Visual Literacy Can Be Improved By Art Appreciation Lessons In High Schools

With the fast development of information technology and society, there are many kinds of visual pictures around us. So people can get information by pictures instead of words. Visual pictures bring high school students much convenience. However, many of them are badly effected by some negative pictures for they are young. In information age, visual literacy is an important research field for specialists as a basic literacy. At the same time, visual literacy of high school students has become an essential part of quality education. To promote students' visual literacy ability will be one of main teaching aims for educators.The writer has read a lot and found that specialists have different opinions and there is still no definition about it. From the art perspective, the writer think that visual literacy can be gained by learning. It can help students understand and express the pictures correctly. Art is a visual art that can not only enrich visual perception but improve the aesthetic of the students. Art appreciation can not be replaced by any other subjects.To improve the students' visual literacy in art appreciation lessons, the two following things can be done: first, the art works in the lessons offer students enough materials. They are important media for the students to learn,to understand and to appreciate. Second, the students have had some basic knowledge to improve visual literacy. In addition, visual aesthetic experience and knowledge can be gained in art appreciation lessons.The writer offers the following teaching ways to improve students' visual literacy in her lessons: first, multi-sensory interactive teaching is the base by using the students' visual experience. Second, to teach the students to appreciate works from different aspects. Third, to let them understand the deep meaning of the works. Then, to encourage them to speak their different opinions and ideas. In this way they can gain muchconfidence. Finally, the theories can be combined with creation by interactive teaching lessons. So the students can not only use pictures correctly but also create images freely.