LESSON 6: VISUAL SYMBOLS

Reporter: Jeff Morriss D. Madrid

Visual symbols are representations of direct reality, which comes in the form
of signs and symbols. The following is a detailed discussion on the different kinds
of visual symbols, which are drawings, sketches, cartoons, comics or strip
drawing, diagrams, charts and graphs, maps, and posters.

Rules of Thumbs in Using Visuals

1. Visuals must be directly relevant to the audio content.

2. Redundancy between visuals and audio must be avoided. If words are displayed,
viewers must be given time to read it.
3. Visual displays should be big enough to be seen by the farthest pupil.
4. Visual displays must be attractive.
5. Visual displays must be aesthetically presented to maintain good taste.

Kinds of Visual Symbols

1. Cartoons

Cartoons tell stories metaphorically through pictures, which need no captions.

Symbolism conveys messages, less words more symbolism the better. The cartoon
presents a certain issue or concern which could be either for or against it.

It is a pictorial representation or caricature of a person, idea, situation or issue

that is designed to influence public opinion. Therefore cartoons must be presented
in a challenging manner. For better understanding they should be drawn around a
single idea.

Suggestion for the use of cartoons:

a. Appropriateness to experience level. The age and the experience or maturity of
the target learners must be taken into consideration.
b. Simplicity – contains only the essential features. The cartoon must not contain
so many details.
c. Brevity of captions if ever but they may not be given any. Short and direct
captions are used when necessary only.
d. Use of clear symbols. Use symbols that are conventional, like; the dove to mean
death; the turtle to mean slow or sluggishness and others.
e. Adequateness of size. The cartoon should be big enough to be seen and
appreciated.
Cartoons could be used for motivation, for follow-up activity and for evaluation
purposes.

2. Posters

A poster is combination of bold designs and color primarily intended to catch

attention on a significant fact, idea or message. Simply stated, a poster is a picture
with appropriate caption.
Characteristics of a good poster:
1. It must be bold and simple but dramatizes features.
2. It must be appropriate to the grade level and to the subject and purpose and
purposes.
3. It must have only limited text, few words are generally used and key words are
made to standout by means of type size or position.
4. It must be attractive, pleasing to the eyes.
5. Design and color must be given consideration.
Composition, color and technique are principal elements in effective poster
preparation. It requires a center of interest. Color provides meaning and
expression as well as beauty.
6. It must have elements of dynamism and shock.
Posters are best used for motivation and for creative experience as depicting ideas,
concepts and generalizations to summarize a celebration or a unit.

3. Drawings and Sketches

These are crude and simple lines, which are effective in showing what needs to be
shown with sufficient clarity, to make the meaning vivid to learners or students.

They are drawings with no illusion of depth but a smart teacher can use them in a
very effective way in explaining and showing ideas and concepts.

4.Diagrams

Diagrams are simplified drawings designed to show interrelationship

primarily by means of lines and symbols. They are used to explain rather than to
represent. It is a drawing that shows arrangement and relationship, as parts to a
whole, relative values, origins and developments, chronological flow, fluctuations
and distributions.

The diagram is used to condense visual summaries of facts; the ideas rely
heavily on symbolic means. However it must be remembered that it is more
effective if it has a strong foundation because it works better for summarizing
rather then introducing a lesson. It can be used singly but it is better if it is used
simultaneously with other materials.

5. Charts

Charts are graphic or pictorial representations of a large mass of

information or show progression thru time and space of people or events, ideas
and objects.

Kinds of charts and examples:

1. Data chart – contains items of information pf all sorts especially quantitative
data.
2. Pictorial chart – use relevant pictures to present data or information on
quantifiable data over a specific period or condition.
3. Schematic chart – shows a principle or a law as applied like that of refrigeration
4. Diagrammatic chart – verb chart is popular example
5. Multiple leaf chart – internal working parts of a machine
6. Phantom view chart – shows hidden parts of a machine without obliterating the
outer parts
7. Development or progress chart – profile of a place or a person
8. Table chart – bus trips
9. Time and tabular chart – presidents and their term of office
10. Stream or tree chart – family tree
11. Flow or organizational chart – school personnel chart, life cycle of a frog or the
water cycle.

