Summative Reflection Project

Artist Statement:

To me, Visual Thinking Strategies is a multi-layered process that builds upon itself. The ground rules are concrete and quite simple, yet it allows for many different translations with each discussion. While making this work of art, I thought conceptually about my process. In this mixed media piece, I began writing on the blank paper (painted on with black ink) the three questions of VTS: What is going on? What do you see that makes you say that? What more can find? This literal black and white text served as the foundation. From there, I layered many materials on top and around the text. Images transfers were applied of images that I have used in VTS discussions. Some of the image transfers are difficult to decipher similarly to how a work of art can seem difficult to read or understand at first. Samples of students' oral and written responses from VTS discussions are also included beneath layers of translucent paper. By overlapping various media such as paint, reflective foil, images, text, and tracing paper, I intended to create a layering affect that echoes the multiple stages in this process. Metaphorically, with each VTS discussion, another layer gets peeled back in order to expose unnoticed details or to find clarity. This piece mimics this idea of concealing and revealing. 

Close-ups:

Blog Topic #15 & #16

Preliminary VTS Findings AND Interpreting Data

Synthesizing the preliminary findings from examining Pre and Post VTS writing samples:

After recording the students' data for word count, quick calcs determined the findings statistically significant. Ironically, the writing samples showed many decreases in word count in the post assessment, so the stats were a bit opposite from what we hope to find with VTS. I also recording the data for conditional language, and quick calcs found that the information was not statistically significant. 

Word Count

Word Count

However, I disagree with with this data. Based off my observations of the students completing the post VTS writing, I felt like they did not put forth their best effort. In my opinion, this could be because they found the activity redundant. They were asked to write about the same image in the pre VTS writing, so I think many of them went on auto pilot. I noticed that there were almost no new observations, and a few students who elaborated the first time, resorted to listing in the post assessment. The writing samples did not match the experience I had during the actual VTS discussions. As Mary mentioned, VTS is meant to be a collaborative group activity where the students respond verbally. The pre/post VTS assessment asks for students to work independently and write rather than speak. Therefore, I feel like the data is not an accurate representation of student growth. I personally experienced the students gradually improving with each discussion. There was more participation, and more careful observations/inferences were made.

Conditional Language

Conditional Language 

As a class, I felt like the students grew more willing to interact as a group while discussing. I noticed more agreeing/disagreeing amongst the group. Individually, I feel that many students grew more comfortable contributing to the conversation.

Reflecting on my personal growth as a facilitator, I have definitely gained confidence. I have learned to practice patience, so that "wait time" no longer feels uncomfortable. Practicing paraphrasing in VTS discussions has probably helped my overall communication skill as a teacher...making sure I am clear and concise when addressing the class. Also, I think VTS has allowed me to view students through the same lens during discussions. While VTSing, I do not value one student's comment over another...which I think is really profound. I think it is great and important that every student is "right" in VTS.

Blog Topic #14

Portrait of Possibility-Revisited 

The student I focused on that I believed would benefit or be challenged by VTS proved to be a difficult selection. I spoke about how "student A" appeared uninterested and lacked motivation. The first VTS discussion he stared off into space and had his head down on the table. Choosing a student was difficult because I do not get the luxury of seeing the class regularly and developing close relationships. After choosing student A, I concluded that expecting a lot of growth in a short period of time was not exactly realistic. I was able to observe his behavior more and speak with the teacher. He has a history of underachieving because of minimal effort. Student A needs consistent reminders to stay on task during class on a daily basis. He is a student that, more often than not, has an "attitude."

Needless to say, using VTS to reach student A (to benefit or to challenge) proved to be an uphill battle. My strategy was first to carefully select images that were more engaging and interesting. I did this with Mary's assistance as she provided me with images that were more suitable for high school students. I also chose my teacher's choice image with this particular group in mind (including student A). The next step was to eliminate student A's temptation to zone out, put his head down, or work on other things during the VTS discussion. I did this successfully by having the whole class stand up and huddle around the image. This helped ALL the students with engagement, not just student A. I continued to do this every discussion. Now, student A was forced to look at the image, but he still did not participate verbally. However, even though he was not contributing to the discussion, it is possible that he was actively listening. Student A stayed silent throughout all the discussions except for lesson #4. During that discussion, he made one small comment without raising his hand. Although the observation was not very profound and he mumbled it unenthusiastically, it was still progress.

