Picture Smart

What is picture smart?

Picture smart people work well with images and spacial issues. This can cover a range of topics from art to cartography.

Permission to use for educational purposes.  © 1999 Fablevision

What are some personality qualities of picture smart people?

Picture smart people enjoy imagery and have a strong sense of artistry. They are often good at building mental models and manipulating images in their mind. Picture smart people have a strong sense of direction and an ease of reading maps. I believe we will see an increasing trend for this intelligence as our students are exposed to more and more media on the television and the Internet.

What are some activities and technologies that would help picture smart people in a learning environment?

Flickr - From the photographer wanting a place to upload pictures to the student browsing for images to match a topic, Flickr is a wonderful resource for exploring, storing and sharing images. Flickr’s section for Creative Commons images that usually has less restrictions on their use. Learn more at www.flickr.com/tour.

Google Earth – This free application from Google is a 3D model of earth, space, and mars all in one. It is a wonderful resource for most grade levels and any curricular area. Zoom in to see the pyramids or the pool in your friend’s backyard. Plot points of interest and create reports in a visual form. Take a tour of Google Earth.

Animation-ish – This program from Fablevision is a must have for drawing and creating animation. From the beginner to the advanced user, this program has something for everyone. Peter Reynolds also gives video tips and encouragement in your creative journey. To learn more and for a free trial download, visit Fablevision.

Animoto – A web-based application that takes your pictures and makes a dynamic video for presentations, storytelling, or other projects you can do with your students. Add music and text to your projects also. Many teachers are using this tool in their classroom as an easy way to engage the visual learner. Visit their site and learn more about Animoto for Education.

Webspiration – This mind-mapping web software is a great tool to visualize your ideas in a web format and has the ability to collaborate with others on the same project. Create flowcharts, visualize processes, and strengthen organizational skills with this tool. For examples, see the webspiration gallery.

I mentioned earlier that I believe we will have more and more students gravitate toward this intelligence because of the easy of access and the onslaught of visual media we are inundated with on a daily basis. Do you agree? If so, do you feel this is a good or bad for our students? Comment here…