Image #2

These are my next two images.  I chose them because I do think they fit the criteria for my age group.  They are colorful and straight forward.  Students will be able to come up with a story about these works.  I also chose them because one image is very busy while the other will hopefully allow students to focus on the women's facial expression.  I am curious about these and am choosing them more as an experiment to see if students talk more about the expressions/emotions of the woman or if the group image has too much going on to notice the big idea I am going after.

Evaluation and Reflection:
After evaluating the previous images, I wanted to start with what I thought was a more simple image with less detail.  For my younger students, I again worked with a straight forward image that was colorful to bring in the students.  The second image I thought would be a scenario that students could recognize and identify with. 
Students did not

#5

As I read, Art, Ambiguity and Critical Thinking, I thought of my VTS images and my expectations.  Initially, I was prepared for students to comment in a particular way or to talk about what I thought they would discuss.  This is not always the case.  As the facilitator, I have to allow students to lead the discussion, even though I may be excited about a portion of the artwork.  Their experiences will drive what they choose to discuss. 
I get more interested in a work of art with the more knowledge I have of the piece.  VTS does not operate under this art history context.  Students as the viewer lead the discussion and their life experiences help to frame the discussion.   The idea of VTS neutrality parallels with "uncertainty" in the article.  This allows for "possibilities, based upon evidence" and discovery and pure interpretation.  "Critical discussion can be attained if teachers encourage the free exchange of ideas, require evidentiary support, and remain nonjudgmental."  This is exactly what VTS does.


I am the first to acknowledge that assessment, well summative, is not my strong point.  After reading, Introduction to Art Assessment and Scoring and Judging Strategies, I have a more positive outlook on assessment.    I know as art teachers formative assessment is what we do!  We are constantly circulating around our rooms, monitoring work and providing feedback to students.  I use portfolios in my room and over the past couple years, I have adapted a portfolio cover sheet that allows students to reflect on their work while giving parents information about what is inside.  

On a side-note, we just gave grades 3-5 a survey about the district art curriculum.  I now realize the scale the curriculum coordinator provided was not kid friendly.   The rating language was not written for elementary students.

#4 article reflection

Thoughts on Visual Literacy, Yenawine sites the work of Houssen as evidence for the development of visual literacy.  Young viewers vs. older viewers and the experience and skills they bring to an image vary.  Visual literacy skills are seen as developing over time just as reading skills.  As a student/viewers skills and experiences expand so will their visual literacy.

Visual Literacy, again compares all forms of literacy, verbal, written and visual.  I thought it was interesting the comparison of verbal literacy and our initial incorrect organization of sounds in a group conversation.  Students may do this too as they consider ideas for a work of art and then reconsider other options as they think aloud or listen to their peers.  Students "separate" out the elements of the art work just as a conversation is being broken down by the listener.  The artwork is broken into manageable and understandable portions.  The article also points to the idea that reading images allows for more than one answer.  VTS allows students to be "correct" with the ideas they bring to the image.  Even though viewers typically come to a consensus about what they are viewing, there is still room for variations.  The article shares that reading images can be learned and VTS/Houssen also support this idea.  Most of what we "know about the world has been learned through visual images with out the benefit of formal instruction".  All kindergarten students are prepared to view the first VTS image in my room no matter how well they may read.

*I am curious as the article comes to a close and talks of written language receding, the thoughts of the author in the age of Facebook and Texting.  So much is written but so much is visual. 

***Image selection.  As I approach such a big topic, Empathy, with 5 and 6 year olds, I wanted to break down the images by ways in which
*students could "read" empathy within an image.
*Students could identify emotions on the face of a person or animal
*Students could see connections between people

Art Production:
Students are very familiar with self-portraits at this point of kindergarten art.  Students will be creating a friend portrait.  After reviewing how we can tell people are friends (friends might hold hands, smile at one another,  make eye contact or look at one another, etc., students will create a guided drawing of friends in pencil outlined with black crayon and a watercolor wash in the negative space.

(borrowed image from my friend and colleague Diana)

# 3 continued Teach, Observe, Reflect

I have implemented the following images with two kindergarten groups and will video tape my control group tomorrow.  I was excited by their discussions especially because I have followed the VTS curriculum for 3 years and am pretty certain how kids respond to each image and these are new territory.
 The first image,

I was hoping that students would respond to the connection and relationship between the girl and the older female figure.  They did.  Students recognized the older woman as the grandma and the younger girl as a grand daughter.  "What do you see that makes you say she is this little girl's grandma?":  her gray hair and wrinkles.  I did think that kids would respond to facial features but since there is no facial interaction, they surprisingly responded to the feet...they were worried the little girl would step on glass since she didn't have shoes.  The rocking chair was spotted in both groups and brief statements about her reading a "magazine" or newspaper.  Students did comment on her hair and the little girl was "taking out her hair" or 'braiding her hair" noting each braid. 

