VTS Final Summative Assessment Description

I created my final summative assessment final of VTS this semester into a viewable piece of artwork. This artwork sums up my thoughts and feelings I had throughout the semester. I want to first start off saying that when I created this project; I was in a frustrated and stressed out state of mind. My seniors are days away from exams and graduation on May 17^th with underclassmen not far behind with the end of the school year. Because of this, students are at a point where they are quitting and behaving poorly. In the past week, five students were suspended and one was expelled. The one that was expelled was a senior. I can say that frustration and stress is running high within our school and within my coworkers. On top of my work situation, graduate coursework has boiled down to a sometimes unmanageable workload adding to stress and frustration. Good thing art creation is a therapy and I can express what I am going though!

I chose to create my artwork on a gray sheet of paper. I felt that because gray is the true neutral; I could add light and dark aspects to the drawing. I also crumpled the paper into a ball and then smoothed it out before I started drawing on it. I did this because I felt that this semester, for me alone, was rough.

I then created a roller coaster ride in the middle of the paper. I created two tracks. One is blue and one red. I created two tracks to simplify it representing one for my students and one for myself. The tracks loop around and around and then intertwine. The tracks go in the same direction because both my students and myself are trying to reach the same goal in VTS. The end of the track has a list of words that I believe VTS taught us throughout this semester’s ride. Some words that were included were “Brainstorming”, “Evidence”, “Connections”, “Learning” and “Understanding”.

Around the roller coaster track, I included colored circles that represent the students in the class. At my school, each class is assigned a class color. (Freshman=green, Sophomore=yellow, Junior=blue, and Senior=red). Each of the color circles represents one of the twenty-five students in my focus class.

I named the ride the Venture Track Scrambler. I wanted to include the word VTS on the project in some way. I highlighted the VTS in Venture Track Scrambler in a different color to make it stand out amongst the other letters.

On top of the roller coaster track, I drew a video projector. I wanted to include the projector because without it, I wouldn’t be able to perform the VTS lessons with my students. I colored the projector with black and white charcoal. The black and white signifies the dark and the light side to some of the VTS lessons I had with my students. The first time I created a VTS video with the focus class, it was one of the worst I did this semester. Later in the semester, students knew what to expect and the VTS lessons became better. It is the light at the end of the tunnel, to sum it up. I was able to learn from my students throughout the VTS lessons. I enjoy learning form my students’ everyday and especially when my students were able to surprise me through the VTS process.

            Next to the video projector, I drew some students. These students represent my students in my VTS focus class. The students are eager to participate in the VTS lesson. They are wearing uniforms, like they wear at my school. The students want to answer the VTS prompt questions. I wrote out the VTS questions along the edges of the project page. Without the VTS questions, the procedure and the critical thinking would not exist. I felt that it was proper to include them in the final project.

            The last thing I created on my final project was the swirls around and overlapping all the aspects of the project. This semester was a whirlwind.  It felt like I was being pushed and pulled in different directions. I was multitasking, overworking, and stressing out throughout the duration of this semester. I wanted to portray the tangle of tasks I took on.

t-test results and reflection

Paired t test results

P value and statistical significance:   The two-tailed P value equals 0.0046   By conventional criteria, this difference is considered to be very statistically significant. Confidence interval:   The mean of Pre minus Post equals 29.00   95% confidence interval of this difference: From 10.02 to 47.98 Intermediate values used in calculations:   t = 3.1876   df = 20   standard error of difference = 9.098 Learn more: GraphPad's web site includes portions of the manual for GraphPad Prism that can help you learn statistics. First, review the meaning of P values and confidence intervals. Then learn how to interpret results from an unpaired or paired t test. These links include GraphPad's popular analysis checklists. Review your data:

Group	Pre	Post
Mean	67.88	38.57
SD	42.66	18.38
SEM	8.71	4.01
N	24	21

I gave the post test assessment to my students today during class. They were already working on their exam project and were told to take some time to fill out this assessment worksheet on their own time, during class. It was like pulling teeth! They have limited time left in this school year to get all of their work turned in. I think a lot of them wanted to work on their art exam and not worry about this worksheet. They would rather receive no grade for completing the worksheet then take time away form their project. I guess that is a good thing. Right?!
The students filled out the worksheet for me but, in all honesty, did not give it the time needed. When I collected the post assessment at the end of class, I was discourage by what I saw on their paper. Tonight when I got home to read their responses and fill out the scoring rubric, I was pleasantly surprised with what I was reading. Although the word count was lower then the pre assessment, the quality of thought was much higher. They were making connections in bullet points and drawing arrows to the picture itself to present evidence.
Overall, VTS has taught me how to look at a piece of artwork differently. I ask myself the questions as I look at artwork. I think my students are doing the same thing.

Pre-Post VTS Assessment Photo

Proof of performance of the VTS Pre & Post Assessment with my focus group.

