Image Choice Implementation

I couldn't leave my kinders for winter break without VTSing one more time. So I slipped in my image selection for a feel good VTS kick.

Aside: The culture of the region I teach in is Protestant Christian. To the point that I have to discourage religious bullying in some of my upper grades. I thought this image was accessible to the students, but not evangelical. I myself am not christian, and  I do keep my religious persuasion out of the classroom. I chose this image because it would be easily read at some level even by young students - it is part of their visual culture.

I think I had posted earlier that I felt this image would be accessible to this age group because of the drama of the boo-boo. But I was very surprised by the meaning the students attached to this image. The first cause of surprise was the narrative that was formed. The dark clothing and the unhappy expression on the left figure's face gave one student the feeling that the boys in this painting were bad guys who were going to hurt the angel. Some other students added that the boys were taking the angel to a castle. One said the angel's head was about to be chopped off. There is a black horizontal line in the middle ground that crosses the stream and intersects with the angel's back. My kinders noticed this detail that I hadn't and three students said it was sticking out of the angel's back. One said it was the reason the angel was hurt, Two others said it was stuck into her back like a knife or a sword.

Not everyone interpreted the paining with the same meaning, though.  One person verbalized that they thought the boys were helping the angel by carrying her. Another student said that the angel's eyes were hurt. He also added that there was water in the flowers she is holding, and the water would help her eyes. This leads to discuss the level of logic that is becoming more evident with the kinders. Prior to the eye statement, a student had noticed that the flowers the angel was holding was similar to the flowers growing in the landscape behind her. (The boys had picked the flowers to give to her). Another point of interest was their discussion about directionality in the painting. Even though the students still don't address each other directly, there was disagreement about which way the stream flowed and how that affected the meaning. One person said the river was flowing from the ocean in the back to the bottom. Another addressed it later by saying he thought it was flowing up. During the discussion a person had said that the boys were trying to carry the angel to the river in the background so they could find a boat to get her some help. Another student said they couldn't be carrying her to the water because they were walking in the opposite direction. VTS lets me glimpse into their logic in a way I haven't seen in the past.

Now that we are at mid-year, the kinders are past their honeymoon period. There is a core group of students that I could VTS without distraction. But I have noticed that during our past few VTS sessions, there are students who ask, "We aren't going to make anything to day?" Which is kosher with me because kids come to art to "do." Also, kindergartners also have art for 20 minutes at a time. I reply that talking about art is just as important as doing, and that  I enjoy their discussions so much. Most of the students are eager to talk about art, though at the 8/9 minute mark I lose about 1/4 the class to fidgeting. The problem is, there are students who still want to talk about the artwork. Another quarter can stay focused during the disruptions and insist on keeping their hands up in the air. The other half can be swayed depending on their disposition to stay focused or be drawn into the playing. So I am ending this post with a question to all, In your opinion, how do I best manage the misbehaviors? I am O.K. with setting a timer for 10 minutes or less, and will try this first. But this caters to the fidgeters. How do I differentiate for those who are eager and are capable for a prolonged discussion? Independent writing is not an option because of their age.


AND ONE LAST THING: One of students offered evidence for her comment without being prompted. I was mentally in disbelief when it happened. She made a comment about the boys helping the angel and said it was because they were holding the poles and carrying her. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Summative Project

Here is the sculpture so far. My beginning concept was "layers," like in the layers of thinking a VTS facilitator has to do, and the layers and categories of audience that appear during a session. I wanted to incorporate movement into the sculpture. The figures you see in the video are on hinges, but most do not allow the figures to stand up on their own. I need to go back to the drawing board in the case of the hinges. I have also included some still images of Red Grooms work. When I was thinking of how to construct the figures, I kept thinking of Red Grooms' Ruckus Manhattan, because I have a very ruckus classroom. I was drawn by the caricatures, colors, and business of his work. The figures you see are snapshots of the students'  behaviors.  VTSing with these students has provided an education into their thinking and personalities that I would not see otherwise, for the most part.

