By the end of this module, you should have completed the following:
- Explore what infographics are and places to make them
- Find TWO infographics that relate to something you are teaching and could be useful in a class
- Post the ones you find in the Comments section below
- EXTRA CREDIT: Make an inforgraphic and share!
WHAT IS AN INFOGRAPHIC?
An infographic is a visual representation of data. It can include text, images, statistics, charts or diagrams. Their appeal is that they are visually attractive and present large amounts of information in a succinct way.
EXAMPLES OF INFOGRAPHICS
This is an example infographic that explains all the things your favorite librarian does :)
This work by Mia MacMeekin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
The Daily Infographic shares out a new infographic every day on a variety of topics.
WAYS TO USE WITH STUDENTS
Here is a video on why infographics are an important learning tool:
Here is a video that looks at ways to use infographics as an assessment tool:
Infographics as a Creative Assessment from Kathy Schrock on Vimeo.
PLACES TO FIND INFOGRAPHICS
You are to find TWO infographics that you might be able to use with a class. Here are a few places to begin your search:
- TIME Magazine: http://www.time.com/time/graphics
- BBC Interactive and Graphics: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/11628973
- NY Times and The Guardian Graphics: http://www.marijerooze.nl/thesis/graphics/?paper=All
- Cool Infographics: http://www.coolinfographics.com/
Feel free to seek out your own. Tell us where you found it!
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN INFOGRAPHIC
There are now a few online programs that help you design your own infographic. These are a few of the best, and EXTRA CREDIT if you make one!
FYI: I've done a few of these projects with students and Piktochart and Easelly are the ones that get the best reviews.
- Visual.ly: http://create.visual.ly/
- Infogr.am: http://infogr.am/
- Piktochart: http://piktochart.com/
- Easel.ly: http://www.easel.ly/
I browsed the internet for infographics and found some interesting ones by Jeff Thomas, who has been an educator for 30 years. I liked this one on decibel level: http://jeffthomastech.com/blog/?p=10069 because it could easily be linked to logarithmic applications in my Algebra 2 class. (It is also a topical concern, with students listening to music way too loudly!)
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting infographic on this site was http://jeffthomastech.com/blog/?p=8452, which is a nice visualization of the national debt. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, and this really helps put the numbers in perspective.
I'm currently using Piktochart to experiment with making my own.
I did a couple lessons with students on these, and they liked Piktochart best. Can't wait to see what you come up with!
DeleteI found some very easy to read Infographics at Cool Infographics. I liked "Inside the Courtroom" as it gave a very educational visual of what it is like to be there. The "4th of July" had a great description of the need to be aware of the dangers of fireworks, and "Ahh Ducks" was a bright description of the anatomy of a duck ( everyone should know !) Because I teach so many diverse subjects I can excited about many topics!
ReplyDeleteI began to work on an infographic with a pie chart of how we spend our day.....but I got depressed as I worked out the lack of time for FUN once school starts! If I get inspired and finish it I will pass it on....
Becky....off to PEI Canada next week :)
I found some informational infographics, one on the scale of the solar system and one on tornadoes, a topic I am writing an activity on at teh very moment. However, both were at daily infographic, which only had the general url, not the specific to share.
ReplyDeleteI spent some time trying to create some, but was thwarted by my computer and/or my inability to figure out what to do. Sad.
On a pessimistic note, while I value the idea of infographics and agree on the incredible power of a visual for learning, I am not sure how these are different than posters. Is it just that they are created with technology?
They are basically a poster, another kind of visual that tells a story or imparts information. The difference is, yes, you use technology and that they are easier to share with others as they can be emailed, posted on a webiste or blog rather than just hanging on a wall.
DeleteI found two infographics at the Cool Infographic site. I searched for Mexico and came up with this link on water usage throughout the world which ties into our science curriculum. The second find was on biodiversity in North America.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.coolinfographics.com/blog/tag/water&sa=U&ei=pL79Ufq8O9Pe4APV34H4BA&ved=0CBAQFjAD&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNHi46YkOBC0Z0vkbLAUDita_HZdmg
The Time site was really interesting. I was impressed with the 200 events that have shaped world history and the 100 inventions that could change the world. I started to play around with Pictochart. I need to figure out how to incorporate other visual images as the ones given are limited.
https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.coolinfographics.com/blog/tag/population&sa=U&ei=pL79Ufq8O9Pe4APV34H4BA&ved=0CAcQFjAA&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNFTO1B1qXFvW0YWSUarCJJLebjktw