RM Winter 2016 FLIP

Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: Development of higher psychological processes . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

notes to hold their thinking, as summarizing strategies, as ways to connect and extend their learning from multiple sources, as a solitary or collaborative presentation tool to share what they have learned and what they are continuing to wonder about with an audience wider than their classroom walls. Including catchy titles and accurate, concise captions, descriptions, and other text features a well-designed infographic does precisely what its name suggests: it combines information in a powerful graphic mode, blending media to reach learners. With multiple platforms such as Easel.ly and Picktochart, how-to videos and instructions if the user needs assistance, and a variety of uses in the classroom, infographics can be quite useful for classroom teachers in grades kindergarten through twelve. In fact, infographics allow opportunities for students to demonstrate understanding (Abilock &Williams, 2014; Fowler, 2015), engage in evaluation (Toth, 2013; Fowler, 2015), and gain experience with the ever-important 21st century skills. References Abilock, D., &Williams, C. (2014). Recipe for an Infographic. Knowledge Quest, 43 (2), 46-55.

Wilber, D. (2012). Trying to get ahead of the curve: Raising and understanding current themes in new literacies practices. The Educational Forum, 76 , 406-411.

Yearta, L., & Stover, K. (2015). Beyond the classroom walls: Blogging to increase literacy engagement. Reading Matters. * Infographics Cited History.com & Column Five (n.d.). D-Day by the numbers . Retrieved from http:// www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day/infographics/d-day-by-the- numbers Union of Concerned Scientists. (2012). Plant the plate. Retrieved from: http:// www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/legacy/assets/images/fa/plant-the-plate/ Plant-the-Plate-Infographic-full.jpg  Dr. Lindsay Yearta is an Assistant Professor at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. A former elementary school teacher, her research interests include digital literacy, vocabulary acquisition and retention, and using digital tools in the classroom. She can be contacted at YeartaL@Winthrop.edu . Dawn Johnson Mitchell has spent the last fifteen years working with both students and teachers in multiple schools and grade levels. For the last three years she has worked in instructional services in Spartanburg School District Six and as a teacher consultant and partnership coordinator with the Spartanburg Writing Project, housed at USC Upstate.

Reading Matters Technology Matters

Anstey, M., & Bull, G. (2006). Teaching and learning multiliteracies: Changing times, changing literacies. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Fowler, K. (2015). For the love of infographics. Science Scope, 38 (7), 42-48.

International Reading Association. (2009). New literacies and 21st-century technologies: A position statement of the International Reading Association. Newark, DE: Author.

Karchmer-Klein, R. (2013). Best practices in using technology to support writing In S. Graham,

C.A. MacArthur, & J. Fitzgerald (Eds.), Best practices in writing instruction (2nd ed., pp. 3-25). New York: Guilford Press.

Knobel, M. & Lankshear, C. (2014). Studying new literacies. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 58 (2), 97-101.

Mills, K.A., & Levido, A. (2011). iPed: Pedagogy for digital text production. The Reading Teacher, 65 , 80-91. doi: 10.1598/RT.65.1.11

South Carolina Department of Education. (2015). South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Standards for English Language Arts. Retrieved from: https://ed.sc. gov/agency/programsservices/59/documents/ELA2015SCCCRStandards.pdf

Stover, K., Yearta, L., & Sease, R. (2014).“Experience is the best tool for teachers:”

Blogging to provide preservice educators with authentic teaching opportunities. Journal of Language and Literacy Education. *

Toth, C. (2013). Revisiting a genre: Teaching infographics in business and professional communication courses. Business Communication Quarterly, 76 (4), 446-457.

Reading Matters | Volume 16 • Winter 2016 | scira.org | 69 |

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