In the future, I think that developing a stronger relationship with student A, in addition to more VTS exposure, will result in further progress. It is indeed difficult to target certain students when VTS calls for us to facilitate neutrally. With time and a better understanding of the process, I believe student A will continue to benefit from VTS...allowing him to find interest and encourage his participation in class.

Blog Topic #13

VTS Through a Differentiated Lens

After reading the Tomlinson and Johnson articles through a VTS lens...

VTS has provided differentiation for students in my focus class by allowing me to choose images (content) that suit the interests of my particular group of students. By doing this, the engagement level and participation level has (hopefully) increased. In addition, VTS's careful image selection allows for students to "enter" the image a different levels. Even though everyone is viewing the same picture, some students may notice obvious subject matter, while others may choose to connect subtle details. Because the facilitator is to remain neutral, an "advanced" contribution is not celebrated more than any other. Johnson speaks about allowing for "do-overs" in his article, and with VTS, students can "revise" answers, agree and disagree, and keep adding more information. VTS also fosters collaboration among the students while they work as a collective group to investigate an image. All of this differentiation eventually encourages the students who are normally quiet to speak up. I say this because with each new VTS discussion I've facilitated with my target class, more students have contributed their ideas. There is no pressure for the students who are not confident. They can sit back and learn from there classmates' observations, and then they can jump into the conversation once they've gotten time let their ideas marinate. As the group improves collectively, I (the facilitator) gradually presented more complex images to the class...allowing opportunities for scaffolding. If this class was my own (and I wasn't a visitor), I definitely think I would be able to further find evidence of differentiation. I could provide a place for VTS as a part of a classroom routine, so students could continue to feel more comfortable discussing.

Blog Topic #12

Assessing, Reflecting, and Planning

Lesson #5: Teacher's Choice image

• With Yenawine's recommendations for image selection in mind, I do feel like this image was appropriate for my high school students. I thought the image of a car crash would snyc with their prior knowledge or experience...many of them being around driving age. The image provides a mysterious narrative that prompts the viewer to wonder what happened before, during, and after the scene. The media in this image is photography, which implies a "reality" or "truth"....making the subject matter even more interesting in my opinion. There is a lot to find and uncover within this image, making it a strong VTS selection. 

• I thought the image as appropriately challenging for this group of students. There was enough visual evidence to talk about, and there was a nice level of ambiguity that left room for various interpretations. In the discussion, there were multiple opinions about the female figure in the photo. Some thought she was the driver, and others thought she was a passenger or onlooker. 

• Students noticed: 
• The girl was a reckless driver (cause of the crash)
• The driver was in a hurry/driving fast which caused an accident
• The driver was going on a trip...a suitcase is on the ground with clothing scattered around it
• The female figure was not the driver...b/c she has no bruises/scrapes (not injured) 
• The setting is in a residential area (house in the background)
• The crash just happened...b/c there are no police or ambulances in the scene 
• The road is slick...the ground appears darker
• The people in the house are home...b/c the lights are on and there is a car parked out front 
• It is sunset or night time
• It is sunrise or morning 

• I was able to scaffold some vocabulary/descriptive language such as residential, suburban, gradation, etc. I was hoping that they would comment about the feeling or mood of the image, so that I could paraphrase with juxtaposition, somber, eerie, tranquil, serene, etc. However, those opportunities did not arise in the discussion. 

• The big surprise or curveball in my VTS lesson was that half of the students were asked to leave the class at the beginning of the discussion for a school related meeting. Because of that, I lost a lot of students who were frequent contributors. I think if they would've been present, the VTS discussion would've been longer and more in depth. It was unfortunate. 

• Even though the discussion wasn't as rich as I had envisioned, I would use this image again with a similar class. The reasons are mostly the same as I've stated above: I think this image is relatable, multi-layered, intriguing to this age group.  

Blog Post #11

Preparing for Teacher's Choice

I have chosen this photograph by Gregory Crewdson to VTS with my students. For some reason, I could no find the title anywhere (does anyone know?). Before selecting the image, I was already familiar with Gregory Crewdson's photography and his unique process. I simply googled him and found an image that I found school appropriate, challenging, multi-layered, and enticing.

