The Peach Project
The Peach Project is based on visual learning
Vision is our dominant sense. 90% of all information we take in is visual. We read visual information 60% faster than we read text. We retain 80% of what we see and 30-50% of what we read. 8% comes from aural sources and 3% from tactile sources. A good way of learning and retaining information is the combination of visual and text. Children start to draw at a very early age. This form of communication gives us information about how they are processing and navigating the world they are learning about.
Exploring different ways of thinking, interpreting and externalising ideas to create neural pathways is necessary for innovative, imaginative minds. The human brain is, for the most part, an image processor. When we talk and think in words, we generate ideas that are sequential and linear. When we draw our thoughts and ideas and think in pictures, we generate non-sequential, place-based, and connected ideas in multiple ways. We are more able to see patterns, analyse and strategise, and look for new possibilities. Visual learning is an intrinsic motivator. Visual clues assist students in information retrieval and information retention.
This project focuses on visual learning skills as a way of unlocking meaning through a concise method of decoding language. The method allows students, particularly those who struggle with literature and meaning where the message may be obscure, to have confidence in exploring their own interpretations about meaning and participating in classroom discussions.
The Peach Project makes it easier for students to access figurative language
The Peach Project uses the Eight Ways of Aboriginal pedagogy
Many of the courses for teachers at imaginer.me are underpinned by Aboriginal pedagogy. The Peach Project is one of these. Recent research backs up what innovative educators have known for some time - using diverse teaching and learning methods based on the 8 Ways of Learning has benefits for students and teachers alike, no matter the cultural or heritage background. The 8 Ways are eight interconnected pedagogies that support student learning. They are not content-driven. They are process-driven. It is the method of transmission that is at the heart of fully connecting with the content.
The Peach Project aims to give both teachers and students a method to understand figurative language through a hybrid system of traditional and Aboriginal ways. It is in the interface of these pedagogies that the students will come to an understanding of the ‘how’ in working through texts. A synergistic approach assists them in understanding metaphorical language.
All students have different learning styles. The method employed in The Peach Project is based on visual learning and employs some of the other Ways.
Another Way is using Symbol and Images. The Peach Project uses a visual image as the basis for understanding figurative text. Symbols and meaning play a large part in the learning skills that students will access as they gradually relate to a visual meta-language.
One of the pedagogies employed in the 8 Ways is Learning Maps. The project is underpinned by a sophisticated yet straightforward image-driven technique that gives access to transference skills. It is the starting point for the outcome. The process is incremental, so the students gain knowledge in gradual steps that lead to understanding.
Deconstruct/Reconstruct is another of the Ways that the Peach Project utilises. The students are given a ‘map’ to follow from the start. The students will break down a visual image through techniques of transference and comparison to find meaning. They then build up meaning through metaphorical interpretation.
Non-Linear, another Way used in the Peach Project, gives students a path to lateral thinking, sparking creativity and critical thinking and interpretation. The Peach Project explores meaning from a completely different and innovative angle.
Often, the way we teach involves showing or telling students how to do something. They are then expected to understand it. i.e., Methodology – Epistemology. The Peach Project lets students understand first the path of knowledge they are travelling. Then they will understand what to do and will apply the method. i.e., Epistemology – Methodology. In this way, students understand the process that unlocks the content. They are given a system (way of knowing) and a process (way of doing). Working with Symbols and Images, Learning Maps, Deconstruct/Reconstruct and Non-Linear ways, the Peach Project enhances learning with diverse pedagogies, which bring about effective engagement with education.
