Sharon Chiang , ' ' ^:'

MED 6060 ' ^ ,,; ^ ;- '

Presentation , : .
March29,2011 ;. 'V
Strategy #17: Visualization and Guided Imagery
Visuahzation and Guided Imagery
• Visuahzation is creating a mental image that doesn't exist or
cannot be seen (Starko, 2001). This is freer and more spontaneous
imagery practice technique that features less direction and scripting from the teachers.
(Wheatley, 1989).
• Guided Imagery is a type of visualization that requires directed guidance and learners' prior
knowledge. Teachers used scenes or scripts to direct students' imaging (Starko, 2001).
• Two to three minutes of quiet time with music and visualization techniques can be usd in
class to help students relax their brains (Tate, 2010). '

Benefits
• Mental imagery allows individuals to form schemas for understanding and sense-making. It
also aides relaxation and reduces stress and test anxiety (Wheatley, 1989).
• Guided Imagery strategy can help students visualize what they are reading and learning and
bring the material to life and make it more meaningful (International Reading Association,
2001).
• Using guided imagery in content areas enhances students' memory and stimulates their
writing and other creative expression (Starko, 2001) • v r
• This strategy provides opportunities for students to use their imaginations to facilitate
understanding across the curriculum (Tate, 2010).

Classroom Ideas: This strategy is appropriate for students in any grade levels in all content areas '
(International Reading Association, 2001).

Math Reading & Writing

• Have students visualize each step
of the word problem and
determine what operations are
used to solve the problem or have
them draw pictures to illustrated
the problem
• Have students visualize the given
shapes look like when rotated 180
degree, flipped vertically, or
turned 90 degree
• Visualize walking on the
numbered line for adding and
subtracting integers
• Picture the steps of multiplying
decimals or steps of solving
equation or expression
• Have students draw visual images
that link to the vocabulary word to
its definition.
• Have students draw illustrations
for books that do not have pictures
or illustrations that have not been
shown.
• Read aloud to students and stop
periodically and have students 1)
describe the scenes in their minds
(what they see, hear, feel, touch,
and taste), 2) visualize
themselves as characters in the
story, and 3) ask "What i f . . . "
questions
 History/Social Studies GUIDED I M A G E R Y GUIDED I M A G E R Y
Transport students' mind F O R S O C I A L STUDIES FOR SCIENCE
back to the time period The Great Plains Fungi
Imagine that you are in Nebraska. It is Imagine the air moving through the ^
they are learning in the
summer, 1887, and you are standing in the room. As the air slowly circulates, no
history.
midst of rolling prairie for as far as you can that on these air currents are carried
Examples: see in all directions. Look around and see thousands of microscopic, round, bead-
• Have them visualize that no trees, buildings, or other human like spores.
and image beings are in sight. Notice the wind gently They are so small you have to look very
experiences and swaying the 2-foot tall prairie grasses back closely to spot them. These spores are
challenge people and forth. Feel the 90-degree heat from the looking for an opportunity to grow. They
who had traveled in hot noon sun as it beats down upon you. are like tiny little seeds, searching for a
Mayflower. Then Breathe in the dust and pollen from the food source that will enable them to
have them write a grasses around you and imagine wiping the grow and live. If they locate a food
experience of a child grimy sweat from your forehead. Notice the source with enough moisture, they can
tired ox standing next to your single-bladed grow. As you watch them drift by, notice
on the ship.
steel plow. See yourself trudging over to the that loaf of bread on the counter. The
• Visualize the plow and placing your hands on its rough plastic bread bag has been left unopened.
Constitutional wooden handles. Watch the hard-packed The drifting spores get closer and closer.
Convention deep black prairie soil turn over from your Some of them begin to land on a slice of
plow blade as you struggle along behind the bread. Watch carefully as tiny little
ox. Feel the blisters on your hands as they strings of cells began to grow from a
grip the plow handles. Imagine the strain in spore. More and more ceUs grow out,
Science your back muscles and in your arms and farther and farther from the spore. Soon
Picturing a journey legs as the plow jerks you along. Labor your there are so many of them that you see a
through the digestive way over a small hill, and in the distance tangled mass of little strings; these are
system, imagining a notice the small hut made with thick squares growing denser and denser as they feed
new invention. of prairie sod. Leave the plow and slowly off the bread. You see some of them ^
Visualize the rotation make your way closer to the hut, noticing it with little hooks that attach to the bre
in greater and greater detail. Bend your head fibers. They continue to wind outward
of earth and sun
as you enter the dark, dark sod hut, and and outward. You can start to see a
Visualize the steps of
slowly pace around on the hard dirt floor. velvety ftizz appearing on the surface of
experiments the bread. What colors are you seeing
now?
REFERENCES
Helgesen, M. (2011). Guided Imagery for student-to-student storytelling. Retrieved from
http://l^elgesenhandouts.terapad.com/resources/l 2061 /uploadedFiles/Storvtelling%20guid
ed%20jounievs.pdf
International Reading Association. (2001). Guided imagery. From Classroom Strategies for
Interactive Learning, 59-62.
Starko, A.J. (2001). Creativity in the classroom: schools of curious delight. Mahwah, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,Inc. 212-215.
Tate, M.L. (2010). Worksheets don't grow dendrites {2"^ Ed.). Thousand Oaks, California:
Corwin.
Wheatley, W.J., Maddox, E.N., & Anthony, W.P. (1989). Developments in business simulation
& experiential exercises: visualization and guided imagery in the organizational behavior
class: an experiential, exploratory approach. 57-61.
Many Lesson Plan Ideas are available onhne:
"Water Wings" http://wwA\'.pdfchaser.com/Target-Audience%3A-3-5-Subiects%3A-Guided-
Imagery-Exercise-Time%3 A-1 -... .html
"A Wild Wetland Journey" http://w^^w.mgf-hawaii.org/PDF/OP%20Grade%203/ioumev.pdf
"What is a Desert?" http://www.nps.gov/sagu/forteachers/upload/Unit%201%20-
%20What%20is%20a%20Desert.pdf