At the time of this post, the plaster base is gone, gone to the dumpster. It still hasn't dried, and the marker from the bottom of the figures was starting to seep into the plaster. Most of the hinges have been removed also. My future plans for this work is creating more of an environment, and adding the other people who come in and out of the room during this class period.

update #2

In Progress - Summative Project

 

Subway, 1971 by Red Grooms (lithograph)

So far, I have four students repoused, with another on the way this morning. I have narrowed my focus to the Nine who were post tested, plus myself. 

I am loosely basing my work on the installation Ruckus Manhattan by Red Grooms. I have pinpointed the use of facial expressions, gestures, motion and flat color to use in my final piece. I love Groom's caricatures, as well as his belief that art should be for everyone. His installations in the 70s were on the streets of New York, so anyone could experience the work at no cost.

Blog #14

Student	Total Word Count	Total # Adjectives	Conditional Language	Assertions w/o Evidence	Questioning	Inference/Predictions
Emily	165 /40+	16/3	8/0	4/2	1/0	4/0
Elizabeth	58/20	4/1		3/0
Anna Grace	40/30+	2/0	2/0	3/0
Marlee	27/40+	1/0	1/1	2/ 1
Payton	111/75	6/1	1/1	9/2		2/2
Andrew	20/5	1/0	1/0	3/1
Jamison	67/50	7/2	0/1	2/2
Rayne	15/25	1/1		1/0
Daniel	30+/45	2/1	/2	5/5

 

Pre/Post VTS

I need to start out by saying that not all things were equal between the two assessments. During the pre-test, a smaller number of students were in the class, and two students were suspended. The post test included double the number of students. Also added to the mix was the fact that the students were wound up. About half of our VTS session was spent correcting misbehavior.

I do think that this class still belongs in the Level 1 viewer category. They like to describe and make up narratives.  The changes that I have observed during the post-test as follows:

• Conditional language: I categorized ," I think that..." as conditional language for a kindergartner. The reason I did this is that I really think they were referencing their personal interpretations  in those statements. "I think.." statements were only made by one student during the pre-test. Most statements were, "That is..." During the post assessment there were more ,"I think" statements than, "That is."
• Listing/matching - The pre-test was laden with listing and matching statements. The post- test included much more narrative and three statements about cause and effect. The students seemed to get past understanding the image and started to more comforable make connections that led to narratives.
• Adjectives - no/ VERBS - Yes: I am listing a null change in the use of adjectives.  What I did notice was an increase in the use of verbs. During the pre-test the verbs were the obvious - skating, falling, snowing. During the post-test the students described slipping, running, dancing, spinning, and twisting. These verbs were added to their more developed narratives.
• Accessibilty: The students still have a hard time figuring out overlapping shapes. Instead they find humor in pictures that juxtapose figures.

Interpreting the qualitative data. 

• The advancement I viewed was related to the increase use of verbs when describing the artwork. The gestures and stop action poses really engaged the students and helped them to create narratives that were not evident during the pretest. Overall, the narrative and action in the artworks became expressed more in depth. I reference this development in a previous post comparing the VTS discussions between my four kindergarten classes. Using the same image, the class that consistently used VTS were able to read the image more successfully and become more engaged. They were able to go past describing behaviors in the initial viewing of the artwork, and make up many narratives. 
• Perceived inaccuracies in in the artwork viewed triggers laughter, not disdain. They are not level 2 viewers yet.
• I think that more research needs to be done into how language development of very young students both  is affected by and affects visual literacy. 
• I think the VTS scoring guide needs to be modified to accurately can capture the developments in the kindergartners. I would recommend listing other categories to document the fluency with which students in this age group have in verbally describing art. I feel I need to research the literacy expectations of this grade level to more fully understand the data.
• I would also recommend to future VTS teachers that  Piaget's stages of development need to be researched and incorporated into the findings at each viewing. It would give a general context to what the students are verbalizing.

VTS and 5th grade

I am using VTS for the first time with my fifth graders.  They discussed the image below after finishing a collage about popular culture. We are currently touching upon the Ashcan artists to pave the way for pop artists, who we will study for the rest of the year.  We start class by VTSing the image. I then give them a short excerpt to read from a Scholastic book which we discuss as a class. Then they look at the painting again and compare what they said during the VTS session with the information they read.  For the two classes that have done this so far, the students have made many connections with their initial observations and the class reading. It has been fun to hear the comments linking the two, and the comments have all been positive so far.

