As I reflect on my visualization project, selecting the images and digital platform was the hardest part of it all. The idea of being able to get creative and use technology as a way to teach excites me. However, as much as I like technology and believe it’s a great way to share ideas and to learn I don’t consider myself advanced at it. After spending some time exploring different digital platforms and playing around with some that initially caught my attention, I came to realize that ThingLink was the best platform for this project. ThingLink is easy to navigate, while still leaving room for creativity. Soon after selecting ThingLink I knew I wanted to learn more about the Temple of the Sun in Cuzco and Machu Picchu. Having that in mind I figured the most appropriate thing to do would be to select a picture of the actual temple to have as the background. In addition, I believed it was important to incorporate a picture of the sacred temple of the sun at Machu Picchu, which also played an important role for the Incas. The fountains of water were just as important as the temple, which is why providing an image of how they look was necessary to have in my visualization project.
Creating the visualization deepened my understanding of the topic by being able to explore other’s point of view and experience. I personally visited both temples in Cuzco and Machu Picchu. Looking up videos of the temples definitely gave me a different insight of the temples by seeing other’s experiences other than my own. Simply reading about the temples gives the reader facts about both temples I may already know, but viewing videos gives a completely different perspective.
I was quite hesitant about stepping up, and starting the visualization project because of my lack of experience with using digital platforms. This project has changed my thinking on visualization as a vehicle for personal learning and teaching. After completing my visualization project, I believe the process of doing it was fulfilling as I saw how it was turning out, and as I slowly added more insight to it. Doing visualizations to teach can be a learning experience for teachers too. Also, by providing students with different digital platforms to learn from can be something they aren’t used to and can serve as a tool for teachers. Providing students multiple learning resources can lead to more engagement from them, ultimately achieving one of our goals as teachers. In the future, I would like to learn to use perhaps iMovie to make videos that will enhance my teaching providing a culturally relevant platform for my students and provide different teaching strategies for their learning purposes.
Click here-----> Visualization Project
The temple of the Sun in Cuzco, Peru
