Analyzing Visual Images and Design in Picturebooks

Select an image from Voices In The Park to consider. Use the following questions to guide your analysis.  Take a Screen Shot of the Image and embed the image in your blog. 

What is in fore-grounded and in the background?
Foreground: The man (who is voice #2, his dog, a brick wall, what appears to be a homeless man, a light pole, and two paintings.
Background: Trees, two tall buildings, and a fence.

Consider the path your eyes follow as you approach the image. What catches your eye first? Why is that element salient?
The first thing my eyes immediately catch is the homeless man wearing a Santa suit. This part of the page immediately caught my attention because of the randomness of him wearing the Santa suit but even more catching-the sign he is holding. It says "Wife and millions of kids to support". I think that adds some unexpected and potentially hard to notice humor in what was really a morbid part of the story.

What colors dominate the image? What effect does this have on you as reader? 
I think that the yellow brick wall dominates the picture. This could potentially take away from the subtle humor on this page. 

Consider the use of white (negative) space. Are the illustrations framed or full bleed? How does this position you as a viewer? I don't think that there were any misused space in this picture, however, like I said, there is potential to miss the subtle humor on this page because it is a small detail mixed in with much larger detailed images. 

What is the reality value or level of abstraction? Are the images life-like or stick figures? 
In my opinion, the images have a real-life feel to them. 

Are there any recurring patterns in the images?
There is a lot of use of the colors yellow and green. Although the book seems colorful, it isn't exceptionally detailed. 

Are there any anomalous elements? Things that stick out, or seem out of place? Are these important to consider? There are two random photos on the page I chose. I am not quite sure of the purpose of them but they are definitely out of place. 

What is the artist trying to get you to look at through leading lines, colors, contrast, gestures, lighting?
I think that the artist was setting the mood and showing how down this character was by using the colors he chose and the scene he chose. 

Are there any recurring symbols or motifs in the images? Not that I noticed. 

Consider the style or artistic choices? Are the appropriate, and how do they add to the meanings of the picturebook?

How are the images framed? Are there thick borders or faded edges? Faded edges. 

Consider the setting of the story. How is this realized in the images? Realistically? Metaphorically? Metaphorically. 

Consider size and scale. What is large? Why are certain elements larger than others? Does this add to meanings of power, control? The background is almost formed in a larger scale. I think that this makes you search harder for the important, little details. 

Consider the viewers point of view. Do characters directly gaze or address the viewer? Are the characters close up or distanced? How does point of view add to relationships with the characters? In this page, the characters are distant which I think, once again, shows metaphorically the mood of the characters. 

Resources:
https://www.google.com/search?q=images+from+the+book+voices+in+the+park&tbm=isch&imgil=qSLqRerWqBMAoM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcSs78NaIs2pWjrkCIgXCauksDCsHdiyoqen-T8CSk9sDxU2PB46uQ%253B200%253B229%253Bgww89SZ6qy0zrM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fthe-books-we-read.blogspot.com%25252F2012%25252F08%25252Fsallys-childrens-book-58.html&source=iu&usg=__SrP7ygvZnGwSYcoqJyAeOa7HpbQ%3D&sa=X&ei=nmewU73UOeXjsASk0oGwBQ&ved=0CC8Q9QEwCA&biw=1366&bih=667#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=qSLqRerWqBMAoM%253A%3Bgww89SZ6qy0zrM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F3.bp.blogspot.com%252F-HbD7i3fgBv0%252FUDbGlY9uHTI%252FAAAAAAAAAFc%252FtX4B1MRa6uk%252Fs320%252F18611501.jpeg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fthe-books-we-read.blogspot.com%252F2012%252F08%252Fsallys-childrens-book-58.html%3B200%3B229

Week 6 Reading

1. Explain why Voices in The Park is an example of a postmodern picturebook. 
    The most obvious reason "Voices in the Park" is an example of a postmodern picturebook is that the story is offering up more than one "voice" or side to the story. This story tells from different characters. The text tells us on page 81 that, "Postmodern influences or metafictive devices, for example, multiple narratives--where more than one character or narrator offers their perspective or story" (Serafini,2014).


