Visualizing Understanding - Blog Post #3

I selected an infographic, because I was given the opportunity to utilize pictures and text. I thought the infographic was simple yet effective. I think that, especially with high school students, they do not want to sit there and read information off a screen. Therefore, I included pictures that relayed the concept with text to simply backup the picture. The text and the picture say the same thing, but just represented differently. I selected this visualization, because it is a nice way to get information to the students. However, I also selected it because I can implement the dual understanding that there are multiple means of representation and how one way is not the only correct way. I am a firm believer that not everything has one solution method and to appreciate all methods that arise from my students. Therefore, I selected a visualization that allows me to engage fully with my students.  

I think creating the infographic deepened my understanding with the engaging of triangle types. I depicted the use of triangle types in the idea of what information is needed before utilizing the law of sine to calculate the missing side length and/or angle measure. I think it also deepened my understanding to have the visualizations (pictures) within the infographic. With that said, I was able to use my knowledge of triangle types and use that to implement pictures that described what information was trying to be discussed. I think that just having a teacher explain that three pieces of the law of sine formula are needed to solve for the missing measurement is not enough. The infographic gave me the opportunity to engage in differing triangle types and how it relates to which information is needed in solving a mathematical problem using the law of sine. 

I think visualization plays an important key role in learning. For example, I do not like to just read text. I think pictures are more exciting and engaging that reading words. In addition, take a mathematics problem for example, I need to see a problem being performed to fully understand and visualizations are essential in that understanding. In terms of teaching, I would like to utilize visualizations wherever possible! In mathematics, a lot of learning comprehension engages in computing mathematical problems. Engrossing students with visuals on how to solve problems, whether doing it myself for the class or having the class engage in a discussion at the white board about what visualizations they have come up with, can better a classroom environment. With that said, I view visualizations to be important overall, but especially in the mathematics classroom and will very much be implementing as many as I can.