We also discussed:

This image seemed to get students talking the most about the connection between the girl and the elephant.  Many students stated that the young girl was "sad"  because of the way she was looking down and leaning her head on her hand.  Several students thought because the elephant had so many wrinkles that it was old and going to die.  One student thought the background was reflections off the water.  I thought this was interesting because I know exactly what he was talking about and that most students identified the background as foliage.  I am so excited to continue this work. 

#3 continued

My first two images for Empathy are:

Big idea;  Connection/relationships

I chose both of these images because of the connection occurring between both figures.  I have kindergarten students and understand that the images I select should not be overly saturated with detail and should be colorful as the first image.   I am also appealing to a population of students who are identified in our school goal.  The image with the elephant, I thought would appeal to the young students.  I have tried to select images for my units where facial features and expressions can be

Blog post #3

(I apologize, Blogger is not showing all my quotes in italics and the formatting is not cooperating)


The article, A Brief Guide to Developmental Theory and Aesthetic Development, is further proof that VTS is based in research and provides a framework for VTS.

Vygotsky and his colleagues noted a phenomenon which they then began to study: children routinely talking themselves through the process of solving a problem that is new to them. This, among other observed behaviors, led to another tenet of Vygotsky—his belief in the importance of words.
Spoken language is one of the first sets of symbols (or “signs,” which stand for
something or some action) learned by an individual and, according to Vygotsky, it is
through words that thoughts are formed. Words are essential for thinking, and for
later learning in general.

VTS is all about words.  Students talk through their thinking as they share their ideas.  While listening to one another, they shore up their thinking or change their mindset.  I love when they started and continue to preface statements with, "I am thinking".  It is a richness to our VTS discussions that I learned through VTS I. 

A third concept of Vygotsky’s is that learning typically occurs when a problem
(whether new data, or an unfamiliar object, or a previously-unsolved task) is both
within the range of an individual’s existing capabilities (a view that concurs with
Piaget’s findings) and involves the support or assistance of an adult or more capable
peer (an argument that has tremendous implications for education). He studied how
children can independently solve a problem at one level of difficulty, but given a
challenge for which they lack the resources personally, they can figure it out with
some input from a more knowledgeable helper—as long as the solution is within
their developmental range.

As a facilitator, my role is vital to the success of our discussions.  I must be actively involved in the scaffolding of vocabulary, paraphrasing and flow of the conversation.  I can bridge vocabulary for students that might not have it just yet.  Their peers also help in building their vocabulary as they listen to one another.

This is confusing, because students can be “taught” stage-inappropriate information, for example, and it can be memorized and retained for the short-term, and perhaps recalled with prompting. But what Housen’s studies have shown is that teaching anything but what the students are on the verge of learning or what is within their “zone of proximal development” will not become operational to the student.

I am so guilty of this, showing kids works of art and giving them some facts to spew back.    This article made me aware of my teaching.

Teaching Meaning in Art Making

In the elementary art room, it is fast paced and one project quickly moves onto another.  I see students approximately 36 contact hours throughout the school year.  We have aligned all buildings to using a portfolio to assess work and it goes home at the end of the year.  Combining the limited amount of time I see students and the pressure to fill portfolios with quality work, reflection is not often done with my students.  I recognize that it is an important process and will enrich future work.  Portfolios along with the number of students I see in a week equals limited feedback for my students.  I do have students reflect on their work at the end of the year but recognize this is not enough.

Elementary art exposes young artists to various art materials but another aspect to introduction is to have students understand when and why they might use certain media.

I have been intrigued by TAB and Choice Based Art for my classroom.  I struggle with the projects I "make" my students create and allowing them the creative license and trust to come up with their own ideas.  A colleague who is having huge success with a Choice art room, attributes that success to the planning process.  Students fill out a form that shows their plan, materials and ideas. 