I believe this image addresses the needs and concerns of my high school students because the scene of a car accident is something that many of them have either seen or experienced. The image appeals to both male and female; it is mysterious, tragic, and serene all at the same time. Many small details will encourage students to look closer and more carefully. There is no clear answer to what is going on in this scene, so there can be many interpretations.

I believe the students will be challenged by this image because there seems to be a strange duality happening within this photo. The scene is both traumatic and beautiful. The image seems to contain a narrative that the students will have to carefully dissect.

Blog Post #10

The following image was used for this week's VTS discussion (VIDEO B):

Assessing Student Engagement and Learning

The students' engagement was pretty good this week, gradually building with each discussion. There was a lot of observations and comments made about the image. The students who contribute regularly did so again this week, but I did hear from a couple new students (who hadn't participated before). Although students were engaged with the image, I did notice some side chatter in the audience. This was a bit distracting as the facilitator.

Students noticed:

• The girls are sisters...because they look alike
• The "older sister" was applying makeup to the "younger sister"
• There are mirrors on the ground...connecting them with the makeup
• The image appears older...because of the disheveled/older model of truck
• The dog in the corner looks like he's on the prowl
• The younger girl does not appear happy
• The younger girl could have a black eye 
• The older girl could be concealing the black eye of the younger girl with makeup
• The girls stole their mothers makeup and are playing 
• The girls don't have shoes on
• Maybe the girls are homeless...truck is their home?
• They are in Virginia...because of the state license plate on the truck
• There aren't any other houses or people around 
• There could be tissues on the ground...someone could've been crying

As the discussion went along, the students were making more connections and drawing more conclusions. Their thinking is rising above the stage 1 viewing...they are starting to notice more than just on the surface observations. I think the students learned from this discussion that there are many possibilities within an image. A lot of students were respectfully disagreeing and providing different ideas. For example, one student thought the two black lines on the ground were tire tracks, and another thought is was a shadow cast from power lines. 

Reflecting on Practice

I felt more comfortable facilitating this time around, and learned that an interesting image allows for a longer and a more in-depth discussion. I was able to use the three questions successfully and remain neutral. I think I did a nice job paraphrasing overall, but it was difficult when students would talk over one another. At times, the students would say comments one after another quickly, so it was challenging to stop and paraphrase after each one. The students tended to make a lot of assumptions about the image, so I made sure I tacked on a lot of conditional language. 

I was surprised at how talkative the students were this time. I think this is partly because I am becoming a more familiar face to them. This is good and bad because for some, they felt comfortable acting silly and having side conversations during this discussion. It's hard to determine when (or if) to classroom manage when some students are being distracting. However, with this level of comfort, more students spoke up in the discussion. A few still have yet to participate. 

Planning

For my next VTS discussion, I need to re-address at the beginning that students need to raise their hand and speak one at a time. This will ensure that all students are listening and can hear each other's contributions. This will also allow me to paraphrase in a smoother and clearer way. 

Blog Topic #9

Teacher's Choice Proposal 

My focus class for VTS is an Intro to Art class at Fort Zumwalt East High School. I will be long-term subbing for this group starting in December. Therefore, prior to my VTS discussions, the students were new to me, and I was new to them. This class is made up of 9th, 10th and 11th grade students...some have an interest in art, and others do not. There are a mixture of personalities and abilities in this class. Some students still remain silent during discussions, and some willing participate each time.

Here are my 4 image choices I am deciding between for my teacher's choice VTS lesson:

Welcome Footsteps by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema 

by Gregory Crewdson

Soft Watch at the Moment of First Explosion by Salvador Dali

Girl at Mirror by Norman Rockwell

Blog Topic #8

VTS Lesson #3

This week's discussion with the Intro to Art students was another step in the right direction.
Here's how it went...

