Superb Visual Thinking Resource at Vanderbilt

I was blown away by a teaching for learning resource provided by the Vanderbilt Center for Teaching on the subject of visual thinking.  On their website they have a variety of sources that cover the topic and the ones I reviewed were quite interesting, especially Prezi, which is a way to make presentations similar to a concept map where you can click on the diagram and up pops videos, powerpoints, etc.  The concept map at the top of the page is really fascinating and took me some time to figure out but you can click all around it and expand various areas and watch film clips, read materials, and more.  To take this magical mystery tour into visual thinking visit: http://is.gd/bTUcV

Here is a description of the source by those who put it together:
Our brains are wired to rapidly make sense of and remember visual input. Visualizations in the form of diagrams, charts, drawings, pictures, and a variety of other ways can help students understand complex information. A well-designed visual image can yield a much more powerful and memorable learning experience than a mere verbal or textual description.  Below you'll find resources for integrating visual thinking in your teaching. You'll find ideas for enhancing your presentations and for incorporating visual thinking in your students' in- and out-of-class activities.

Seriously, grab a cup of whatever and set aside 10-15 minutes -- or more if you can afford it -- to go through the site and watch some of the videos that await on the topic of visual thinking.  Really eye opening stuff.  If so inclined drop me a line and let me know how you are using visual thinking in your teaching and I will happily share on a future blog post (mlalopa@fooded.org)