Blog Post #2

I thought the article, Eye of the Beholder was enlightening for the background to VTS and how each step is carefully researched and sequenced to develop each student's aesthetic experience.  I wish I had read this article sooner.   It also gives support to the simple line of questioning and how the process is part of the development.  I have tried to explain VTS to colleagues, 3 basic questions while looking at an art image, it seemed over simplified and didn't get to the richness or do justice to the learning and development that was happening in my art room.  I believe this article/research makes it easier to explain or at least certifies what I am doing (not that I needed it) is powerful.

 

How does one create, or support, first-hand experience and discovery?

We begin by setting up an environment of group discovery. This means

providing both a stimulus (an art object or reproduction of one), a way to focus

attention (namely, carefully crafted questions) and a process (of dialogue) that

keeps attention focused in a desired way and allows a course of puzzling and

construction to unfold. In this way the learner gets a lot of “time on task,” plenty

of opportunity to try to build meaning one way and then another. He also gets

exposure to the thinking of peers, which can accelerate shifts in his own

thinking.

Chapter 4.  Once a big idea is selected, it is up to me to thoughtfully work through the image and be prepared for the ideas of my viewers.  I must understand the "link" between my images and the big idea.  Just because a person is showing emotion in an art image, it might not be the right image to convey or get my students to think about Empathy.  Students may go beyond or not even reach the intention of the image which I selected to get to the big idea.  

My big idea is Empathy.  This has been a goal for our students over the past couple years and works within our 5 character traits:  safety, kindness, cooperation, respect and responsibility.  I will be working with kindergarten students so I need to prepare and connect Empathy for the students with the work of our "Meramec 5" and the work we will view in VTS.

 

On a more basic level, I want students to identify qualities of empathy.

*Put themselves in some one else's shoes.

*look for facial expressions

*look to see how someone might be feeling.

*identify various emotions.

*look at clues in the image to determine what might be happening/happened to a person.

I feel the big idea goes beyond it's "obvious aspects"  I also see flexibility in students identifying various scenarios where the subject is showing emotion.

I have started to collect images and continue to search specifically for artwork that my African-American students will connect with and hopefully encourage them to contribute to our discussion.  I am think of two students in particular.  I am collecting images here:  
http://pinterest.com/eliwill/vts-love-empathy/

I welcome suggestions of specific artists or works that might apply to the big idea of Empathy.   
 

 

Blog Post 1

Introduction

I am Beth Williams and I teach K-5 art in Clayton, MO.  This is my 13th year teaching!  (wow, it still amazes me.)  I have taught every grade and have loved them all...even middle school.  Elementary students have a special place in my heart and I can say I absolutely love what I do!  I graduated from SIUE with both my Bachelors and Masters and now I am working on my Masters + 30.

My colleague and good friend Diana introduced me to VTS.  I had shown students art prints before, so I could VTS, right!.  How hard could it be?  I did this for 3 years with my kindergarten students.  Our schedule is set up where kindergarten students have art for an hour and an additional half hour each week.  Diana showed me what she had learned in training and along with a few segments I had watched on the VTS website, I fumbled through for the past couple years.  I used the questioning and seemed to do an adequate job.  This past fall, I took VTS I and learned how to correctly facilitate a VTS session and the subtleties that can only be learned through practice, research and study.  Because of the work I put in during VTS I, I enjoy VTS so much more and I believe my students have come a long way

I am going to continue my work with a group of kindergarten students I worked with in VTS I.  It's a great group of students and with the addition of a little guy W., there is a new energy to the class.  He has an aid that tries to reign him in. 

As I started to think about Big Ideas, I was lead back to the "big ideas" we are focusing on in our building.  Two areas that I would like to drive my image selection is Empathy and the work we are doing to close the achievement gap.  These are big topics for 5 and 6 year olds but I feel it's possible.

I hope to select images that include African American figures and locations that students who live within the city can identify and make connections.  I hope to also search for images that include empathy or ways to tie in our character education work.  From the reading and based on the age group of my students, I know that this is a big topic but love and relationships such as family might show up in my images.

I have gotten away from themes in my teaching and not for a particular reason.  I used to guide my teaching for the year within a theme.  I even developed a spiraling curriculum that was theme-based.  At this point, my curriculum does not feel connected and the idea of a theme or a big idea to drive student work is intriguing.  I liked the quote early in the reading that states:  "becoming personally connected to a big idea is highly important for art making; otherwise, art making can become merely an exercise in problem solving.  So often we use "problem solving" as a way to justify our subject area.  The big ideas help to bring connections outside the art room and help to facilitate transfer.  I hope to see this as I introduce images that make connections for students outside the art room.