education

Visual Instruction Plans: Word-diagrams to Support Writing

Visual Instruction Plans: Word-diagrams to Support Writing

A Visual Instruction Plan (VIP) is a set of visual prompts that provide a clear step-by-step outline of what students have to do to complete a procedure or process. They are much like the instructions you receive with IKEA flat-pack furniture — they have limited words, use diagrams and have simple steps to follow. Learn how they can be used in class to support students with analytical writing.

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Teaching with Keynote: #3 Scaffold Screen-recorded Tutorials

 Teaching with Keynote: #3 Scaffold Screen-recorded Tutorials

Students can combine Keynote slides and screen recordings to create tutorial videos. To do this, provide a simple structure for students to follow by making a clear scaffold in Keynote. Screen-recordings are a simple and effective way for teachers to see and hear what students know about a topic. Provide blank slides for students to drop in their recordings.

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Teaching with Keynote: #2 Document a Process

Teaching with Keynote: #2 Document a Process

Students can use Keynote to document a process with photographs. For example, students could show the process of photosynthesis, the process of building a bed-side table or the process of throwing a cricket ball. An image (or short video) on each slide supported with audio narration and text help children consolidate their understanding. 

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Teaching with Keynote: #1 Annotate & Animate

Teaching with Keynote: #1 Annotate & Animate

Students can use Keynote to animate their hand-written notes on top of an image and then add audio to explain their understanding. As we know from cognitive science, a combination of visual and verbal information allows students to retain information more effectively. Here’s a screen-shot example from a Science class.

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