6. Graphs

Graphs present quantitative data for easier analysis and interpretation. It shows
comparative relationship of data involved in size, trends and growth. Graphs are
best used in developing and in summarizing a unit.

Kinds of graphs
1. Line graph – is the most accurate of all graphs used in plotting trends of
relationships between two series of data. It is used when there is a considerable
number of data to be plotted and if these data are continuous
2. Bar graphs – simplest of all graphs to read. They are represented either by
vertical or horizontal bars. The lengths of the bars represent an amount or
percentage data. It is best when number of values to be compared is small.
3. Circle or pie graph – the sections of which are used to represent component
parts of a whole. They always present total amounts, their parts or segments are
calculated in percentage or fractional parts of a whole.
4. Area or Solid graphs – use for the simplest quantitative comparison thru the use
of geometric shapes. It is used to compare two or three related totals.
5. Pictorial Statistics or pictograph – it makes use of related pictures in showing
quantitative data. Pictures give realism and interest so it is widely used specially in
the elementary grades.

7. Strip Drawing or Comic Strip

Strip drawings are recommended for their story value in adaptation of the classics.
They are affective in instruction not only because they are simple, clear and easy
to read but because they deal with materials that has been made personal.

Comics is a form of cartooning in which the same cast of characters form a story
in sequence of closely related drawings, designed to entertain the readers. They are
usually enjoyed by elementary pupils as well as secondary students because of
their simplicity, attractiveness, color and relevant plot. The uses of super heroes or
fantasy themes add interest to the learners. Thus the use of the comic strip in
facilitating instruction must be used to the maximum.

Values derived from the strip drawings

1. Increases interest in the subject
2. Individualizes and personalizes instruction for certain types of pupils
3. Serves as a valuable practice in reading
4. Widens reading interest

Reasons for using comics strip

1. It is easy to read so it encourages reading
2. It builds vocabulary
3. It satisfies the collectors’ interest in acquiring copies
4. It provides excitement
5. It is inexpensive
6. It satisfies the children’s idea of art

8. Maps

Maps are usually shown on flat surface and are used to represent the surface of
the earth or some parts of it, showing the relative size and position according to
scale or projection and position represented.

Maps according to content

a. Physical map – also called relief maps, they are the best because of their three
dimensional representation; which includes geographical outline of land and
water. Commercial or economic maps- also known as product or industrial map
since they show land area in relation to the economy.
b. Political map – shows national boundaries down to the smallest division

Standards in judging maps

1. Visibility – details are clearly seen and read
2. Detail – less detailed maps are better
3. Scale – marks are clear, dependable and easily interpreted
4. Symbols – not too many to be remembered
5. Color – should be used as an aid to reading it
6. Accuracy – in terms of its specific purposes
7. Grade level relevance
8. Print – is legible or readable
9. Durability – can stand several use

Purposes for which maps are being used

1. To enable students to understand both relative and exact position of political
units, land masses and political area.
2. To furnish information concerning areas, distances, directions, shapes, size and
relationships
3. To provide orientation and means of visualizing large and remote areas
4. To clarify materials
5. To provide visual basis or comparison and contrast
6. To provide means of regional synthesis
7. To provide interest and stimulation to learn more about people, geographical
influences and places
8. To enable students to trace movements, migration and distribution of people,
vegetation, animal life and culture
9. To serve as one method of study for recording purposes
10. To provide an ‘object test’ means for certain types of measurements
11. To furnish means of self-expression in unit and project study.

Points to remember in utilizing maps for teaching

1. Make sure that the pupils or students comprehend the purpose of the map
2. Promote or develop positive emotional attitude
3. Allow ample time for pupils’ first look
4. Make sure they understand map symbolism
LESSON 7: AUDIO MEDIA

Reporter: Jennmark Lefrango

Audio media can make several unique contributions to the teaching-learning

process : self study for non readers, realistic foreign language practice, stories to
stimulate the imagination, and music for physical activity, to name a few.
Casettes, records, and CDs are abundantly available in every curricular area and
are easy to use. To use audio media effectively requires an understanding of the
hearing-listening processes and thoughtful selection of materials based on your
objectives.