 

George Luks, Allen Street, 1905

The big differences between fifth grade and kindergarten have been 

• Management: The older students don't wiggle and have better manners.
• Linking: The fifth graders linked their comments to other students voluntarily during the initial VTS session
• Evidence: after hearing me ask, "What do you see that makes you say that?"  twice, the students automatically started giving evidence
• Personal experience: The fifth graders started their initial statements by saying, "I have been to a festival that looked like this, " or,  "I have been to an outdoor market."
• Movement in the pictorial space: The students have experience with overlap and other levels of space, so it was easier for them to move around in the painting.

Blog #13

If only eating my own words was such a pleasant experience................

On the day I videotaped lesson 3, the internet was down. Which would have been fine, except I had not downloaded a big enough file for the image I wanted to VTS. As it were, I had a back up image already loaded into my Keynote presentation. I ended up VTSing a panel of Romare Bearden's The Block.  This image was already in slide format because I knew I was supposed to talk about it with all four of my kindergarten classes to support common core curriculum. I didn't want to use it for video #3 because I thought it would be a flop.  

As it turns out, it did produce limited conversation and interpretation with the other three classes. Each VTS session was 8-10 minutes long. My VTS class, though, talked for 20 minutes about the image.

 

Romare Bearden panel from The Block, 1971

Source: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1978.61.1-6

Critically evaluate the work of art you selected 

 In my previous post I stated " On one hand, the images are like a "Where's Waldo?" book. For a student that interested is in looking at an image for a long period of time, these pictures are eye candy. On the other hand, the concept of time between the artworks would be incomprehensible to a young child. I also think the comparing of two artworks in kindergarten is a bit much, since they are learning how to look at artwork. Both images lack in accessibility also. To understand the Breugel on even a surface level, one would need to know about rural life and the name of most of the objects in the painting. I think a lack of perquisite knowledge would prevent them from getting the overall feel of "community," even though  they would be fascinated with it. The Beardon has lots of colors, but it isn't easily readable.  Even on a large screen, the collaged black and white images are hard to see. The students would have to be right up to the image to see some of the figures. It would be hard to VTS. I think that both artworks, though interesting, may be better suited for a second grader who has the capacity to "read" an artwork or book."

Reflection

Based on Yenawine's guildelines for beginning viewers, I think this image was off because of the lack of personal experience this group of six year olds have had with the subject matter: big city life and a funeral. On the other hand, I knew most students attend church with their families and would recognize some of the religious images. They also know what cities are, though the community that feeds into this school does not have apartments - students live in houses, mobile homes, or multiple family homes. Also, given they are stage 1 viewers, they are open to art that isn't realistic, and don't pass judgment like a stage 2 viewer would. I do have two students that do list unrealistic characteristics of the images they discuss, and they find it funny.

I have contrasting results from my K VTS class and the other three K classes at the same school. In summary, the other classes that have only VTSed once before spent the discussion listing items they saw in the picture, such as rectangles, doors, people, buildings, and colors. A few students in these classes started narratives about the image, such as a person falling, and the people below were there to catch them. Out of these 3 classes, one student stated that the picture was of a city, and another student seemed to be figuring out movement in the space of the image, saying the people went in the door on the left and came out of the door on the right.

By comparison, the VTS class listed items less, and made more narratives. They listed actions such as a bomb exploding, a person in the door placing a bomb and running away, a robber, a robber pushing someone off the building and the crowd below would catch the person with a trampoline, etc. One student did state that he couldn't see the faces of the people in the picture, but I think this group was comfortable enough talking about artwork that the challenge was just right. There was a variety of opinions and stories offered, and the class discussion lasted 8 more minutes than it usually does!

Features of the artwork that the students focused on were the people, the angels, the large face in the upper right hand corner of a building, and people in the space of the stairs and doorways. They interpreted gestures of the figures, perhaps since they couldn't read the faces.

The surprise was that they were so intrigued by the image - I would have saved it for an older group of students.  If I were to VTS this image with kindergarten students again, it would be after the students had VTSed at least 6 times, so as to not frustrate a newbie who had very little experience looking at art and talking about it.

