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Without the ability to think and
learn visually, there would be no communication An example is the photo above
of the British Royal Navy Sailor giving the “thumbs-up” gesture. Before we can understand what the
photographer or sailor is trying to communicate, we need to be able to
metaphorically recreate a mental picture in our minds about the image and then
to be able to derive meaning from it. Visual literacy exists at the
intersection between the three separate processes of visual thinking, learning,
and communication. Being able to “read” that the woman is a British officer and
knowing that the “thumbs-up” sign means “good luck” or “good job” in her
culture is necessary for communication. For some cultures the “thumbs-up” sign
is an obscene gesture.
Visual literacy is important in today’s society. More
than any time in history mankind is being bombarded by visuals. Because of
technology, the world has become a much smaller place. We are now able to
easily communicate with people from various cultures. But without a high level of visual literacy, what we are trying
to express might be misinterpreted. Tom
Wujec spoke about 3
ways the brain creates meaning on TED Talks. He speaks about how the
mind creates mental images (thinking), acquires and constructs knowledge
(learning), and collaboratively creating a shared model that they can all agree
upon (communication). Mr. Wujec reaffirms my contention that in order to solve the vary tough problems we face in the
21st century, we need to be visually literate.
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