You can prepare your own audio materials, and so can your students. These
recordings can take the form of oral reports, accompaniments to learning center
activities, communication skills practice, and the like. By following some basic
guidelines you can improve the quality of such recordings.

One of the example of audio media is radio. Radio can help us to get some
informations and entertainments. Valerie Geller’s bookreminds you why you
wanted to listen to the radio when you were growing up. Radio was fun. The air
personalities were relevant and kept you entertained. Geller, a radio consultant for
news, talk and personality radio stations, originally wrote Creating Powerful Radio
as a workshop supplement. She bases her radio philosophy on three simple
principles: ‘‘Tell the truth. Make it matter. Never be boring’’ (Brenda, 2008).

On a general note, most media have the capacity to diffuse information, to show
colour, motion, systematic representation, simultaneous picture and sound. In
Gbodi (2004) Davies (1974) noted that, all media to varying degree help in
perception, understanding, transfer of training, provision of reinforcement or
knowledge of results and retention (Gambari and Adamu, 2008).

Sound and Hearing Sound is produced by vibrations that set into motion radiating
waves of compression and rarefaction propa- gated through a range of media such
as gases, liquids, and solids. Hearing occurs when these vibrations are received
and processed by the ear and sent to the brain by the auditory nerve. Sound
begins when an object vibrates and sets into motion molecules in the air closest to
it. These molecules pass on their energy to adjacent molecules, starting a reaction
—a sound wave—which is much like the waves that result when a stone is
dropped into a pool. The transfer of momentum from one displaced molecule to the
next propagates the original vibrations longitudinally from the vibrating object to
the hearer. What makes this energy transfer possible is a medium with the
property of elasticity—whether gas, liquid, or solid (Alten, 2014 : 6).

The Hearing and Listening Process Hearing and listening are not the same thing,
although they are, of course, interrelated. At the risk of oversimplification, we
might say that hearing is a physiological process, whereas listening is a
psychological process. Physiologically, hearing is a process in which sound waves
entering the outer ear are transmitted to the eardrum, converted into mechanical
vibrations in the middle ear, and changed in the inner ear into electrical impulses
that travel to the brain.

The psychological process of listening begins with someone’s awareness of and

attention to sounds or speech patterns (receiving), proceeds through identification
and recognition of specific auditory signals (decoding), and ends in comprehension
(destination) (Heinich, 1996 : 176).

Advantages and Disadvantages using Audio Media in Teaching and Learning

Advantages

Classroom audio overcomes ambient noise levels and distributes the teacher’s
voice at the same amplified level throughout the classroom. Every child hears the
teachers at the same level no matter where the child is seated. Reduce a child’s
sensitivity to distractionsWhen a teacher’s voice is amplified 5 to 15 decibels above
ambient noise, articulation and speech intelligibility are enhaced. Teachers using
classroom audio report less need for repeating of instructions, and fewer
reminders are needed.

Disadvantages

Students will not learn how to read as effectively (as they listen instead of practice
to read stories, poem, etc. Difficult to teachers to control device(s) use in class
(affects classroom management and especially time management). Teachers have
to grow eyes in the back of their heads and when mobile devices are used in class,
the need for continual monitoring and regulation increases. Inability to know how
to extract information from text successfully

The Example of Common Audio Format

The following five examples of audio media.

There are some advantages and limitations from those audio media (Heinich, 1996
: 180).
1.Cassette Audiotape
Advantages : Very portable (small and light) Durable Easy to use (no threading)
Can prevent accidental erasing Requires little storage space
Limitations : Tape sometimes sticks or tangles Noise and hiss Poor fidelity with
inexpensive players Broken tapes not easy to repair Difficult to edit
2. Micro casettes
Advantages : Very compact portable
Limitations : Not compatible with other cassettes Poor fidelity
3. Phonograph Record (Disc Recording)
Advantages : Excellent frequency response Compability of records and
phonographs Selection easily cued Wide variety of selections Inexpensive
Limitations : Impractical to prepare locally Easily scratched Can warp Required
much storage space
4. Compact Disc
Advantages : Very durable High fidelity No background noise Random search
Limitations : Impractical to prepare locally Expensive Initial expense of equipment
5. Audio Card
Advantages : Sound with visual Student can record response and compare with
original Designed for individual use Participation; involvement
Limitations : Most cards hold Less than 15 seconds Time-consuming to prepare

CONCLUSION Audio media has some advantages for teaching-learning process.