After asking the first VTS question, the students were quick to start answering. They noticed:

• The woman in the image is pregnant or has stomach pains...b/c she's holding her stomach
• The woman looks distressed...b/c of her facial expressions 
• The woman is dressed in red and stands out
• All the other figures are dressed in neutral colored clothing 
• It looks like the setting is in a subway station...b/c it's crowded and there are gates 
• The three men on the left appear to be in phone booths/stations 
• At first glance, there appears to be only one female figure...she is the focal point
• After looking closer. there are two more females in the image. 
• It looks like a mirror image or reflection...there's "repetition" 
• Everyone is looking/glaring at the female figure 

After these observations were made, there was a long silence that I tried to wait out. It didn't appear that anyone was going to raise there hand again, so I cheated a little on the last question and asked: "Can anyone tie this all together for us?" I asked this because this group of students make great observations, but no one attempts to find an overall meaning. After I asked that, one girl raised her hand and said, "Because the woman seems to be the center of attention, I think this image is about the [male gaze] and what they desire from women." How compelling! That was the type of answer I wanted to hear...an attempt at a deeper analysis of the image as a whole. Was it bad that I didn't stick to wording "what more can we find?" 

VTS-to-Date: Reflection 

• I think I am doing well staying neutral, listening carefully to the students, and keeping track of what's been said. For the most part, I am able to execute the 3 questions successfully. 

• From my first VTS experience with the professional peers, I have grown a little more comfortable and relaxed with each discussion. Also, my paraphrasing is gradually getting clearer and more fluent.

• I am pleasantly surprised that the students are improving and growing with me through each VTS discussion. 

• Room to improve...Even though there is a lot of participation, it is the same group of students who normally contribute. I am not sure how to reach out to the other students who keep quiet during the discussions. In addition, our discussions are full of observations in the beginning and then fizzle out, making for brief discussions at times. How can I get more hands to raise after asking "what more can we find", followed by a LONG wait time?

Blog Post #7

Why not tell? 

Parts 1 & 2 of "VTS & Information" described the speculation some individuals have about VTS discussions not providing viewers with accurate facts about the artwork. More specifically, VTS has also been criticized for not correcting "false" interpretations provided by participants. In the reading, VTS supporters rebutted by describing the findings from museum educators. When given the background and facts about a work of art, students (of all ages) were able to take in the information, but not retain it. Many times, the audience's viewing level is below that of the artwork they are learning about. Rather than teaching specific facts about an image, VTS seeks to teach students how to read an image. Therefore, the purpose of viewing art is not to be able to regurgitate truths about it, but to be able to analyze visual texts and to make inferences based on evidence.

I would explain "not telling" to an administrator by focusing on the type of learning skills VTS fosters. By coming up with their own conclusions, students are being held accountable for their investigatory learning. They are problem solving in order to answer the open-ended questions that VTS asks. Problem solving is a 21st century skill that aligns with the Common Core, and thus serves a purpose in the class room. In addition, VTS discussions promotes teamwork and collaborative learning. By listening to peers' contributions, students are able to learn from one another and work together to reach a conclusion. Giving the students "right" answers does not allow them to consider multiple possibilities.

Blog Topic #6

Assessing, Reflecting, and Planning

Video A, Lesson #2

Choice A

Choice B

I gave the students of the choice between two images (A and B) to VTS. I asked them which image they found more interesting...they chose option B. 

Assessing Student Engagement and Learning

• The student engagement in Lesson 2 was significantly better than Lesson 1. I had the students stand up and huddle around the image, rather than having them stay at their seats. Because of this, I noticed more students actually LOOKING at the image. Overall, there were more responses and more students who participated. 
• Students noticed: 
• The men could be coal miners...because of dirty clothes and light on hat 
• The men could be painters...because of the ladder and [paint] cans in the background 
• They could be on a lunch break...because of their relaxed body language
• Their facial expressions appear mellow/unenthusiastic 
• They could be building something
• The man sitting looks like he is shining his shoes
• Setting could be in the forest...because of the trees in the back
• It could be snowy...because of the white patches on the ground and roof
• It could NOT be snowy...because the white is an aesthetic choice made by the artist to create contrast
• The students' thinking was comprised of a lot of "on the surface" observations, but I did notice more inferences being made in this discussion. 
• I think the students learned that there can be a lot of different opinions and interpretations within one image. They demonstrated diverse thinking. The students also learned it is okay to disagree. For example, one student raised her hand and said she disagreed that it was snowing in the image. 

