Nonlinguistic Representation                                             Home

Enhance students' ability to represent and elaborate on knowledge using mental images.

Generalizations From Research

1. A variety of activities produce nonlinguistic representations.
2. Nonlinguistic representations should elaborate on knowledge.

IMPORTANT POINT –

Student-generated nonlinguistic representations can be more powerful than teacher-generated or clip-art because…

• Students engage visual as well as verbal and written language
• Students engage in hands-on, active learning.
• Students develop visual literacy

Example Activities

• Visual Information -- graphs, graphics, diagrams, photos, drawings, maps, etc.
• 3D models
• Slideshow with voice and drawing

Recommendations & Ideas

1. Use graphic organizers to represent knowledge
2. Have students generate physical models of the knowledge (math manipulatives, models, etc.)
3. Have students generate mental pictures of the knowledge they are learning.
4. Have students generate pictographs to represent the term (hook in the brain)
5. Have students engage in kinesthetic activities representing the knowledge

Web2.0 Tools: My preferences*

Category Key: and links to more web tools

SD = Identifying Similarities and Differences CL = Cooperative Learning SNT = Summarizing and Note-Taking ER = Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition HP = Homework and Practice NR = Nonlinguistic Representation OF = Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback HYP = Generating and Testing Hypotheses QCO = Questions, Cues, and Advance Organizers