One of my biggest worries prior to leaving for London last year was how I would be able to navigate through the city. I knew that I would be using London's public transportation system, mainly the "Tube" as well as walking everywhere. The picture above is a Tube Map that I carried with me at all times. The first time I looked at the map I had no idea how to read it. I did not know what all the colors meant or the names of the stations. In order to go anywhere I needed to learn how to read the map. It took me about a week to figure out that each colored line represents a tube line- Picadilly Line is royal blue, Jubilee Line is silver, District Line is green, etc. Where the lines intersect with an unfilled circle is an interchange station to change from one tube line to another. It was not long before I was able to navigate London via the London Underground. All I needed to know was the Tube Stop and I would be able to arrive at my destination. Being able to read the Tube Map was vital to my being able to live in London
Mary, your image of Literacy reminds me of two ways of reading that we need to talk about in class. The first is aesthetic reading, the kind we do for recreation, to appeal to our senses. The second is efferent reading, the kind we do to get information we need.
ReplyDeleteWhich kind of reading fits the reading of a map?
Maps are an excellent source of identifying literacy. I kind of forgot that a person has to "read" a map in order to be able to understand it and find their way around. I think that according to Dr. K, the map would be an example of an efferen reading because we read a map to get information that we need. Though, the map may look pretty with all the colors and things, it is not normally used for visual stimulation.
ReplyDeleteIn our Secondary Art Methods class, Katie gave a presentation on Visual Literacy. I was very interested in her presentation, because I learn by seeing a visual representation. Our (tiny) class discussed how we all felt stupid growing up because we couldn't or didn't understand certain thing, like when our teacher would lecture or when we had to follow verbal instructions. It took us all awhile to figure out we are just visual learners and need to see it to learn it. The map reminded me of this because I need to look at a map when driving somewhere - I can't get there by written or verbal instructions alone. I also need to draw a map when giving someone else instructions! A visual representation, like a map, is one tool I use to communicate.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a perfect example of visual and cultural literacy. I think everyones fear when going somewhere new is knowing how to navigate their way around a place that is differnt. I bet you were pretty nervous your first time taking the "Tube" but I bet is was equally exciting because you were learning something new. I am just thinking back to when we were in elementary school. I mean looking at an atlas must have been so foriegn and completly new. I bet it took us a while to look at the key and locate what we were looking for but now we probably do not even have to look at the key we just know because we are map literate.
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