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.
Assessment is one of my weaknesses as an art teacher. I have a hard time grading/rating/judging children's art. I agree that formative assessment is "What We DO!" We are constantly assessing this way. Is their final portfolio a summative portfolio? I'm really interested in how you do portfolios with your elementary students...:)
ReplyDeleteStudents are ever surprising when you are facilitating a VTS discussion. They seem to always some up with different ideas that I would have never dreamed of. I have trouble at times redirecting their focus to the image and what is actually in the image or comments about it. They get so caught up in there thoughts they just start talking.
I think we are all share at least an ambivalence for assessment; probably because it can so easily shut down ideas and creativity. How many times have you had a student who has been labeled unsuccessful in the regular classroom who blossoms in the art room? I can't help but wonder if the form of assessment in the regular classroom has something to do with it. Perhaps in art, we should simply call assessment "feedback". I LOVE portfolios and judging student growth based on reflections. Beattie has so many wonderful assessment ideas and I love her idea that assessment is constant; it is, and perhaps we in the art classrooms do it best!
ReplyDeleteSince my major was art history, I am interested in "a work of art with the more knowledge I have of the piece" as well. I think VTS is not does nothing with art history. Although in the VTS discussion, there's not right or wrong answers, it still force students read the image for a long time and give reasonable and logical narratives. The interpretion of artwork originally includes two sides: artists' intention and audiences' understandings. I think the students' critical thinking just give the artwork new life in this way.
ReplyDeleteI think one important reason of why students love to do VTS is because there's actually no assessment during it. We equally treat them as "Good", in fact, it is a kind of "feedback" as Mary said. In art, what we need more is this kind of assessment. In this way students can always be active to break boundaries and create new things.