This is the project we are doing following the VTS session, to help them understand the type of image they were looking at.

Kindergarten Common Core

Kindergarten is beginning Unit 3 in common core language arts. The two images art teachers are supposed to discuss with the students are a panel of Romare Beardon's The Block (1972) and Bruegel's Netherlandish Proverbs. They are supposed to compare them side by side and explain there is a 400 year difference between the two. The students are to be shown a panel of the block or a section of the Bruegel and write a one sentence description of what is happening. The overarching theme of the unit is community.

IMO - On one hand, the images are like a "Where's Waldo?" book. For a student that interested is in looking at an image for a long period of time, these pictures are eye candy. On the other hand, the concept of time between the artworks would be incomprehensible to a young child. I also think the comparing of two artworks in kindergarten is a bit much, since they are learning how to look at artwork. Both images lack in accessibility also. To understand the Breugel on even a surface level, one would need to know about rural life and the name of most of the objects in the painting. I think a lack of perquisite knowledge would prevent them from getting the overall feel of "community," even though  they would be fascinated with it. The Beardon has lots of colors, but it isn't easily readable.  Even on a large screen, the collaged black and white images are hard to see. The students would have to be right up to the image to see some of the figures. It would be hard to VTS. I think that both artworks, though interesting, may be better suited for a second grader who has the capacity to "read" an artwork or book.

The common core units each have a theme, and there has been little unity in the sequence of artwork between the units. I would fail most of the common core images if I judged them by Yenawine's suggestions for beginning viewers. It is obvious this part of the curriculum was not field tested before implementation. (But really, none of it was!) Not that I have an opinion on the matter. I like my job ;).

Blog #12

The Fallen Angel, Hugo Simberg, 1903
Image Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wounded_Angel
Hugo Simberg was a Finnish Symbolist Painter. I came across the image researching a presentation for fourth grade about Picasso.  The artist never offered an explanation of the work.

The kindergarten class that has VTSed with me this semester are Stage 1 viewers. They make concrete observations and try to find narratives in works of art. Using Philipp Yenawine's article on image selection as a guide, I have chosen the above image for lesson 6.

• Accessibility: The figures and setting of the image can be described by this class. I think most will know the central figure is an angel, and they can see that the boys are carrying her.
• Captivation: Knowing how 6 year olds are captivated by boo-boos and band-aids, I think the angel may jump-start their storytelling.
• Expressive content: The painting offers layers of meaning to be interpreted. But with this age group, I think they'll focus on making literal interpretations and won't get the metaphor.
• Narrative: There will be questions of why the boys are carrying the angel, if it is a real angel or a person dressed up, and what happened to her. Some might also explain where the trio is going.
• Diversity: Time - early 20th century
• Realism: The painting is realistically painted.
• Media: Painting for ease of reproduction
• Subject: The painting will offer the students an opportunity to build a narrative from an image that looks like a genre painting.
• Sequences: This painting may be more ambiguous because the angel is a mythological figure in a realistic setting.
• Series: The VTS images do far have been concerned with people: recreation, families, and friends engaged in recognizable activities. This painting includes children going somewhere in a recognizable landscape.
• Mythological/ Religious Subject Matter: Although Yenawine suggests avoiding such subject matter for beginning viewers most of the time, I think there is enough accessible drama in a simple composition for the kindergartners to figure out.

I think the biggest challenge for this group is figuring out why there is an angel in the setting. Some may be content with listing and matching and not ask why the angel is there.  They will probably focus on the children in the foreground and the body of water in the background. If they are just content with listing and matching, the discussion could fall flat. A few students usually make narratives that the others react to, though. I do not expect a metaphorical interpretation of the painting. I do expect they'll start to make a story to explain it.

