Improving Writing using Visual Literacy and Drama Primary

Improving Writing using Visual Literacy and Drama Primary National Strategy Visual Literacy – using images © Crown Copyright 2004

Resources needed for the session • Overhead slides • Video – The Iron Giant • Pack -- planning circles -- question prompts -- photographs/target sheet Story excerpt Primary National Strategy Visual Literacy – using images

Aims of the session • Increase awareness of current research on writing and visual literacy • Develop approaches to engage and motivate children’s writing • To consider ways of using visual images to stimulate writing • To look at practical activities which could be used and developed in the classroom Primary National Strategy Visual Literacy – using images

Image • What is the problem? • What happened before? • What might happen next? • How will the problem be resolved? Primary National Strategy Visual Literacy – using images

Activity ‘A walk in the woods’ Write an opening with this title Primary National Strategy Visual Literacy – using images

Findings from research about writing • Need for purposeful writing – writing which motivates is • • • purposeful, relevant and has an audience Move way from commercial schemes for teaching writing Genre based approach across the curriculum Teachers as writers: not only teachers modelling but writing for pupils and alongside them Teachers as talkers Perception of home literacy – what are the children interested in? Deliberate use of visual texts and visual approaches with explicit links to writing Primary National Strategy Visual Literacy – using images

Boys and Writing ‘Raising Boys’ Achievements in Writing’ (UKLA) • Continuing gap between boys and girls writing • Project designed to provide focussed and reliable evidence to show what raised boys’ attainment in writing • Based around a 3 week integrated unit of work integrating visual stimuli and drama approaches • Focus on attitude and motivation Primary National Strategy Visual Literacy – using images

Impact of the research – some findings • Increased quantity of writing • Increased quality of writing • Wider use of vocabulary • Greater use of imagery • Increased fluency • More adventurous writing • Improved attitude to writing • Greater engagement with writing • Greater commitment to writing • Improved motivation, self-esteem and enthusiasm Primary National Strategy Visual Literacy – using images

Teaching approaches - recommendations for integrating image • Integrated approach to speaking and listening, drama, • • • reading and writing – teaching skills and applying Changing perceptions of writing Link to children’s experiences and culture Developing a metalanguage for using film and image Highlighting and explicitly discussing the concepts embodied in film development Teacher’s subject knowledge Teachers planning creatively – 2 and 3 week units Primary National Strategy Visual Literacy – using images

How and when might still image, video/DVD be used? Shared reading: decoding understanding text analysis Gathering ideas: drama, still image, moving image Shared writing: planning, unit outcomes Primary National Strategy Visual Literacy – using images

Research shows that ICT has a positive impact upon standards Technologies • Video/DVD • Digital images • ICT texts/web based texts • Photographs/images • Sound • Electronic texts • IWB files Primary National Strategy Visual Literacy – using images

Making Explicit Links Sound Camera Lighting See handout - look at the questions and discuss Primary National Strategy Visual Literacy – using images

Explicit links made • Sound • Watch the excerpt • Lighting • Focus on your specific • Camera angle aspect • Make notes as you listen Primary National Strategy Visual Literacy – using images

Activity ‘A walk in the woods’ Watch the video “The Iron Man” Activity – ‘Target Game’ Primary National Strategy Visual Literacy – using images

‘A Walk in the Woods’ Return to your writing In light if what you have seen and discussed – improve your first draft. What did you change? Why? Primary National Strategy Visual Literacy – using images

Key emphasis • Exploring starting points for using • • • video/images How might this approach support nonfiction writing The need to embrace and understand the stylistic devices of still and moving image Bridging the gaps between moving images and written texts Creating thinking, talking and writing frames Transfer skills, knowledge and understanding between fiction and nonfiction texts Primary National Strategy Visual Literacy – using images

Impact • Pace of teaching • Media texts not used in • • • isolation Risk taking culture Shared dialogue Creative literacy sessions Standards Attitude Implications • Integrating technologies into • • • Primary National Strategy the heart of learning Focussed use of video Use of home literacies Seeing pupils as media resources Offering choices of access points Investigative and interactive learning Metalangauage Visual Literacy – using images