2. Give examples of how at least three of the picturebook codes listed on pg 78 are used in Voices In The Park.
     Codes of Position and Size: On a few pages of the text, the character to the front are more clear while the objects to the rear are more blurry.
     Codes of Color: The page where the male chimp is sitting in a chair he is full of color and his surroundings are white and colorless.
     Codes of Perspective: The example I can think of for this is that in some pictures where the dog is the main focus the picture/lines creating the dog are very clear but the picture where the dog is not the focal point (where it is running in the dark woods) the lines/picture is not as clear.


3. Identify and explain the type of "interplay" between the written word and visual images on one of the pages in Voices In The Park.
    An example of interplay between written word and visual images is when the female (I presume mother) chimp is yelling for her child. The text says she begins yelling for Charles and then the picture shows her hands up by her mouth and her head cocked in what would be a yelling position.

4. Identify the art movement or technique that is being used in Voices In The Park. 
    Art movement is incorporated in "Voices in the Park" by placing chimp faces in human bodies.

5. Conduct an Ideological Analysis and Structural Analysis of Voices In The Park. What is the message? Provide evidence from the images to support your opinion. Use the examples on pg 86, 87,89. I do not expect your analysis to be as indepth but I would like for you to make two or three insightful observations about the perspectives and social context conveyed through the books words and images. 
    One analysis I took from the story book is that the family (at least the mother/first voice) believed she was in a higher class than others. For example, she was incredibly annoyed by the dog and did not like her child playing with what appeared to be a "dirty" lower-class child.
    I think it is neat that the book shows almost two different families that are from "two different walks of life". One family is very entitled while the other family is struggling the find a job but enjoys time with the family because it cheers them up. The first family and first voice is annoyed by everything but appears to have everything materialistic possible; the child just seems to want love and attention, however.
6. Embed a picture of the cover of Voices In The Park in your blog.

Resources:

https://www.google.com/search?q=voices+in+the+park+by+anthony+browne&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=gEewU6GsC7DNsQTO1YKQBA&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg&biw=1366&bih=667#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=_u2-nJO8RRWX2M%253A%3B5wiusaKTkMR67M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcache1.bdcdn.net%252Fassets%252Fimages%252Fbook%252Fmedium%252F9780%252F6137%252F9780613751414.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.bookdepository.com%252FVoices-Park-Anthony-Browne%252F9780613751414%3B200%3B215

Serafini, F. (2014). Reading the visual; an introduction to teaching multimodal literacy. new york: Teacher's College Press.

Illuminated Text Assignment

Three Brain Network

Recognition Network

Items I recognized:

Chair, table, people, door, pictures, coat, apron, children, hat

Strategic Network

How old are the people in this picture?

1 child and the rest are adults.

What historical period and geographical location do you think this picture represents? Why?

I am guessing that this time period was the 1930's or earlier and the people are appear to be Caucasian so I am assuming this took place in England or another predominantly white society of this time period.

How might the people be feeling in this picture?

It could be a family gathering so possibly happy.

Affective Network

What in particular strikes you about this picture?

I keep focusing on the man entering the room.

Note something about yourself that might have led you to focus on these particular aspects:

I am curious to know if he is a guest and if the woman is preparing to greet him or sit down.

Resource:
 http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/studio.cfm?t_id=10&step=7

Revised Multimedia Assignment

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4oDo9OEuMYVeGE3QmJsZDBmSzQ/edit?usp=sharing

In my presentation, I am focusing on domesticated dogs; how they originated and became man's or 'wo'man's best friend!

Weekly Reading #4

1. Copy and paste a quote from the reading that causes you to have a strong reaction (agreement, disagreement, confusion...) and explain your reaction.

"In today's world, visual images play a role in most everything we do."

I completely agree with this statement. I am a very visual learner. This statement reminds me of the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words". Pictures express emotions, heart, drive. I think of my students I have had in the past year that didn't always understand the mechanics of problems, but as soon as I drew an illustration for the process, it clicked for them. 

