The purpose of this study is to see the visual image as meaningful visual language and look for a way to educate the visual literacy skill which is learners’skill to understand and analysis visual images, through reading picture fairy tale. In order...
The purpose of this study is to see the visual image as meaningful visual language and look for a way to educate the visual literacy skill which is learners’skill to understand and analysis visual images, through reading picture fairy tale. In order to fully understand the context, picture fairy tale which uniquely composed of both text as well as picture, both items should be read together. That is why it is viewed that through instruction and education on picture fairy tale’s picture reading, visual literacy can be taught.
Visual literacy skill means the capability to understand and to utilize the visual image and this word is comprised of combined word 'visual' and 'literacy' each meaning for ‘the image and reflection’ and ‘the capability to read and write’. On contemporary society where the visual expressions are overflowing, not only reading the text and to understand them but also to understand and to interpret the visual image is considered as very important intellectual capability.
Since image also has regular interpretational system just like text language, it should be instructed through education. However picture fairy tale is short story book with narrative structure of both text and picture that form the visual literacy to use as educational textbook, it contains the educational value. In picture fairy tale, pictures are not just assisting the meaning of the text but also it contains own affluent and concrete meaning and also contains artistry, so reading the picture on the picture fairy tale raise the artistry aesthetic sense. Also by doing the activity to find hidden meaning of the author in the picture, readers can get used to analyze and interpret the visual image in the picture and those experiences can naturally form the visual literacy skill and increase the understanding of the visual image in daily life.
To do these picture readings, grammar of picture language’s systemization according to picture reading’element should be needed. In this study, the picture reading elements are categorized into three types ‘focusing on stories inside the picture’, ‘focusing on picture’ communication style’ ‘focusing on graphic style’and considered according to each element which attribute should be focused. Before teacher and student begins the picture-reading, if they are familiar with the element and method of picture reading, they are able to conduct depth picture reading and can easily grasp the author’s hidden message in the picture. Therefore through education, picture reading according to picture reading’s elements should be systematically instructed.
The theoretical basis of the method to instruct and learn to create the visual literacy skill through reading picture fairy tale is considered in two sides: contents and method. On content side, looked at ‘constitutional principle; where it viewed as ‘response importance literature education’ and literature understanding and impression has mutual effect and relationship and it puts importance on response of readers who read ‘communication importance, literature education’ and literature text which emphasize on communication on author and puts literature text as intermediation
Also on methodical side, during instruction/education situation when the students first encounter with picture fairy tale, through teacher’s “narrating¡¡” activity, grasp the story while read the picture intuitionally. Through picture reading, the activity to look for hidden meaning in the picture which are not presented on the text and make ‘mutual communication’ can respect each learner’s individual response and can filter failed interpretation and wrong response.
Having the basis of contents and method side, picture fairy tale reading instruction/learning model to create visual literacy skill formation has been made. Picture fairy tale reading instruction/education to create visual literacy skill is comprised of five phase as follow: 'ready to share the story - intuitive picture reading -explanative picture reading - deepening of response’ enlargement - internalization'.
On 'ready to share the story' phase, begin the activity to show the book cover and title and predict the contents and about author before reading the story. On 'intuitive picture reading' - listen to the story read by teacher and see and feel the incident in the picture and the movement, action, character’s description, background, ambience etc intuitionally before analyzing the picture. On 'Explanative picture reading' is the phase to examine the picture and through instructor and all students’ communication, interpret the meaning of the picture. During this phase, need to put importance on students’ free response and it is an activity to enlarge the pleasure of reading picture fairy tale and raise the visual literacy skill through activities of looking for the hidden story in the picture and interpreting them. On ‘Deepening of response enlargement' phase, each student selects the scene which best show the intention of the author and think for the reason why it has been selected this way and organize text and the picture of the ending scene. On ‘internalization’ phase, by summarizing the activity contents and by comparing the same author’s different fairy tale can give students’ aid for reading the picture fairy tale in the future. In reality on instructor/education situation, instructor can omit the certain activities and select right activities on his/her discretion depending on given time and environment.
As the result of applying the instruction/education of reading the picture fairy tale for forming the visual literacy skill, both teachers and the students, spontaneously, increase their visual literacy as they look at and the visual media and understand them. Furthermore, it became a chance for the teachers and students to newly appreciate a value and interest in the picture fairy tale while not only reading the texts but also looking over the pictures and understanding the intention of the writer. The activity of the students considering the intention of the writer, which is hidden in the picture, and coming up with their own idea from the intention brought up their confidence in reading as the students recognize themselves as the subjects of the reading. Although it was the only class we experienced, the instruction/education of the picture fairy tale for the formation of visual literacy was meaningful when it is applied in the actual field.
Both Linguistic Literacy skill and Visual Literacy skill are the abilities required to people today because the society today shows the people visual images and also linguistic texts at the same time while the communication focused on various images is increasing. Therefore, the learners can interpret and judge the meaning of the visual image along the texts using the picture fairy tale as a training material within the field of education, especially in Language education.
This study is to suggest the plans which can be applied within actual filed of education showing the methods and examples of the instruction/learning of reading the picture fairy tale for forming the visual literacy. This dissertation will suggest to elementary school teacher and students the method to form visual literacy skill and experience the method through reading the picture of picture fairy tale.