INFO-GRAPHICS AS A TEACHING TOOL:

Five or six years ago, Glogster was the new kid on the block for info-graphics. I was excited to use it with my middle school students and they loved being able to add their personal touches with stickers and colors. Now, the field has opened up and there are many tools than can be used to achieve the same effect and are a bit easier to use.

Why would I want to use info-graphics? How can they help me with instruction?

Whether it be 1:1 or a mobile cart, iPads or Chromebooks, most schools have access to technology. Technology is advancing at a rapid pace and we need to prepare our students to be digitally literate. The info-graphic tool can be woven seamlessly into your daily instruction. The simplest way to get started is with Google photos. Let's say you are learning about the life cycle of a butterfly in first grade. You can provide your students with images of the various steps. They could then put those images in proper order and then annotate those steps using a text box. Much more memorable than a worksheet and they are also using skills to help them become technologically savvy.

Butterfly Life Cycle in Google Photos

What other ideas do you have for using this process in Google Photos?

There are also a bunch of web based info-graphic tools like Canva.  While students can use these tools (because they are that easy), they are beneficial for teachers, too. Imagine creating a rubric using a tool like this. Imagine creating your syllabus or parent introduction letter using an info-graphic. I bet they would get more readers than a traditional form letter. Did you know that Canva has a ton of templates to help you get started? They have templates for class schedules, lesson planners, worksheets, and report cards. All of these templates are easily customized and will turn you into one of those "TPT" type teachers.

Images from https://www.canva.com/templates/

Hopefully, you can now see the benefits of using info-graphics for both learning, instruction, and personally. The learning curve for most of these tools is minimal. Feel free to share links to your creations in the comments section. I would love to see what you made.