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.
           

 

Blog topic #13

VTS has provided differentiated instruction for my students because they are viewing and understanding at their cognitive level.  Setting the stage or environment/process is that many of the students are intrinsically engaged in the art and want to know more, they also know they are not getting graded on their answers or having the right answers which allows them to be further engaged.
Students are all able to find something interesting and figure out what is happening at their own level and then are able to back up their answer using their previous knowledge or understanding and reasoning.  I may have a few students who simply can tell me what they think an object is and why, and I may also have another student who has a story for the scenario of what is happening in the picture and also be able to tell me why.  They are both able to make observations and provide evidence for their reasoning, one maybe at a deeper level then the other but it is both happening at the same time in the same space.  Those students are also given a chance to learn from each other by listening to and possibly comprehending what the other is saying, disagreeing or not which adds another layer of deep thought at their own level.  I love that this is one activity that meets the needs of many students.

Blog Topic #12: Assessing, Reflecting, Planning

Carmen Lomas Garza

   Reflecting on Yenawine's recommendations for image selection I believe that my teacher's choice image as an appropriate choice.  The students could relate to what they saw happening, many from personal experiences.  Most of them picked up on a birthday party theme right away, which is something they can very easily relate to.  Many of them have seen pinata's before and know how they work, especially the Hispanic students.  They had a lot to say about many little things happening all over the artwork.  They were also able to put those things together into a family gathering or a birthday party.

   In what ways did the image challenge them?  That Carmen Lomas Garza is portraying hispanic people in Texas.  They did not notice or speak of race at all.  They also didn't put together that this particular race isn't in their home country, they look to be in the USA.  I think those things are totally age related.  The students don't think much of skin color or race.  They see all different kinds of colors.  Otherwise this image was not very challenging for them but there was alot for them to notice and comment on.  I think the challenge was just right.

   What intruiged them most?  The pinata was a hot topic, as well as exactly what those people are doing standing around the possible "birthday girl".  The BBQ pit, the fire, table with the cake.  The idea of a family party, birthday party or reunion.  They noticed these people coming together for a purpose.  I think the fun of a pinata and the candy inside was most intriguing.

   The scaffolding idea didn't seem to come super easy to me, unless it's so simple it went over my head and i'm already doing it.  I would think that all those little details, pinata, banners, bbq, cake, tons of similar looking people built onto the idea that they had a purpose there,  The reason they could have been there was a have a party whether it was a bday party or some kind of reunion.  It didn't take the students long to put that together.  I feel like I don't want to change their wording to much, I am afraid to give away information if I veer to far off the kids comments or the questions.

   Surprises....  wow!  I was surprised how disruptive this class was, or a couple of them.  They made it incredibly challening to focus and listen.  I was flustered.  It's not a good thing when the teacher drops them off and says they have been wild.  I could have gotten past general wiggles but learning later that two little girls (second graders) conspired against me to be so disruptive that they were sent back to their tables together. (I forgot they sat at the same table together).  The ring leader is normally with a para but not this day!  While back at her table she was banging things, walking around my room, whatever she could do!  This was the hardest VTS I have ever had.  Afterwards I put both girls in the "Safe Seat" and after a few minutes one of them told me that they did all that on purpose!  Before I started I tried to have a heart to heart with the ring leader without the para and get her buy in, that obviously didn't matter.

   I did try the "vts olympics" and the kids all did it.  I will have to try it again and test it against a different group.  I did indeed try this image on my friday class.  Partially as a second option to submit if the first one was as terrible as I thought it was.  They did great but oddly enough I think the first group noticed more and had more interesting comments.  I think this would be a great image for young viewers.

I'm still shocked that those kids tried to pull one over on me and almost succeeded.  After I got the confession out of the second girl who wouldn't look me in the eye I told the classroom teacher who was also surprised and told me she was going to make them miserable the next day, lol.  She also told me that next time let me know and she would come in and help with them or keep the stinkers.  I also had someone else tell me that when they video tape someone else takes the stinkers out.  What is your thought on that?  That isn't real life, although it would be much easier.  That would be like putting on a fake "show" which we already do enough of through our observation system and such.

Now I am just rambling and am curious for your thoughts...

I was observed the day before this in a 25 minute K class in which I was trying to paint polar bears and stamping paint with pom poms, ran out of white paint (silver polar bears) and had 10 additional 5th grades in the back of the room finishing their previous project.  Both my principal and new assistant principal were squeezed in with the big kids at a table.  I didn't go over"learning targets" and my technology wouldn't work.  geez!!!  stressful!  The funny thing is I didn't do very good but the comments I got were about other ways I could have taught them shapes (circle head shape, half circle ears) when I have in fact been teaching them about shapes for 2 months now in every way under the sun.  Previous info shouldn't be a part of the NEE eval system should it?  How can I re-review in depth and have them paint in 25 minutes?!  I hate 25 minute classes!  They witnessed the total chaos that "Art" can be and I am wondering if they don't know how to score me because they don't get art and in many ways we don't fall into the same box as classroom teachers.

