Visual Instruction Plans:
the VIP of the classroom
Do you find yourself falling captive to the helpless handraisers? You know who I'm talking about: those students who, no matter how well you explained the lesson, always seems to "not get it." Then, if that wasn't enough, while having an impromptu tutoring session, the rest of your class starts goofing off. See what I mean by "falling captive"? Well, take heart because your life is about to get much simpler. Meet the VIP of the classroom: Visual Instruction Plans.
What is a Visual Instruction Plan?
A visual instruction plan uses pictures and graphics in order to represent a concept or the steps in a lesson. It is a string of quick visual prompts that students can look to when they get lost. The nature of VIPs accelerate learning and wean helpless hand raisers because they instantly have an illustrative guide, showing them the next step. VIPs can range from pictures (top right), to outlines, to mind maps (top left), to written and visual instructions (bottom left and right).
A VIP has three parts. It:
- illustrates the process one step at a time
- provides a picture for each step
- relies minimally on words (Jones, 2007)
A good example of a VIP in a 4th grade classroom would is a string of pictures showing the process of divding 496 by 6. Each picture would illustrate each step (comparing 6 with 4, dividing 6 into 49, multiplying 6 by 8, subtracting 48 from 49, comparing 6 with the remainder 1, etc.)
The Benefits
VIPs are a life-saver in the classroom because they
(Jones, 2007)
- reduce the length of time you are having to give corrective feedback
- replace verbal prompts with visual prompts (which are perfect for your helpless handraisers)
- provide a clear set of plans/instructions, which increases the likelihood of your students getting it right the first time
(Jones, 2007)
Spiritual Support
"Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God, but the one who does evil has not seen God." 1 John 3:11 (NASB)
Everyone needs someone or something to imitate. It is imperative that teachers provide their students with positive examples. This includes effective visual instruction plans, which will allow students to imitate what is good (correct), rather than what is evil (incorrect).
Everyone needs someone or something to imitate. It is imperative that teachers provide their students with positive examples. This includes effective visual instruction plans, which will allow students to imitate what is good (correct), rather than what is evil (incorrect).