Blog #11

 

William H. Johnson Boy's Sunday Trip

Assessing Engagement and Learning

Student willingness to participate is sustained. Out of 13 students that can be recorded, nine had hands up to answer questions before I gave my opening spiel. Over time, it has gone from a few hands to over half the class. The last 4 sessions were started similarly to this one. The students are still listing items they see in the artwork. However, one girl interpreted the buildings as being part of a hospital complex. Another boy noticed the texture of the shirts and said the boys had played in the grass and gotten dirty. On the whole, they are still trying to make sense of what they see and find language to communicate their concrete observations. All but one student today had to be prompted to explain, when necessary. The students still voice their agreement, disagreement through listing their observations for me. There is a bit of inflection in the  “I think…” when a student is offering a differing opinion. The students are less surprised when they list items that are rendered unrealistically. They still laugh loudly.

Reflective Practice

One thing I noticed by reviewing the video is that the students wiggled less. The discussion seemed limited, even for kindergarten, as few students went past listing. The students that usually offer the deeper interpretations only listed unrealistic aspects of the painting. However, they were easier to manage, even as the class has grown by two students.  The way I am asking and replying hasn’t changed. I did notice a different use of vocabulary from one of the quieter girls in class. She pointed out the boxes “in the background.” This was exciting for me as some students have a hard time talking about space in the images. She’s been listening! I do need to use my foreground, middle ground, and background more in talking about the division of space.  I scaffolded in paraphrasing texture, gesture, and speaking about the artist’s use of paint.

Planning for the future

I need to work on getting more art vocabulary scaffolded. I can doing this by listing some art vocab that may be relevant to the students, if the opportunity arises,  before viewing. I definitely would like to continue using VTS with this grade to see how they develop. I think I feel a little more comfortable picking ages for this age group to VTS.

Blog Topic #9

I videotaped a VTS session discussing Millet's First Steps for my second video submission. I deviated from the VTS list because I needed to discuss two common core artworks with kindergarten. There is a three week gap between that lesson and this post.

Student Engagement
The students are just as willing to participate in the discussion. The change I noticed in this session was that the students let be give a brief opening blurb about the rules. Also - I sped through the rules - I didn't ask them to tell me what listening looks like (open ears, closed mouth). The students first noticed the figures in the foreground. The students really focused on the stopped action of the figures, and most of their comments were were of their perceptions of the figures' gestures. Also, very early on in the discussion, some of the students were trying to define the setting of the painting. One said a backyard because of the fence, another noticed the leaves and the ground, and still another said a leave was a frog and the fence was a river. About mid discussion, a student identified the seasons by comparing the trees - 'that tree over there, some of it has leaves and that one doesn't have leaves. It's fall and it's about to be winter there." After being asked the third question, he said he knew it wasn't winter because of the people weren't wearing winter clothes.  The language isn't conditional yet. The students are expressing their observations concretely. Some students say , "I think that....." Right now, I think that is how they are referencing others statements. For example, one student might say , "I see green leaves on that tree." In about 3-5 minutes another student will say, "I think that green thing there is a frog." The students are respectful, but they are kindergartners. Quite a few are kinetic and wiggle, which causes disruptions for others.
I find that I modify the first question from what can we find to what can you find, or even Emily, what can you find in this picture (to get someone's attention). It hasn't caused a problem in the way the students respond. The students added more narrative to their meaning making - perhaps they will continue to look for relationships in art.

Reflective Practice
I felt that this session was successful. The students were supposed to discuss the artwork in art class so they could go back to the classroom and write a story about it in a few weeks time. I will get some of the examples of student writing soon and see how their discussion was reflected in their writing.

The discoveries I am making now are related to just how bright some of the students are. (None of them are dull.) I have the same lunch time as the kindergarten teachers. The teacher of this class identifies two students as being advanced as far as reading and writing. That is her definition of bright. I have identified four students that make original, insightful observations that they can back up with evidence.  One if them is one of her "bright students." The boy that makes comments that seems most developmentally above his peers shocked the teacher. He had identified the three bears as being the same size, but being on different size rocks in the last discussion, and this discussion made the comment about the trees and the transition of the seasons.  He may not read or write well, but he is one of my shining stars. It is at times like these that I start making links between this class and the gifted and talented classes I am taking at UALR. Advanced language skills, including reading and writing, are often an attribute of gifted children. But there are also times when cognitive skills outpace motor development. Especially in boys, who tend to develop fine motor writing skills later than girls. Anywho, all it does is confound my ability to define intelligence in any domain!

