Pre and Post VTS analysis

Once again, I was really impressed with the result of the t test.  I did 3 categories just because I had a hard time choosing one.  The scoring rubric results were very low numbers for everything but word count so I wanted to see what Interpretations w/o evidence and Interpretations with evidence would look like. 

Word count is said to be "Extremely Statistically Significant".  Several of the students doubled their word count, some were very close.  The other two which are Interpretations/Inferences w/o evidence and with evidence are "Statistically Significant".  Since these are second graders there is great room for improvement in many areas.  They listed many simple observations on the pretest.  On the post test they listed less simple observations and had many more Interpretations both with and w/o evidence.  I see that as great progress.   

I agree with the results.  The students are progressing and VTS is one of the reasons. I must be facilitating well enough that the students are benefiting from VTS.  This shows that VTS is both worth while and amazing.  I know there are several other factors that contributed being a focus on writing in their classrooms and maturing.  I absolutely agree with the results.  I've witnessed many students go from simple observations to interpretations on what is going on in an image with evidence over this semester.  One student had great difficulty putting thoughts into words on a paper but can do so orally.  He has grown in what he has been able to share orally.  This has been a great semester.  I will continue on this VTS journey and integrate it into my everyday teaching.  I cannot wait to see how they grow over time.

Blog 15 Preliminary VTS findings

I was really impressed with the result of our VTS pre/post scoring rubrics.Many of their word counts have either doubled their word counts or gotten close.  I have one student who had less.
Many individual students have Interpretations w or w/o evidence on their post test which did not exist on their pretest. Many students had no Interpretations/Inferences on the pre vts but had 1 or 2 on the post vts.  Outside factors could also be that the students have been focusing on writing heavily this year in their classrooms which could have greatly influence my outcome.  I have a student who is a teachers child who I showed both writing samples and the scoring rubric and she was very impressed.  I had several students who didn't write in full sentences on the pretest, they just listed things, now they are writing all sentences.  The class as a whole has grown a lot.  They are able to readily give evidence during VTS much of the time, they did not start out that way.  As a teacher I have learned how to comfortably facilitate a VTS discussion and am improving all the time.  I find myself being able to focus on improving on certain aspects mindfully
as I get down the basics.  I have learned about all that VTS has to offer, which seems never ending.  I love that I am differentiating learning while doing VTS.  I have found the kids to be engaged in the discussions and often are begging me to go onto the next image.  I feel as though something was missing in my art classroom previously.  I feel like I can always have a more enriching art program and VTS really helps to fulfill what I felt was missing.  The level of critical thinking is amazing with VTS.  I may have done some constructed critical thinking before but have always struggled to have an open ended discussion.  This has helped me to get a good grip on what an open ended discussion would look like and I hope to be able to phrase other introductions for projects this way as well.  It is a work in progress.

Summative Reflection Project Artist Statement

I mailed my altered book without taking any photos so I don't have any to show you.  The title of the book was "Visual Thinking Strategies from a Second Grade Perspective."  In the book I have included a page for each student.  They wrote about how VTS makes them feel or what they like about it and also drew a picture. Their thoughts and feelings were the focus of my project.  I feel that VTS allow students a way to share thoughts and feelings only and that was my goal for this project.

Artist Statement

This altered book was used to communicate ideas of Visual Thinking Strategies from a class of second grade students.  Included in the book is an artwork made by each student explaining how VTS made them feel and what they thought about it.  My goal in creating this project  was to allow the students to voice their thoughts and opinions freely.  Over the last several months of working with these students I have been amazed at the insight and thoughts they have to share that may never have been communicated without VTS.  Many of these students struggle with reading and writing.  However, these open conversations about what is going on in an artwork have allowed them to express their thoughts and ideas, given them permission to wonder, and practice things like providing supporting evidence.  Similar to how Visual Thinking Strategies is student centered, this book is focused on the thoughts and feelings of these students.

Blog 14 Portrait pf possibility revisited

I has chosen B as my student for portrait of possibly. I believed that VTS could help B.  He is an ELL student whom I thought was SPED but technically isn't, I just found that out.  I noticed while doing the preVTS he had a really hard time writing anything, thinking of ideas to put on paper.  I believe my predictions were mostly accurate.  Once we started Visual Thinking Strategies I was confused about how he had such a hard time writing (like hitting a wall for him) but that he could verbally share fairly concise ideas.  My plan was that I would call on him first every time so he would have the most to say, making it easier for him.  His attention plan is also so short that calling in him first helped.  I am impressed how I saw improvement from simple observations to inferences w/out evidence.  He began by just listing simple things, I see a...  By the end of the semester he was putting together ideas of what he thought was going on, his interpretations.  I  am very excited with his improvement over the semester.  The interesting things is that when we were doing our post VTS he once again hit a wall and wouldn't write anything.  He would tell me I don't know, my brain isn't working, things like that.  I had to sit next to him and ask him questions, I told him to go up to the projector and look up there and repeated the questions.  He said something about seeing a cat and I told him to write it down.  He wrote nothing else and sat there for quite a while.  Afterwards I talked to the teacher and she said he had zero comprehension in the classroom.  He understands and speaks English well, so that isn't the problem.  It sounds as if he's a student who has slipped though the cracks and is being failed.  He may be a student who needs the type of small sped room, which my district doesn't have,  the co teaching room he is in does little for him.  My take away from all of this is that I believe that VTS with me in the art room could help a student like B.  Even though it's only once a week, we can see improvement.  This also might be a place where they are learning even if techniques used in the classroom aren't.