I did not have my focus class critique members' artworks. I had them VTS artwork from another kindergarten class. I made that decision because they are up and around talking about their pictures with their peers when they are making art. I felt that they might have given away the meaning of the pictures.
The strength of VTSing peer artwork with this age group is that they have no bias. Everything they VTS carries equal weight. Another strength is that they are looking at artworks that they themselves could easily make, and they move through the pictorial space fluidly. Lastly, having your artwork put up at this age is a big deal.
The weakness to using VTS as a peer critique with this group of kindergartners is that they talk about what they are making and what it means. Which is awesome, I guess. It would be neat if adults had the ability to communicate purpose and meaning so freely. But I think it might create viewer bias when interpreting it. I also need to find out if the kindergartners would feel the need to correct what others are saying about their work.
The students approached these images as they do with any VTS critique. I was personally curious to see if the students would read the artworks close to the artists intended meaning. I think they got the surface readings, but not the idiosyncrasies or layers of details that built into the original narratives.
I would use this approach if I were asking students to make revisions to their artwork.
I need to note that there were some side conversations going on about the images as we were VTSing. I didn't redirect the talking students because they were talking about the art, not messing around.
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