VTS Blog Topic #2

BLOG TOPIC #2:

·      Discuss your professional peers’ feedback about your VTS practice session on your BLOG.  This may include comments related to their experience of the discussion, your performance, the VTS method, the utility of VTS for teaching; even comments or new understandings about the featured work of art.

·       Include any questions that may have arisen during this VTS experience

Well, I am not doing a very bang up job of following directions here. I got really excited about doing the VTS with my students so I actually have already done that ahead of this experience. And instead of using one of the images Mary provided, I used the same image I used with my students. I wanted to compare the elevation of conversation between my Intro students and my fellow art colleagues. 

And the conversation did elevate. It was very interesting. I start a unit I do on symbolism with this image: 

Little Deer

My colleagues had an interesting conversation about the meaning of the piece. They were familiar with the artist and her life, so they made the immediate connections that my students do eventually, even without knowing her or her life. 

After my peer session, I asked for feedback about how I did. They were very complementary, saying I did a good job paraphrasing without annoying them with just repeating what they had just said and how hard that must be. That it seemed effortless and without noticing that I was doing that exactly.

We got to talk a lot about the benefits of VTSing (some had been to your presentations Mary) and how I thought it was going in my class. I said that I really notice a change in artist habits of mind. That I haven't ever really measured for writing growth like I will be doing, but that it really helped my students slow down and increased their observational skills, which I think translates to their art production and reflection back on their own art.

I look forward to seeing just how it affects my students this year.