LESSON 6: MATERIALS FOR DEVELOPING VIEWING SKILLS
“Art is literacy of the heart.”- Elliot Eisner
Opening Quote and Introduction
“Art is literacy of the heart.” – Elliot Eisner
Let’s start with this quote. What do you think it means?
Basically, it’s saying that art—and visuals in general—can express feelings and ideas just like
words can in powerful ways. A single image, painting, or video can make us feel something or
understand a message without anyone saying a word. So, it’s like there’s a direct connection
between us and the artwork—it communicates with us by evoking our emotions, helping us
understand its meaning in a more personal and powerful way.
Why Viewing is Important
In our modern world, we’re surrounded by visual media—from TV, films, social media, to websites and
ads. Because of this, we’re not just reading words anymore—we’re also constantly interpreting images,
videos, gestures, and designs.
This is where the concept of multimodal texts comes in.
🔹 What are Multimodal Texts?
According to Kress (2010), multimodal texts are those that communicate meaning using more than one
mode. That could include:
Still or moving pictures (like photos or videos)
Written text
Gestures and body language
Use of space or layout
Examples include:
Digital texts like e-posters, slideshows, digital stories, and websites (sometimes with links or
animation)
Live performances like theater, storytelling, or dance
In school, these visuals can be seen everywhere by students whether they are in school, at home,
or online—they constantly interact with these kinds of texts. Also, these visuals or arts are essential
tools for better learning because there are times when words alone aren’t enough for students to fully
understand a lesson. That’s why visual support is so important. Images, videos, charts, and other visual
materials can help make the lesson more effective and, at the same time, more engaging. Visuals can
simplify complex ideas, capture students’ attention, and make learning more meaningful—especially for
those who can easily learn through seeing and experiencing, rather than just reading or listening.
That’s why viewing is now seen as an important language skill that must be enhanced, just like
listening, speaking, reading, and writing. And as future teachers, we must help students develop
their viewing skills, just like how we help them become better readers and writers.
So how do we do that?
Just like reading or listening, viewing also follows a process—there’s a before, during, and
after.
Let’s go through that:
Before viewing, teachers usually start by letting the students look quietly at the material—maybe
a picture, a scene, or a video.
This gives students time to take in the details.
During the viewing, the teacher asks open-ended questions.
Questions like:
“What do you notice?”
“What do you think is going on here?”
“What message do you think this image is trying to tell us?”
Here, students are encouraged to make observations, inferences, and interpretations.
But it doesn’t stop there—they also need to support their answers with evidence. For example,
if they say the character looks sad, they should explain why—maybe because of the facial
expression or the colors used.
Then, the teacher may ask more focused or leading questions to dig deeper.
And sometimes, students are asked if new information can change how they see the image or
story.
After viewing, the teacher wraps up the discussion by asking students to summarize what they
learned or understood from what they saw.
Now, what’s the role of the teacher in all this?
We don’t just show the materials—we guide students through the process.
We help them think critically, give them the right words to express what they see, and encourage
discussion. We also recap their ideas, model vocabulary, and spark more thoughts from
them.
In short, we’re there to help them construct meaning from what they’re viewing.
So to end, viewing is not just about looking—it’s about understanding, interpreting, and
expressing. By developing viewing skills, we’re helping students become more aware, more
thoughtful, and more expressive in the way they understand the world around them.
That’s all for my report. Thank you!
Pre-viewing
This is the preparation stage.
Before watching, teachers and students usually:
1. Prepare to view
→ Before watching anything, the teacher or the students need to get ready. This means removing
distractions, focusing their minds, and setting themselves up to really pay attention to the material.
2. Acknowledge what is known and need to be known about the topic
→ The teacher may ask students to recall what they already know about the topic. Then, they reflect on
what they still need or want to learn from the material.
3. Prepare guide questions before viewing
→ Teachers usually provide guide questions, or students may create their own. These questions help
guide their attention toward key ideas during the viewing.
4. Identify the goals for each type of viewing situation
→ It's also important to know the purpose for watching. Are they watching to learn something, analyze,
enjoy, or evaluate? Clarifying this helps them focus better.
While Viewing
This part is not just about watching—we think while we watch
1. Predict the message and meaning
→ While watching, students are encouraged to make predictions about what the content is trying to
say. They look at the visuals and clues to guess the main message.
2. Connect what is being said with personal experience and make associations
→ To understand the content better, students try to relate it to their own experiences or prior
knowledge. This helps them connect emotionally and intellectually with the material.
3. Determine the main points
→ Students focus on identifying the key ideas or most important parts of the video or visual material.
4. Take down notes when necessary
→ If something stands out or answers a guide question, students should jot it down. Taking notes helps
with better recall and understanding later.
5. Differentiate between fact and the message that lies beneath visuals and between real or imaginary
→ Students are also trained to think critically. They try to separate facts from symbolic or imaginative
content, and uncover any deeper or hidden meanings.
Post-viewing
This is where we reflect and respond.
1. Organize and summarize key points and important details
→ After watching, students gather and organize the main ideas, then summarize them clearly to show
their understanding.
2. Associate what was viewed with one’s experience or needs
→ They reflect on how the content connects with their own life, interests, or current issues they care
about.
3. Evaluate what was seen
→ Students then evaluate the material by giving their honest thoughts. Was it effective? Clear?
Interesting? They consider what worked and what didn’t.
4. Arrive at conclusions based on the details shown
→ Based on everything they observed, they draw conclusions about the message or lesson of the
material.
5. Justify personal reactions or opinions of the presentation
→ If they liked or disliked it, students should explain their reactions and support them with specific
examples from the viewing.
6. Identify the technique used to influence the audience
→ They also look at how the material influenced them. For example, was it through emotional music,
strong images, or persuasive language?
7. Look for other information from various sources as needed or desired
→ If students are curious or feel the need to learn more, they can explore other sources like books,
websites, or videos to deepen their understanding.
