Drawing Conclusions

Drawing Conclusions explores the use of juxtaposed visual representations (JVRs) to help preservice teachers grapple with abstract concepts, theories, or complex controversies in education. Acting as both a learning tool and an intellectual spark, JVRs are two simple contrasted sketches that students produce on a divided sheet of paper. In these drawings, students attempt to visually represent contrasting ideas that the class is struggling to understand (such as code-meshing versus code-switching, descriptive versus prescriptive grammar, peer response versus peer editing). JVRs are powerful tools for the teacher education classroom because they employ active learning and scaffold pedagogical strategies, act as a low-stakes but important formative assessment tool, help students grapple with complex literary and critical theories, and aid in reorganizing and revising a long writing project.

Book Features:

• Offers a method for pushing students to higher-order thinking in just a few minutes, helping them analyze critical concepts in English education, writing studies, linguistics, literacy, English Language Arts, and related fields.
• Outlines how to use JVRs to encourage students to think in a wider dimension, to use different parts of their brain, and to awaken different neurons.
• Provides multiple examples of JVRs to help instructors adapt this intellectually stimulating heuristic to their own classrooms.

Patricia A. Dunn is professor of English at Stony Brook University.

“The world is a symphony of words and images. Dunn masterfully illustrates how teachers and learners can more deeply define and discuss complex concepts and ideas through visual representations, and in turn become more critical creators and consumers of the world.”
—Shelbie Witte, Kim and Chuck Watson Endowed Chair, Oklahoma State University

“In the clearly written Drawing Conclusions, Patricia Dunn presents a well-balanced examination of the theoretical grounding and pedagogical application supporting the use of juxtaposed visual representations (JVRs) for students’ exploration of abstract concepts. The inclusion of numerous student artifacts from multiple classes to both explain and illustrate uses of, responses to, and misconceptions about JVRs is a clear strength of the book, highlighting Dr. Dunn’s thoughtful and thorough investigation of an activity that supports both critical and reflective thinking.”
—Melanie Shoffner, professor, James Madison University

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