2. Why should educators care about multimodal texts? 

Educators should care about multimodal texts because they give what appear to just be "words" meaning; helping them to come alive. Multimodal texts are a way to reach a more broad group of students that need more than the written word to learn the text. Also, students rarely come to us prepared with a great deal of background knowledge. Because of the lacking background knowledge, they are not equipped to interpret and apply the written word. 

3. How is your definition of literacy different or similar to the definition of literacy presented in the book? Or how did the reading change or expand your definition of literacy?

The book's definition of literacy is- a set of cognitive skills that individuals acquire to function in society.

I think that the book's definition is very broad and lacking in explanation. Yes, being literate it very important if you want to be successful in society; however, I see literacy in the terms of being able to apply the skills of phonics, phonemic awareness, comprehension, vocabulary, fluency to be a successful reader and writer. The text did expand my definition of literacy by considering the angle of visual literacy which I am very guilty of forgetting!

4. How can visual literacy support the development of the kinds of reading and writing we want children to learn through schooling?

As I have stated before, visual literacy can certainly help the students who do not have a strong background with the five basic elements of reading (phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary).  Visual literacy can be used as a support to teaching literacy skills or it can be the main teaching tool. 

5. Find an online resource that addresses issues of visual literacy in education link to it or embed it your blog posting and provide a brief explanation of how it relates to this week's reading. 

I chose this video because it shares the ever-so-interesting fact that 80-90% of the information we take in and retain is from our vision. This makes me want to pay a lot more attention on the visuals I see every day! It also makes me want to provide more visual literacy; a great deal more!

6. Find an image that relates to the ideas presented in this week's reading. 

Resources:

• Serafini, F. (2014). Reading the visual: an introduction to teaching multimodal literacy. New York: Teachers College.
• Video retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjQ9rzk1H8U
• Visual Learning Style Characteristics. (2010). Retrieved June 15, 2014 from, https://www.google.com/search?as_q=visual+learning&tbs=sur:fmc&gws_rd=ssl&tbm=isch#q=visual+learning+style+characteristics&tbm=isch&tbs=sur:fmc&facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=18g4M2f5Yk_rTM%253A%3BqrHYmbHlLBXu2M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fmedia.tumblr.com%252Ftumblr_l16io9ekGb1qzi7id.gif%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcathyk.tumblr.com%252Fpost%252F535844654%252F20-4-10-different-learning-styles%3B285%3B150

Weekly Reading #3

1. Copy and paste a quote from the reading that causes you to have a strong reaction (agreement, disagreement, confusion...) and explain your reaction. In the article it states, "Further, Jakobson argued that the metaphoric and metonymic processes are not confined to language but occur in other art forms such as painting and film." This quote from the text made me think more than anything. Honestly, when I think of the terms metaphor and metonymy, I think of the written text; I think of what I learned in English class growing up. The thought of art and film containing these tropes never really crossed my mind. It will be interesting to look at art and film expecting/hoping to be able to point these tropes out now. 

2. Have you ever ask students to create a multimodal text? Have you ever created a multimodal text  for a school related assignment? Described the assignment. What were the learning goals? How was it assessed? Do you feel the assignment improved  comprehension of the content? Why? Why not? I have never had my students present a multimodal presentation. However, I have made multimodal presentation for a graduate class before. Two semesters ago, I had to create a multimodal presentation that explained the story of me becoming a teacher. To complete this assignment, I had to use the software "Photostory". I had to embed pictures, pick music to go along with it, and use very few wording on the slides to tell the story. This was such a fun assignment to complete and a lot of thought, time, and effort had to be put into it. The teacher assessed the assignment by the clarity of the meaning, how easily the text was to read on the slides, the amount and relevance of pictures that were chosen, and the relevance of the music used for it. I think this assignment improved my understanding of what makes a multimodal presentation great. 

3. Find an multimodal example of metonymy and embed it in your blog. Is it a good or poor example? Why?

 In this video, Beyonce compares marriage or commitment to "putting a ring on it". This is a good example of a metonymy because the phrase "putting a ring on it" substitutes for the thought or word commitment/marriage. 

