In week four, we talked about creating graphics. This is something that really interested me, as I love making creative works. One of the questions asked in the lecture was, “Why might you want to create your own images or graphics for teaching and learning?” To answer this question, I decided to create a graphic in the form of a mind map. I used Canva to create this graphic, and it is attached below.

To add to my graphic I created, I will go a little bit more in depth on each of the points on my mind map:

• To provide information in a visual format: visuals can help students engage with class content and further their learning and understanding.
• To make learning more fun: Graphics can be a fun and visually appealing way to look at new content.
• To sort information in a more organized way: Graphics can help keep your content organized. If you look the mind map above, each idea is attached to the main question but separate from the other ideas. This allows your information to be organized and easy to read.
• To add images related to content: Adding images with text can help further understanding of what you are trying to teach or learn.
• To add personalized or relatable content: As a teaching, you can create graphics that include elements that your students like, such as classroom jokes or interests.
• Graphics can lead to enhanced learning: Graphics can make learning easier for some students. Being able to actually visualize what students should be learning can help them understand it better.

Another example of a graphic I created is linked here. I created a custom Connections game, inspired by the New York Times game Connections. I related all of my questions to graphic design. Graphics like this can be a great way to test your students’ knowledge after covering a topic. As a teacher, you can have students sort information they learned into certain categories, but in a way that is fun and relatable to games they might play on their own time. The way connections work is that there are 4 categories, and you have to fit 4 words into each category. I have also attached an image of mine below.

I really enjoyed the topic of this weeks class. I also really enjoyed getting to work on creating some graphics and experimenting with different computer programs. I feel like this week’s content will be very beneficial in my teaching career.