 Planning
Since I no longer need to hold the VTS card during discussions, I am going to hold a checklist to make sure I call on the students equally.

Final Project

I am holding strong on the concept of layers for my summative assignment. I also want to incorporate movement into the piece. Maybe a mobile of sorts? I have wanted to put together a moving sculpture for a while based on the layers of trees I see out by back window. When it is windy, they move in their own layers from side to side. However, my VTS piece will incorporate figures and concepts somehow. My initial concept is metal (aluminum is what I have on hand). My question is the type of hinges to use to facilitate easy movement. The hinges would be part of the base. I want it to be able to sit on a tabletop, and be no bigger than an 11x14" frame, though it would have to be deeper. Any suggestions on hinges would be appreciated.

Blog #8

Millet The First Steps 

Source: Google Images

My focus class is a kindergarten class of fifteen students.  There are two reasons I have chosen this image as a good VTS choice for these students.

Reason #1: My school district has adopted the common core curriculum, and spent all last year building lessons for grades K-2. The current kindergarten unit states:

“After looking closely at three art pieces with the same name, “First Steps,” choose one of the paintings and imagine it shows the end of a story. Pair students to make up the beginning and middle of the story to share with the class. Prompt: Choose one of the paintings and write (or dictate) a sentence telling why you chose that painting as your favorite. Be sure to begin your sentence with a capital letter and put a period at the end. (W.K.1, W.K.3)”

“ART TEACHER WILL TEACH THIS:

• RL.K.9 To introduce “versions” of a story to your class, use Millet’s First Steps as the original idea. Allow the class to study the painting, giving plenty of time to notice details and create a possible story surrounding the painting. Then pull out Van Gogh’s First Steps, after Millet and have the class note how the “original characters are still in the story” but also that it all looks different. (Millet: People are prominent. Van Gogh: People are no longer the focus; everything appears equal in weight—the gate, the wheelbarrow, the tree in the background. The baby doesn’t even have a face anymore.) Picasso’s First Steps will amaze the class with the same idea but in a completely different setting, choice of color, and style. “

Disclaimer: I am only showing the Millet and Van Gogh. I am VTSing both with the students  each image on different days, to see  what the students will say. I am staying away from the abstract image because Yenawine suggested beginning viewers stay away from abstract images during VTS. I am also uneasy with the activities suggested by the Common Core Curriculum at times. The language and activities at time seem developmentally inappropriate for what I am currently doing with my students – it is a national curriculum that has not been researched tested and was developed by testing companies.

Reason #2:  I think this is an image my students would find accessible I think it fits the guidelines for image selection for beginning viewers listed by Yenawine for the following reasons –

·       The students can recognize the subject matter

·       The painting lends itself to multiple interpretations

·        It contains stopped action that lends to story telling

·       It is diverse in time

·       It is form of realism (genre)

·       Its theme (family and children) fits in with the Kindergarten VTS images

·       It is a painting that doesn’t lose much through photographic reproduction

·       It allows the students to discuss in terms of concrete observations

 

Blog #7

 The thoughts that crossed my mind as we VTSed together concerned the people around us. The classroom environment is controlled, except for unplanned disruptions by people who I am used to interacting with in that environment. I was interested in the people who hung back and listened to our discussion. The people listening were similar in age to us, and did not include young children. I think it might have been inviting to like aged peers to hear the constructive discussion. There have been times that I have been the fly on the wall, whether it be at a museum, in another person’s classroom or at the gym watching a personal trainer work. Their presence added another layer to the VTS experience. This is my concept of VTS right now  - layers.

Before I evaluate my recent VTS experience, I would like to say I am bummed I did not VTS the shroud with the group. I take responsibility for not speaking up at 3pm to say it was my turn – as I do not relish public speaking experiences in front of a group of peers. Now, however, I feel I cheated myself of a chance to collect formative data.

The museum VTS experience is different because of setting, context, space, and audience.  A museum setting tends to invoke more formal behavior – like being in a church. Looking at an artifact in a museum tends to infer importance and value that may be more neutral in a classroom, especially a classroom that incorporates viewing of images of the immediate visual culture as part of the curriculum. In the museum, the viewer can look at an artwork from at least 3 sides, regardless of the dimensionality of the piece. The viewer can then collect more information about an artifact. Finally, the audience isn’t as controlled for, as strangers can become part of the group.

