The main aspects of this image that my students noticed were:
- This is some type of dwelling, but it looks really bare
- A relationship between the woman and child
- The woman's clothes seem really nice, may elude to wealth
- The letter look really old and may have a link to the woman's past
- The woman's grip on the box in her lap and the woman's gaze
Overall, I was so super proud of my kids. They picked out themes of time, place, and culture in this image, which I definitely was not expecting. It was interesting to see how students would play off of one another's thoughts, creating theories of their own about this woman's story (there were lots of ideas about the letters being family heirlooms or that maybe someone she knew had been away at war). The VTS definitely employed a sense of community during the discussion in that sense. The only real issue I experienced was that when my kids got excited, they tended to talk out of turn, interrupting before I got a chance to paraphrase. I think I can better avoid that next time by making sure the group understands my expectations before we start.
I felt completely comfortable leading the discussion, and I noticed that I had a lot of patience, even when kids spoke without giving me a chance to. Next time, I will absolutely take more time to develop expectations for a VTS discussion.
At the end, I had two students stay after class (at the end of the school day!!) to tell me how much they enjoyed the discussion. They mentioned that they liked to hear other's stories and felt it was enjoyable to search for more in the artwork. One student mentioned that he liked my inclusion of vocabulary words when I paraphrased their remarks. I was really proud to hear that. It was a fun discussion and I am really looking forward to the next one.
Sadara, it sounds like you had a GREAT first VTS discussion! The fact that your students had so many comments on possible interpretations of the image is so exciting! I know what you mean however, when the students get so excited that they start having their own conversations about the image instead of waiting to be heard in the main conversation. I have that problem too, and I agree that restating your/ my expectations at the beginning will help to alleviate that problem. It's especially exciting to hear that you had two students stay after class to tell you how much they enjoyed the VTS discussion--doesn't that validate everything we've read so far?!
ReplyDeleteIt's cool that your kids are picking up what you are doing as a facilitator to help them learn! (Vocabulary, paraphrase) It should also be encouraging that your students are "pinging' ideas off of each other. I also want to make sure that I set up the expectations clearly, as I had students talk while the speaker was talking or when I was trying to continue the conversation through paraphrasing or asking the second question.
ReplyDeleteSadara, I am so happy that your students are engaging in the VST lesson, and that your students wanted to stay after and keep the interaction going. What an amazing gift you are giving them. Keep up the good job and have fun with it.
ReplyDeleteWow, what an amazing reaction to have from your students! It’s obvious that VTS is really starting to strike a chord with them. I feel like I also need to work on setting standards for how my group should act during discussion. I think some structure would help maintain control of the discussion more.
ReplyDeleteGood job! I agree that, for some reason, it feels different for me when the expectation is for us to facilitate rather than model what to do. After reading your post, I think I'll clearly state my expectations before we begin the next session also. Middle and high school students probably need the clarification because we have classroom discussions that don't necessarily require them to wait until they're called on to participate. Great idea!
ReplyDeleteWow, Sadara!! What an exciting first VTS with this group. I'm blown away that some stayed after class to reflect on and give you feedback about the discussion! I also loved your examples of student comments. Very impressive thinkers!! That the letters might have been about the lady's past and that they noticed her grip on the box really suggests some careful observing and inferring. I can't wait to hear your next comments about these students!! So excited!! Great post!!
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome experience! I'm so glad to hear that your high school art students are getting so much out of their involvement with VTS. I agree with you that it's important to be clear with your expectations of them beforehand. It may just take a little practice for your students as well. Listening is sometimes a "lost art" for many of us. I think with continued opportunities and practice, they will start to see how important this is as well.
ReplyDeleteVTS does an excellent job of slowing us down to hear and see what is going on in the art work, and also encourages us to focus on each other’s comments in the group. The students who stayed after class to talk with you support this view. How nice of them to affirm you! Your comments about being comfortable and patient with the process are inspiring to me. I feel that your students are lucky to have you as their teacher, and it sounds to me like you are just as happy with them.
Based on what you have shared, I believe that VTS will continue to impact you and your students in a very positive way. You are making a huge difference in their lives. Great job Sadara!