4. Find a multimodal  example of  metaphor and embed it in your blog. Is it a good or poor example Why?  I chose the clip from Forrest Gump where he says "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get." I think this is a great example of a metaphor. He is comparing the unpredictable moments of life to a box of mixed chocolates. 

5. How does this reading help you think about the use of multimodal text to support writing and learning across content area instruction in school? I think reading this article reminded me and opened my eyes up to the fact that I can use metaphor and metonymy tropes without having to display them through text. This article also focuses on the fact that a message can be conveyed without having to explain it through writing; it can be conveyed through song, visuals, etc. It is a proven and known fact that students learn in all different ways and it is extremely important to be able to reach all of them through their different learning styles. Multimodal text may be a way students can connect to a concept. Although I will be teaching first grade next year and it may be too advanced of an idea to have them create their own, I could still use multimodal text in my classroom to present concepts and lessons. 

Resources: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m1EFMoRFvY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWzrIX5l0vc
Sorapure, M. "Between Modes: Assessing Student New Media Compositions. Retrieved on 2 June 2014

Assignment #4: Understanding Metaphor and Metonhymy

Definition of Metaphor: a form of a figure of speech where a descriptive word or phrase is attached to an object or action in a similar but not necessarily an applicable way

Definition of Metonhymy: a form of substitution for the name of something; usually related to the properties of it

Metaphor Example from text: The image of the Nike symbol and its relation with being able to run fast
Metonhymy Example from text: The connection between the Nike swish symbol and athletic heroes

Application of Metaphor and Metonhymy: I did not I apply the concepts of Metaphor and Metonhymy at all in my own PowerPoint. The information I added was factual and was without the use of these two tropes.

Metaphor Example: 

This example was perfect and an exactly the type of metaphor I think of. In this metaphor, shoes are called the "jewelry for the feet"

Metonhymy Example:

Ashley did a nice job with this Metanhymy. With the term "equal rights" my mind instantly goes to the thought of gays, lesbians, etc. so the color scheme she used was perfect. She also chose photos with American flags in the background. That was a nice touch. 

Assignment #3 Self-Assessment

Readability

• Is the typeface attractive and readable? I believe so; I made sure I picked a font that was easy to read and also a size that fit the presentation.
• Are there any statistics or other data that would be easier to read in a chart, graph, or table? No, there were no statistics in the presentation that called for a chart, graph, or table.
• Is high-contrast text, including boldface and all caps, brief enough to be legible? Yes.

Images and Other Graphics

• What do images and other graphics contribute? Do they illustrate a concept? highlight an important point? show something that is difficult to describe in words alone? If the images and other graphics are only decorative, consider removing them. Because I used my own, personal pictures, it was difficult to portray the fact that I have learned Shih Tzus have extremely sensitive stomachs and cannot have even a bite size amount of anything other than her regular dog food. In this particular slide, I could try to potentially find another picture from online. Would this be a better idea?
• Are images and other graphics the right size—big enough to read or to see the important detail? Yes.
• Do images have an obvious focus? Will readers see the part that matters? If not, consider if you can crop the image. After going through this evaluation, I think I need to re-evaluate my presentation to convey more of the message I was going for!
• Are the charts, graphs, maps, or other graphics clear and informative? Yes. Some graphics, however, served a clearer purpose than others.
• If color is used, is it appropriate to the audience and purpose? Does color direct emphasis where it belongs? Are too many colors used? I didn't want to use too many colors because I didn't want the presentation to be too busy and take away from the photos. Too much color also makes for the writing hard to see.

Content Learning

• How do all the formal elements, pictorial as well as textual and symbolic, contribute to your emotional response or intellectual understanding of the concept?  I think the power point clearly shows my affection and love for my dog. However, my presentation needs a great deal of work to show a more clear concept. 

Link to Multimodal Presentation:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4oDo9OEuMYVTTdzVHp1SDQ2NTA/edit?usp=sharing