My students would benefit from a museum VTS experience in that they would be up close to a piece of art, see it at its original size, and perhaps see it in the context of other artworks of a similar style. They would get additional information to construct information. The obstacles that would need to be overcome are over-excitability because of a field trip and lack of orientation to a new environment.

Blog #6

Assessing  Student Engagement and Learning:

            During this viewing, the students had their hands up before I reviewed the VTS. I feel they have memorized the VTS prompts and format. During the course of the description, the students listed the baby, horse, and clothes. They matched colors found in different parts of the painting and on different objects. They noticed that all the figures were wearing dresses, and all the figures had brown skin. They differentiated the mother from the babies and other children because of her posture. The females were identified based clothing. The mother was identified as female because of her long hair. The majority of the students stated that the mother was not wearing a shirt. There was one girl, who sat close to the image, who said the mom was wearing a shirt that matched her skin. The students said the figures were sleeping because their eyes were closed. I think the students are listing and making associations based on what is similar because that is how they try to comprehend at their stage of development.

            Once again, the students didn’t address each other directly. One student reminded me if I missed an observation while I was linking, He also linked one of his observations to one that another student made. I think the students are expecting their answers to be linked occasionally.

            The session lasted about 12 minutes, It concluded with a “You did a great job, give yourself a round of applause.” Then the students went to our seats to do some artwork.

            I think the process has been reinforced with the students. I don’t know what specifically they have learned this session, as I am witnessing a lot of the same as before. Perhaps a trend will become apparent later in the VTS process.

Reflecting on Practice:

            The discussion felt comfortable, up until the students started saying the mom was wearing no shirt. I immediately went into panic mode because I can imagine a class of six year olds telling their parents that they looked at a picture of a mom with no shirt. When repeating such observations, I began my stating, “ you think,” or, “it is your opinion that…..”

            I think I sometime ask the prescribed questions in different manners. I suspect I ask,” What can you find in this picture?” and “What is going on in this picture?” interchangeably. The first question may elicit listing answers, whereas the second invites the students to look deeper. I think it happens because I am not being careful with the wording.

            I am most surprised that the students didn’t say “naptime” during this session. These students still take naps as a class, and start asking about naptime after lunch. It reminds me not to make assumptions.

Planning:

            Since we are cramped for space, I definitely need to move the furniture around at the front of class. I also need to research meaning making in general in this age group.

Lesson 1 vs. Lesson 2

The major difference between lesson one and lesson two is the kindergarten class as a whole has some of the procedures down. This was our third VTS lesson - I videotaped a discussion for the Pre VTS assessment. There are less distractions, and most of the students do great. The big similarity between the lessons is the matching the students do - of colors and objects.

For myself, I can name the two students who are going to contribute a lot to the discussion. I am starting to notice a pattern in the student answers. The CBI students came to art for lesson two, which threw me for a loop, since they never come to art.

Blog #4

Assessing student engagement and learning
The kinders are getting more acclimated to school. They sat on their stars and were quick to raise their hands before I asked them to look at the picture. The students began by listing items such as the bird, ball, shoes, and dress. After that, they got stuck on matching white objects, with each student who spoke trying to find one more thing to add to the matching list. I emphasized the else in "What else can we find?" and the students set out trying to decipher what the form of the sash was. One said it was a stool, another said it was backpack and the person in the picture was going to school. A third student said it was part of the dress because he could see it in the front of the dress. Then the students started pointing out the matching blue objects in the painting. A student pointed out a match between the color of paint in the upper left hand corner and the color of the person's hair. This started speculation and statements on whether the figure was a boy or girl. A student said the short hair meant the figure was a boy and not a girl. Some others agreed. Another student said the girl in the paining was a princess, I  prompted her to explain and she said it was because she was wearing a long dress and high heels. Upon further questioning of the student, the way the shoe is tilted made the student think the girl was wearing high heels. Someone pointed out that the figure had yellow hands. Another student found a match between the yellow on the ball and the hands. A boy argued that the figure could be a girl. He pointed out that even though the figure had short hair, there were bright red lips, a dress, and fancy shoes. He concluded that the person was a girl with short hair. Another person agreed that the figure was a girl because the eyelashes were visible. A student pointed out that boys do have eyelashes. I finished at that point and sent the students back to their tables because a few were getting antsy. A lot of listing and matching went on. This may be because they are using these strategies to organize their learning in the regular classroom.

