differentiate written materials, in my experience, the downside is that often times the reading levels are obvious. Some students take exception to the reading assigned to them. They may feel they are being treated like they are less intelligent, or they may feel that they are being punished for being bright. With an image differentiation isn't accomplished by providing them with different images. It is accomplished by asking the appropriate level questions to particular students and by having the students perform different tasks in relation to the image.
The students need to be taught how to read and evaluate images. They need to look and see what is there not only on the surface but also in the layers of the images. The students need to hear the voices of the images. They need to be able to evaluate the image as a source and determine its reliability in terms not only of the topic but also of the underlying message as well. How do we feel about Native Americans at any point in time? My use of the term "noble savage" in the title of this unit was deliberate. It captures a sense of the conflicted feelings Euro-Americans have had towards Native Americans. At times and in some ways Native Americans were idealized and glorified while at other times Euro-Americans demonized them and wanted them eliminated (Deloria, 1998:4). The students will use images to determine which Euro-American mood was being expressed. The students need to learn to determine the tense of the image as well. Does the story represent the past, present, future or a combination? Brian W. Dippie points out Native Americans are often remembered in a kinder light once they no longer inhabit an area but while they are present they often are considered a threat (Dippie, 1992:94) Therefore, the tense of the story will impact the type of story that is told, and the way feelings about the Native Americans are expressed.
Students are very comfortable with images. Images do not threaten them the way some textual material does. By using images instead of text I am presenting concepts in a manner that is less threatening to many students. I do not want to use an image and lecture about it. I want to use an image and have my students visually discover the concepts related to it. The use of images takes a teacher-centered activity and makes it student centered. The students become a dynamic and integral part of the lesson. They will view and analyze the images in order to bring the stories to life. They may even become part of the image. This will increase their visual literacy, utilize higher level thinking skills, and make them practice deductive reasoning (Bower, 2004:28). The students will interact with the image. If the image and the story is powerful enough it will remain with them much longer than the memory of a lecture or even a discussion. It is also easier for me to make connections when called upon to do so later in the school year. They are much more likely to remember when prompted to recall a picture that looked like. . .than remember when I or you said. . . Sometimes there is truth in trite expressions like "Take a picture; it lasts longer."
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