Reflecting on Practice

• Although not perfect, this discussion felt much better this time around. I think the students' proximity to the image and the image choice were the KEY to the improvement. The student were more interested in the image, and they therefore had more to notice and talk about. Because they were standing close to the image, they were less likely to be distracted by other things in the room. In addition, the group was able to hear each other's contributions more clearly. 
• I was able to stick to the three questions pretty well. I thought this time I was able to utilize the second question "what do you see that makes you say that" in a productive way. I do still think my paraphrasing could be clearer and more elegantly stated. This is something I need to work on. 
• I was pleasantly surprised that more students participated in this discussion. Lesson 1 was a bit lack-luster, but I think we are now on the road to improvement! 

Planning

• I would like to work on my paraphrasing and linking for futureVTS lessons. In addition, I want to work on how to gauge the end of the discussion. It is hard to determine when the conversation is dead, or when I simply need to wait out the silence. 
• To accomplish this, I want to try waiting for a longer period of time before cutting off the discussion. To help my paraphrasing, I think more practice will help. 

Blog Topic #5

Portrait of Possibility 

After observing the class and speaking with the teacher I'm partnering with, I have identified one boy in my class (I'll refer to him as Student A) whom I believe could benefit from VTS. He is a student in Intro to Art, and probably could be considered one taking the class "only for the fine art credit." During the first VTS discussion he did offer any contributions, his gaze was often away from the image, and he had his head laid on the desk at times. Student A could be shy, lack confidence, or simply be uninterested. 

I believe that VTS could show Student A how artwork can be meaningful and interesting. The notion that wrong answers don't exist in VTS will hopefully encourage him to "wonder" and participate. However, I think this will only happen if the image is enticing enough. The sense of community and group effort that VTS fosters will hopefully give Student A more confidence. 

To address Student A's needs, I think I will ask the group to gather closer to the image. Hopefully this will eliminate the temptation to stare off in another direction. Also, I will carefully choose an image that I feel the students' can relate too. Even with the help of VTS, I do think Student A (like many high schoolers) will be difficult to reach out to...but I am hopeful for a positive outcome. 

Blog Topic #4

VTS Lesson Plan #1, Image #1
Class: Intro to Art (grades 9-12)

Assessing Student Engagement & Learning

The student engagement in the Lesson 1 discussion seemed a little low, unfortunately. I'm not sure if the students were tired because it was first hour, if they were uninterested in the image, or if they simply didn't feel like participating. There was about four students who provided multiple contributions, and the rest were quiet.

The students noticed:

• The image appears to take place in an older time period...because of the clothing
• The male figure could be an artist...because of the art on the well and in front of him
• The male figure could be wealthy...because of the size of the room 
• The male figure could be the father of the two female figures
• The female figures could be maids/servants...because they appear to be assisting the male. 
• The male figure blends into the background
• The females' clothes show modesty...because of their long length and high collars

The students' thinking seemed to surround mostly surface-level observations. The students did notice some important details, but I didn't feel like they attempted to make larger connections find deeper meaning. 

There didn't seem to be much student interaction or collaboration to find more information about the image. Because of this, group meaning-making didn't occur as much as it could have.

I think the students learned that there are many things to discover in an artwork if they take the time to look. They students told me that most of them don't take time to look at art.

Reflecting on Practice:

The structure of the VTS discussion felt good, and I thought that I was able to implement the three questions successfully. I thought the paraphrasing was especially helpful because a lot of the students spoke softly, so when I re-stated their response, the rest of the class could hear their contribution.

Although I was able to use the questions and the teacher behaviors, asking "what more can we find"and waiting did not always seem to persuade the students to raise their hand and participate. Because of that, I was tempted to say more or ask them more guided questions, but I refrained.

If I omitted the second question "what do you see that makes you say that," I definitely don't think the students would've provided their own reasoning...so that was an important question.

I knew that VTSing with high school level students would be a bit of a challenge, but I was surprised that more people did not participate. I also was concerned that some student didn't even appear to be looking closely at the image...some were looking down or staring off into space.

Planning:

For my next discussion, I want to make sure that the image is interesting enough for this high school group. Because the VTS curriculum images are only k-8, I used the Lesson #1 for grade 8. I personally don't feel like the chosen image appealed to these students. Maybe this is something I can discuss with Mary and ask for guidance.