The students didn't interact directly with eachother during this VTS session. There was only one girl who spoke directly to other students.  I think they communicated to each other and added information to the discussion by using me as their filter. Addressing the art teacher during the VTS sessions may be beneficial because they can be rude to each other in normal conversations. I think the students know I am going to repeat and summarize comments and use this strategy to communicate their observations with others.

I think the students are starting to ask questions/make comments on what they don't understand, instead of just giggling. For example, several students gave opinions and made observations about the identity of the figure, but didn't laugh at the girl with a boy haircut. They are also expanding on others' observations.


Reflecting on practice
This VTS session wasn't as conducive to conversation as the last one. I think it was because the image had shallow depth of field and  a limited number of objects. But on the other hand, I had a few students go beyond listing and matching and try to figure out the figure and it's identity.

I was able to use the questions comfortably, and occasionally add in the second question to ask the students to elaborate on their comments. I learned not to let the students off their stars to point out an object they can't describe. It starts a succession of students to touch the image, and restricts their use of verbal language. I also discovered the use of inflection when using the prescribed questions, like when we are listing the white objects for the sixth time, and have the students are losing interest in the picture.

There weren't any surprises. I do feel I am learning about my students on a different level. I get to hear some of their thinking, which is intelligent. This experience in particular leads me to think I do need a special seating chart for VTS, because they are so close to one another.

Planning
As I plan for future VTS lessons, I definitely need to learn all the students names. I also need to work on seating and spacing, and making sure mine or other bodies don't block the screen. My projector is stationary, and mounted in an odd spot in my room.  

Blog #3

Comparing VTS Lesson 1 with Visual Art and Student Centered Discussions by  Yenawine

After reflecting about implementing VTS Lesson, I found many observations that reinforced Phillip Yenawine's ideas, and little to contradict them. 

1. VTS students develop a rapport with art and expand participants’ ability to solve problems cooperatively: My kindergarten class has been at ease both times when looking at the VTS images, and were eager to talk about the image we VTSed today. Also, I have noticed a lack of competition when students talk about the art. When they are engaged in art making activities, I have to monitor to make sure they are sharing and taking turns. When VTSing, the same students are more well-mannered.
2. Stage I viewers make concrete observations which get woven into the narrative: The students make lots of concrete observations, then find relationships between the things they notice. They do point out objects that appear to be colored or juxtaposed in space in ways that look "wrong," but they don't equate those observations with lowering the value of the work. For example, one student pointed out the figure's yellow hands, but didn't say the artwork wasn't good because of that characteristic.
3. Viewers have many common traits and patterns, but individually remain idiosyncratic and Beginners take a visual inventory of the picture : As a whole, the class tends to point out things they can name, such as "a white bird," "a white dress," "white shoes," and "a ball." They then try to match like colors or objects. Individuality tends to be expressed when trying to give meaning to objects that are puzzling, such as the sash around the figure's dress. Students are surprising in the areas they look at, and the personal narratives they make based on individual experiences. A few students are capable of verbalizing meaning of the artwork as a whole, or in large chunks, based on what they see. 
4. Both the individual and the group are served when utilizing VTS: I expect that individual students will grow in language and concept acquisition during the semester. They are also learning to work cooperatively.
5. However, I am uneasy about this idea: The discussion among peers is a mechanism for growth. I do not disagree with the concept. However, the kindergartners are very teacher centered, and a teacher is not a peer. In the past two sessions, only one student addresses the other students directly. If the students have a differing opinion, the vocalization of the idea is directed to me. With such a young group, I feel that the function of teacher as not only a facilitator but as a filter should be included. I feel that some are utilizing my repeating, summarizing, and linking to communicate with others.