Blog #3 Visualization Analysis

This project was an interesting one for me due to my age and the resulting lack of technology usage and familiarity. I thought that the way I presented my topic was the most fun for me and I felt that it would be fun and education for everyone else.

 As far as the images go, I selected the images that I felt conveyed my topic in an easily understood fashion. I also wanted to convey the seriousness of earthquakes and their after-effects as seen from a mid-western point of view. People in the midwest are fairly safe from earthquakes because there are no fault lines here. Ancient ones, yes but nothing active. It’s also not a matter of if an earthquake that big or bigger will happen, it’s a matter of when.

            Learning is a varied technique. You need to figure out what helps people remember information and present it in a way that they find interesting and engaging. We have always heard, that reading alone, doesn’t allow us to retain information for very long. We need to read it, talk about it, and then write it to fully retain any subject matter. However, if material is presented in a fun and engaging way, for me anyway, I’ll remember it better. Creating this visualization allowed me to tap into, what creative juices I have, and present the topic in an entertaining way.

This whole process has given me ideas that will improve my teaching as well as the learning experiences of my students by engaging them in creating their own visualizations about a subject matter in a way that will get them engaged and having fun. Just sitting there and listening really isn’t learning. Lattimer says that “true content learning is not simply about knowledge acquisition, rather it’s about constructing understanding”, and to achieve this goal we need to present the material in a way that they can understand and enjoy doing. She also said that “learning happens through student engagement with new idea and information that allows for the creation of individual and community understanding”.

To ensure learning, the students must be able to apply what they have learned to their current lives. This helps to solidify the concept. The Learning cycle, with scientific inquiry, fits best here I think. Because after all, scientific inquiry is the development of a question that can be answered through investigation.

As part of my presentation, I tried to challenge any prior knowledge someone might have about why the ground shakes during an Earthquake. I then introduced the material in a fun, enjoyable way and ultimately challenged their critical thinking by explaining that eventually there will be another supercontinent and why.