Blod Topic #3

Pre-VTS Assessments 

Class: Intro to Art (grades 9-12)

• I noticed that although the students were given a lot of space to write/ lines to write on, their responses as a whole were not very lengthy. Most students only pointed out visual characteristics of what was in the photograph, and very few students attempted to find a deeper meaning. A lot of students simply described an inventory of what they saw, and there was very little elaboration on the second question (what do you see that makes you say that?).  Some inferences were made about the man's occupation and mood. A few students  did use conditional language. 

A few students writing samples:

"A chef is posing for a picture in what looks like an older kitchen with a cigarette in his hands and a cup of tea or coffee on a saucer in the other leaning up against the counter."

"A man is taking a break from cooking. He is standing by a stove with pots and pans on it. He is wearing a chef hat as well. He is staring off into space as he is holding a cup of tea. There are cabinets behind him, timers above the stove, and a backsplash as well."

"This picture seems to look like a doctor, most likely a surgeon, drinking a cup of tea. I can tell that with the hat and the face mask thing and the scrubs that he could be a doctor. We can find that maybe he just got done with surgery, and he has had a long day at work."

• The thinking I noticed that Yenawine discussed was that it surrounds a single idea. Making up the single idea, the students have an observation and an inference. Although these thoughts can lead to more complex thinking, they are limited at this time. They have the ability to observe more, but they aren't volunteering any more ideas currently. 

• Reflecting upon Housen's descriptions, I believe most of these students are Stage 1 & 2 viewers. In some cases, students made bulleted lists of what they saw...falling into the Stage 1 viewing category. These students made "simple, concrete observations." Other students' writing aligned more with the Stage 2 description...they came up with ideas by referencing them to their knowledge of the world. For example: "generally tea makes you unstressed and by looking at his face, he seems distracted." 

• I was surprised that more students didn't go into further detail about the image...especially because of their high school age. I also noticed that a lot of the pre-assessments did not contain  very sophisticated writing and sentence structure. I'm curious to see how their pot-assessment will differ. 

Blog Topic #2

Last night I conducted the professional peer VTS discussion. Because I don't work in one particular school yet, I used 5 adults in my discussion: a working business man, a stay at home mother, a recent college graduate of economics, a retired teacher, and a young mother with an art degree (what a mix!).

First I want to say that I goofed up (sorry Mary) because I didn't see the images we were supposed to choose from. So...I chose my own! I chose to VTS the painting "Stop-Action Reaction: Jacqueline Kennedy, King of Hearts" by Tina Mion. I only felt confident about this choice because Mary led of VTS discussion of this image in Kathy's class this summer and it was fabulous! 

I definitely felt more nervous out of the classroom and in front of peers, but the discussion went pretty well! It was a slower start, but once the conversation got rolling, many great contributions were made. The group was not used to raising their hands so at times it was hard to stop in between each comment and paraphrase. Also, I felt that paraphrasing some comments sounded redundant, so I found myself picking and choosing which ideas to repeat back. I was really surprised how interested people were with the image as the discussion progressed (especially since these people were participating simply as a favor to me). 

The overall feedback was: 

• VTS makes you look at the image much more in depth than you normally would. 
• Helps you notice and wonder what the artist's intent is/ what the image means
• It allows you to react to others' comments (ping off each other)
• The discussion is like a chain reaction, and pieces come together when everyone collaborates 

Blog Topic #1

Hello everyone!

I recently graduated from Mizzou in May with my undergrad degree in art education; this is my second graduate course!  I live in Chesterfield, Missouri and I currently substitute teach in the Francis Howell and Fort Zumwalt school district in the St. Louis area.

Because I don't have a classroom of my own (yet), I am working to find an art teacher to collaborate with this semester in one of the schools I sub in. I don't have my focus classroom yet, but I hope to know very soon! If possible, I will target high school students at the "intro to art" level. I believe that VTS will encourage students who are less vocal in class to speak their opinions comfortably. Perhaps the students who lack confidence in their knowledge and ability in art will benefit the most from the "permission to wonder." These students will be relieved from the pressure of having the "correct" answer. The permission to wonder offered by VTS levels the playing field so that no one student holds an advantage over another. I am also hoping that this process will ignite an interest in art for students who are currently uninterested. I think VTS will encourage students to dive deeper into finding the conceptual meaning of artworks...a skill that many art students lack prior to college.

I will update my post once I finalize my focus class, and edit my thoughts about who will benefit the most, if needed. 

I look forward to this VTS journey will you all!