Visualization

Challenge & Selection

We all know business people’s love for visualization tools like PowerPoint presentations that  include tons of graphs and charts. The problem is that only those, who made these  presentations, could interpret them. I believe that the true art of visualization is in making terms  and concepts that are hard to understand easier. For example, children cannot concentrate for  a long time when the adults try to explain them different things with complex words and abstract  concepts. Parents spend a lot of time trying to bring up their children with only words when  some things can simply be shown in a form of experiment or a picture. Visualization helps them  to see and “to feel” the problem. Thus, it is one of the greatest tools in child education.

Application

I would like to show the importance of visualization on an example of one of the experiments I  made with my little sister and brother. I replicated the experiment made by Jaralee Annice  Metcalf that showed her students what happens to bread that has been touched with dirty  hands.

We took five slices of white bread, one of which we did not touch at all and just zipped into a  plastic bag. This was the control slice. The second slice was touched by the three of us before  washing our hands. Then, we used a hand sanitizer and touched the third slice of bread. After  some time, I asked my brother and sister to wash their hand with me, and we touched the fourth  slice afterwards. The las slice we wiped across the tables and toys in the room.

The last step of the experiment was to drop each slice in a plastic bag and to let nature do its  job. Children were checking the bread every day, and on the 10-14th day they started to see  how the mould was growing. They found that the bread that they wiped on things in the room  became the fuzziest one. The second mouldiest slice was the one touched with dirty hands,  while the slice touched with hands washed with soap looked almost the same as the one being  untouched at all.

Insight & Approach

This experiment was a revelation, after which children asked me about the bacteria growth; how  many times a day they should wash their hands and what would happen if they ate something  without washing their hands. Sometimes people, especially children, have to see with their own  eyes the consequences of their actions. Of course, different cartoons of the required topic are  useful too, but using several sense organs is always more effective. For example, my brother  and sister have never scrimshanked of washing their hands ever since I showed them what  would happen if they would not do it.

I think the best approach is to combine both visualization and storytelling with children. When  the complex concept is explained in some sort of a fairy-tale, it could be as useful as an  experiment or a picture. For example, in a case of washing hands adults could tell a story where  bacteria are the enemies of an organism, and to explain how the immune system tries to beat  them. Then, the visualization would play the role of a complement for a story to make it more  clear.


Visualization Challenge & Selection We all know business people ’s love for visualization tools like PowerPoint presentations that include tons of graphs and charts . The problem is that only those , who made these presentations , could interpret them . I believe that the true art of visualization is in making terms and concepts that are hard to understand easier . For example , children can not concentrate for a long time when the adults try to explain them different things with complex words and abstract concepts . Parents spend a lot of time trying to bring up their children with only words when some things can simply be shown in a form of experiment or a picture . Visualization helps them to see and “ to feel ” the problem . Thus , it is one of the greatest tools in child education . Application I would like to show the importance of visualization on an example of one of the experiments I made with my little sister and brother . I replicated the experiment made by Jaralee Annice Metcalf that showed her students what happens to bread that has been touched with dirty hands . We took five slices of white bread , one of which we did not touch at all and just zipped into a plastic bag . This was the control slice . The second slice was touched by the three of us before washing our hands . Then , we used a hand sanitizer and touched the third slice of bread . After some time , I asked my brother and sister to wash their hand with me , and we touched the fourth slice afterwards . The las slice we wiped across the tables and toys in the room . The last step of the experiment was to drop each slice in a plastic bag and to let nature do its job . Children were checking the bread every day , and on the 10 - 14th day they started to see how the mould was growing . They found that the bread that they wiped on things in the room became the fuzziest one . The second mouldiest slice was the one touched with dirty hands , while the slice touched with hands washed with soap looked almost the same as the one being untouched at all . Insight & Approach This experiment was a revelation , after which children asked me about the bacteria growth ; how many times a day they should wash their hands and what would happen if they ate something without washing their hands . Sometimes people , especially children , have to see with their own eyes the consequences of their actions . Of course , different cartoons of the required topic are useful too , but using several sense organs is always more effective . For example , my brother and sister have never scrimshanked of washing their hands ever since I showed them what would happen if they would not do it . I think the best approach is to combine both visualization and storytelling with children . When the complex concept is explained in some sort of a fairy - tale , it could be as useful as an experiment or a picture . For example , in a case of washing hands adults could tell a story where bacteria are the enemies of an organism , and to explain how the immune system tries to beat them . Then , the visualization would play the role of a complement for a story to make it more clear .