- First off, they noticed how much they normally would have missed, because they spent a longer time looking at the image and were able to find more details by doing so.
- They noticed how they built their ideas off of each other, and listening to someone else's ideas helped them develop their own.
- They felt like I was giving them an accurate confirmation of their ideas, and had the opportunity to make sure I was paraphrasing them correctly.
- They felt like the process was helping them build a bigger picture by looking closely at the individual pieces.
I feel like the things I need to work on are determining if the second question needs to go away or not. Sometimes they say things that are so bluntly obvious (Like, "I see a brush") , it feels like I shouldn't ask them what makes them say that, but just paraphrase it and move on. Or, it is difficult to quickly come up with a specific question to make them provide further evidence.
I got to practice placing questions back on the group, when they would ask things like, "What is that? Is that another brush?" Etc, by asking if the other one knew the answer and inviting them to come look closer.
I think this is connecting to the readings by focusing so much on the fact that we are building the critical thinking skills to teach people how to VIEW art. It's the same set of skills they use in reading or other deductive reasoning processes, but people don't necessarily think to use in art.
I like the fact that I do not have to have one right answer when I begin the discussion, I do not have to know the accurate story or history of an image. That way my students have permission to wonder, but so do I. I'm not teaching an art history course to them, I wondering WITH them. I don't have to worry about making sure they get to the "right answer."
I also agree that I think pointing and paraphrasing are going to be huge assets to my ELL students when building vocabulary with them, even if they are just listening, so I want to make sure I implement that in my practice. The reading also reminded me that I should allow students to look at the image for a moment before I jump right in to the questions.
Sounds like it went well. I found myself wondering whether or not the second questions was necessary as well. I had teachers give me to much info and was left with "what more can we find". I had a hard time getting other teachers to come do the dress rehearsal. I am excited to hear about how it works for your ELL students. I have quite a few, some kindergarteners who know no english so it should be interesting. Good point about the pressure being off us needing to know the "right" answer.
ReplyDeleteDanielle
Hey, Lori! I'm wondering if the second question feels redundant for us now because we've only VTS'ed with adults. I felt like it was unnecessary also, but I'm anticipating fewer explanations in student responses, so the second question may be more appropriate. We'll see... :)
ReplyDeleteNo harm done with the substitution image for your peer practice. As for the second question, remember that it is only used when the answer to question #1 is an interpretation. "I see a brush" is pretty much of a simple assertion. Still, paraphrase that back as using conditional language: "So you are noticing this object right here that SEEMS like it could be a brush. What more can we find?" You need to listen carefully, though, to determine if a statement is a simple assertion or could be peeled back and considered from a different perspective and this will come with experience. For example, a participant could have said, "I see two girls." If you agree that they look like girls, you might consider this a simple assertion. However, if you ask, "What do you see that makes you say these two individuals might be girls?" That makes the viewer consider her or his classification criteria. In this day and age, long hair, dresses, and make-up don't mean unequivocally that the individuals are girls. Using question 2 with this statement would make viewers look closer for either confirming evidence or could invite debate. Again, this kind of meticulous listening comes with time. Love that you turned questions back to your viewers and removed yourself as a source of info!! Yeah!! I, too, love being able to wonder WITH students. VTS discussions frequently launch research journeys for me as I seek answers to questions that have arisen during discussions for my own sake. Great post! Lots to think about!
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