There are some audio medias which useful, such as : cassettes, micro cassettes,
phonograph record, CD's, and audio card. Each of audio media has the
advantages and limitations. The use of audio media are limited only by the
imagination of teachers and students. Audio media can be used in all phases of
instruction from introduction of a topic to evaluation of student learning.
LESSON 8: CHALKBOARD AND DISPLAY BOARD

Reporter: Justin Aaron Thomas Rondez

• The oldest and most traditional piece of equipment found in the classroom
• Considered to be so omnipresent that many of us fail to think of it as an
audiovisual aid at all

CHALKBOARD (used for)

• Allows for spontaneity , speed and change
• Can fit the tempo of any lesson
• Can be used to display important pictures and important clippings
• Valuable for emphasizing major points

DISPLAY BOARD (used for)

• Displaying student progress and projects
• Displaying current items of interest related to the lesson
• Posting announcement
• Decorating the room

TYPES OF DISPLAY BOARD

• Bulletin board
• Peg board
• Flannel board
• Magnetic board

GUIDELINES FOR USING THE CHALKBOARD

• Write legibly and large
• Use the chalkboard as if you were writing on a paper
• Stand to the side of it while writing and etc.
• Don’t talk toward the chalkboard while writing
• Draw a line in the middle of the board ( if the board space is limited)
• Organize the chalkboard ahead of time
• If you must be abbreviate, use standard forms
• Utilize colored chalks, strings, rulers, and etc.
LESSON 9: Three Dimensional Instructional Materials: Specimen and Objects,
Models and Mock-ups Globe
Reporter: Radney Limbernardo (Specimen and Objects)
Three Dimensional Media
- Display an additional quality that appeals to the since of touch-that is, a
tactual quality.
- Gives a right understanding of real things.
3D Instructional Materials
- Are useful in the event that real life materials are impossible to be brought
in the Classroom to provide students with certain amount of direct,
purposeful, rich and meaningful of teaching experiences.
- Are usually constructed to allow handling by the students, except does
which are too large, too costly, to rare or to fragile.
Contrived Experience
- These are the edited copies of reality and are used as substitutes for real
things when it is not practical or possible to bring or do the real thing in the
classroom.
Specimen
- Is a part of aspects of some items that is a typical sample of characters of
others in its same class or group.
- In biology, a specimen is an individual animal, part of an animal, plant,
parts of a plant, or Microorganism used as representative to study the
properties of the whole population of that species or subspecies.
Object
- Are concrete materials such as plants, animals, tools and artifacts used in
providing direct experience.
Advantages
- These are less abstract and more concrete.
- It attracts learners attention.
- Learners become more familiar with objects.
Limitations
- Needs a bigger stories.
- Prone to possible damages.
- Some object have limitation in availability and may not be easy to be found.
Reporter: Angelica Regalado (Models and Mock-ups)
MODELS – are scaled replicas of real object. Show the totality of a thing or a
process.
Examples: model cars, airplanes house, solar system.

MOCK-UPS – are a special type of models which are focused on a specific part of a
whole object and are workable. It is intended to show the essential parts which are
made detachable.

TYPES:
1. Solid Models – are mainly used for recognizing external features.
2. Cross-Section Model/Cut Away Model – show the internal structures.
3. Constructional Model – which can be assembled and disassembled to show
relationship of parts to whole.
4. Working Models – indicates how the things being represented operates.

ADVANTAGES:

 Allow learners to examine models or mock-ups which may not be easy in the
real object.
 Functional model/mock-ups allow learners to handle and operate.
 Allow independent study.
 Can provide learning experiences that real objects cannot provide.
 Can illustrate basic operations of a real device and provide important
details.
 Make classroom discussion more effective.
 Create high interest and permit close-up observation of how it works.

WHEN TO USE:

 When reality is too small or too large to bring into the classroom.
 When reality is inaccessible.
 When distance is impossible to bridge.
 When reality is too dangerous.
 When reality is unreliable.
 When reality is too abstract.