Assessing: Student engagement was high in lesson 1. I heard from almost every child. I had my second graders come sit on the floor in front of my smartboard in hopes of keeping their attention better then 20 feet away at their tables. I had many raising their hands and some students who needed to be reminded not to talk or interrupt. The students did an excellent job noticing details in the artwork "The Child's Bath" by Mary Cassatt. They began with the obvious then moved to the floor and background. They talked about how maybe she was amish because of her dress, how she may have been poor because they were using a bowl to take a bath. They discussed how she was sitting and if she was sitting on the floor, books, or a chair. They noticed the rug she was sitting on. Some of the students thought they saw stairs in the background and a rope, another thought they saw glass as a banister around stairs. The students had detailed observations and supported their ideas with evidence quite easily. They were thinking deeply about this image and also pulling from their own experiences to create understanding. I can tell they were listening to each other talk because they were making meaning influenced by others statements. They did well raising hands and taking turns. I also noticed when they took what someone else said into consideration but disagreed and offered their interpretation. I think the students learned from this discussion that there were no wrong answers and felt more comfortable sharing by the end of our first lesson. I observed the quiet children raising their hands and sharing toward the end of the discussion.
Reflecting: I think the VTS discussion felt very comfortable for both them and me. Nothing was forced and the ideas flowed. I learned that there was nothing to be nervous about and they have so much more going on in their heads then I would ever otherwise know. I was able to use the questions and behaviors comfortably. I found myself trying to skip to the second question without paraphrasing so that is something I need to slow down and make sure I practice. I think that if I skipped paraphrasing that it sped up the discussion and didn't allow enough time for the students to ponder what was said. I was surprised at the detail and depth of the students discussions, especially compared to their writing.
Planning: I want to work on paraphrasing moving forward as well as beginning to link observations. I think I can do this by practicing, proceeding slowly through the process and not rushing it, and by practicing my listening skills.
I loved reading this post! Of course, I smiled when you said that " I learned that there was nothing to be nervous about and they have so much more going on in their heads then I would ever otherwise know." Beautifully stated. VTS really lets us into their little brains in ways other teaching methods don't and what wonderful discoveries we make there! You were wise to call them to come forward and sit on the floor. It is easy to assume, when we are standing beside the artwork, that everyone sees everything. You are also able to ensure that they aren't distracted by other objects (and we know that the art room is FULL of the!) or people. I was also pleased that you discovered the importance of paraphrasing after a student's initial response as a way of slowing down the discussion for all to see. The last Elliott Eisner talked about art as a way of slowing down perception. VTS hits this right on the head. SOOO excited to be reading your thoughts at long last!! Thanks for your persistence with the security settings!!
ReplyDeleteDanielle--it sounds like your first discussion went really well! I have felt a bit nervous before doing VTS before, but the more I have done it the more comfortable I have gotten. Paraphrasing is probably the hardest part of VTS as a whole. It's so easy to get caught up in a beautiful noticing that a student has made. I find that it is easier to remember to paraphrase if you slow down your pace and even pause a bit before continuing on with the discussion. You might try that--I know it helps me and may help guide you too. Keep it up, girl.
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