 

Blog Topic #11 Preparing for teacher's choice

Carmen Lomas Garza

Barbacoa para Cumpleaños  (Family Barbeque?)

- 1993, alkyd on canvas, 36 x 48 inches. #PA056. Collection of Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Texas. 
 http://carmenlomasgarza.com/artwork/paintings/

 This is the image I have chosen to VTS week 12. I believe that this artwork will have many places for students to "enter into" the artwork.  So much for them to relate to and discuss.  This will also be great for my ELL students to feel more comfortable sharing by potentially having something to relate to and see people of their similar color.  With so much going on in this image I feel like they will be able to tell a story with it.  It's also simple enough that every student should be able to find something to share.  My students need simple images with a lot to talk about at this point, especially since nearly have the class is SPED.  My challenge is getting and keeping their attention.  This much going on in an artwork should help with that.  I will also try "VTS Gymnastics" before this image is shown.  The other way this will challenge them is by putting all of these little details into one story, or summing them up.  I can't wait to see how it goes!

Blog Topic #10 Assessing, Reflecting, Planning

This is 2nd grade Lesson 3 image 1.  There are only 2 images per lesson so this is image 5. I cut the video tape off a few minutes before I ended the conversation since it's so hard to upload (it took an hour this time).

     I think student engagement was high with this lesson.  Many of them were raising their hands.  There wasn't as much for them to talk about as there has been for other images.  My projector lightbulb is fading and it makes it really hard to see the image details unless I have all the lights off.  Unfortunately it was challenging to get their focus.  Not only was it PJ day for Red Ribbon it was Halloween eve.  Ugh.  This was not our finest VTS. 
     The students noticed the old man, the boy and the dog.  They noticed that he was looking out at the sea and the boat.  They noticed the town and thought it could have been church buildings, old houses, maybe a cemetery and possible radio towers that changed into lookout towers.  They also noticed the birds flying in a circle, maybe trying to find fish. A student noticed the hat in the boys hand and the handkerchief/rag in the old mans pocket.
      Students mostly made simple observations.  There were several observations that I couldn't ask the second questions because it was simply an observation of "what they see".  However this painting doesn't lend itself as easily to multiple interpretations.  Some students noticed him looking out to sea or the boat, one student said something about maybe he used to work on that boat and brought the boy to see it. I did have several students support their interpretations with evidence.  The have been improving on supporting evidence.  Very much still early stage 1 viewers.  Many of these kiddos have IEPs so what they are doing is great.
     I think the students learned that they can look at art and figure out what is happening as a group.  They are beginning to see that if they listen to others comments, they can build on that, or realize that others have similar ideas.

Reflecting:
    The VTS feels comfortable for the most part.  There are always little gliches or things to learn.  I thought we were on a different image and the students so kindly reminded me of that.
    I think the questions and teacher behaviors came comfortably.  The paraphrasing is something I am still working on and I don't always change my wording.  I generally use conditional language without a problem but I didn't use it very often with this artwork.  I think this picture was a little more flat and there wasn't as much to read into for me to even use conditional language.  I also believe if more students had an interpretation and evidence it would have been easier to use conditional language.
    If I accidentally didn't phrase the questions correctly I usually catch myself and say it immediately after.  Sometimes I get looks or a pause that might be the result of changing the wording.  Not being mindful enough could haven been part of it.
    Surprises...  Well, I am surprised how much the ipad sitting on the table distracts them.  I had a little girl get up and walk up to the board and turn so she could see herself.  This was after I asked them not to pay any attention and they were not to be in the video, that was for me.  I am also surprised at how unproductive this image felt.  I feel like they've been growing and noticing more and more but this time it just felt a little awkward.

Planning:
     I want to work on paraphrasing, conditional language, and linking ideas.  I'd also like to work on not being so distracted by other students wiggles when I am trying to listen to someone else. And I'd like to have a plan in place to deal with behaviors that are not okay.  I think I will try to be as mindful as possible when VTSing, try to remember their names to link ideas.  I no longer have (line-up) tape on my floor to distract them because they have picked it all off, maybe that will help.  Part of me feels that the more I do this the better I will get naturally.  Then I will be able to focus on trying to change the wording when I paraphrase.  Remembering names is hard, especially when they aren't in their assigned spots.  I will so the best I can!

 The classroom behavior in general can be rough.  I am working on implementing this with all my grades.  I even started it with K this past week.  It went pretty well and I can see that after doing this for a while that they will have it down by the time they are in 1st or 2nd grade.  My 4th grade is my roughest group.  I had 3 or more kids playing around and being disrespectful so I sent them to their seats and then I had them come back at recess and write out their responses on a paper print out from the website.  When they were done I asked them if it would have been more fun to just be able to participate in the conversation instead of interrupt everyone else.  I hope it will go more smoothly with that group next time.  On the other hand I had two student who didn't want to come sit on the floor and basically refused, one of them made his way up to sit on the floor on his own 5-10 minutes into our conversation.  I guess that's progress.