Olivia Mantero, a graduate Education student at the Mount, learned the Image Making method of teaching at the recent workshop.
Mount Saint Mary College’s Collaborative for Equity in Literacy Learning (CELL) hosted a professional development workshop for educators, based on the Image Making literacy method, the week of August 15.
To a casual observer, it might look like an art class. However, Image Making is an alternative approach to teaching writing and strengthening reading. The technique is effective for students from second grade through high school.
Mount Education professors Janine Bixler and Rebecca Norman taught the workshop, which this year focused on the theme of reconstructing family immigration stories. Attendees created stories about their grandparents, their spouses, and other ancestors who immigrated to the U.S.
The Image Making process uses picture books as mentor texts to help teach the art of writing. Students create their own art, often tied to the science or social studies curriculum. The art always precedes the writing.
This year, participants worked primarily with watercolors to create their own detailed stories.
Established in 2012, CELL provides tutoring and out-of-school literacy activities for children pre-school to grade 12 with a focus on reading, conversation, and activities. It explores multicultural books, offers family literacy programs, and more. Each semester, Mount teacher candidates, graduate and undergraduate, help instill a love of reading in local youth as part of their community fieldwork requirement.