Summative project photo

Blog Topic #13

VTS has provided differentiation for all of my students in my focus class. This is a class full of students that very in learning needs and learning methods. As I have stated in the past this class has about 1/3 of the students with a learning profile provided by the Learning Consultant. It also has about 1/4 of the students in honor classes. This makes differentiation strategies a must in my teaching methods.
Concerning VTS, it provides differentiation in every lesson. For example, just in the content of the discussion, students present ideas through auditory explanations and visually through my finger pointing. I also scaffold vocabulary providing students new vocabulary reaching readiness levels.
Through the process of VTS, students are able to learn from one another. Advanced learners can provide insight to struggling learners to extend their thinking skill and their ideas. This is a way of differentiated instruction creating a learning experience for all learners. We can meet students where they are in their learning style and challenge them to enhance there skill level.
I have seen VTS reach to my struggling learners. They are now thinking differently about a work of art by trying to figure out what is going on. They learn from their classmates and are not afraid to give their own opinion now.
Students are excited about a work of art. They like to look deeply into an image and find its meaning. Students discuss their art in different ways. They want to create something that has meaning to the views and their self.

Blog Topic #12

 Reflecting on Yenawine's article I felt that the image of choice was age, stage, and subject appropriate for my students. According to the article, I believe my students are at a Stage II because they are beginning to deeply understand the VTS process. This image challenged my students to find the meaning and the story behind the photograph. I think that If I were to pick a different image I would change the current image to one that has more of a story. I felt like my students were lost in the image trying to find the meaning and "What is happening?"
My students noticed a lot of the aspects of the artwork. They focused on three main things in the image. They noticed the mannequin, the background building and the man smoking a cigarette.  I believe that the mannequin with the smashed face intrigued them because they wanted to know what happened to it. They couldn't find enough evidence to support what actually caused it to break. They were also interested in the background. They wanted to know where this took place, what type of building it was and who is the man in the mid ground.
Students were able to scaffold off of one another. Students heard and saw things that they hadn't before due to other students opinions on what is going on in the image. They were able to change their train of thought and add to the conversation. I was able to add to the conversation by reciting and scaffolding the vocabulary so students have a better understanding of the conversation we are having.
As stated above, I would change the image if I were to do this again with a similar class.

Video #3 Lesson#5 (Teacher's Choice)

Here is a link to my last -teacher choice- VTS video.


http://youtu.be/qJf_Mkta18Y

Blog Topic #11

     

   

            I selected the above artwork because I think my students are more interested in photography. They seem to make more connections and present better evidence when the artwork that they are VTSing is a photograph. I believe that this artwork consists many layers and different meaning. Therefore, the artwork is age appropriate for my high school students. High school students also like to talk about shopping and about aspects of life that may not be addressed everyday like smoking. Although photography is not in my focus class’s content focus, I think the process of VTS supports any project. I think this artwork will challenge my students. There is not a true story written out. They will need to look for evidence to support thinking. Students will need to listen to their classmates’ ideas to build upon meaning.

I think the focal point in the artwork will intrigue them. The mannequin with a broken face and the man in the background not seeming to care about it being broken will become a narrative. I also think they will focus on the location of the surroundings in the artwork.

I will see how it goes! I am excited about this choice!

Blog Topic #10

My students were very willing to participate during this VTS. Some students started talking about the photo, with each other, before the projector warmed up. I was pleasantly surprised about that. Students noticed objects and predictions that I never thought about. Students pointed out that the house might belong to the focused upon woman because she was comfortable with getting ready. This is a great example of careful observation and meaning making. Unfortunately the screen came across very dark when projected for all the students to view. This disabled the students for noticing some key objects, like the camera the man is holding in the background. When watching the video, I noticed that some of the students wondered and predicted (with evidence) situations going on in the artwork.

Student linked ideas to one another. They also expanded on an idea that a previous student made. They were respectful to others comments and not afraid to correct an idea. They were funny and uplifting to one another. They did joke about the plant comment a student made. I think they did this because they knew we were talking about what was going on and not about individual objects to point out. I think the students gained a better understanding for the artwork. They were able to make connections and come up with a story line for the artwork.

            I felt that this VTS lesson went smoothly. They were better at responding to what is going on instead of listing objects. I think they were able to do this because I prompted them back to the first question of VTS a few times. The questions are becoming more natural to me. Although, I still have them posted so I can refer back to them if needed. I would like to work on the length of the discussion as a whole. I think the students stop at a point they think they are finished. I hope that they could look harder and think deeper to strengthen the conversation and meaning making in the future. 

Video Lesson #4

Here is a link to my YouTube Video of VTS Lesson #4- Video #2:

http://youtu.be/LgqS8w1FFfA

Blog topic #8

After my 3^rd VTS session my students were more engaged and willing to participate. I think this happened because they are now familiar with the VTS process. My students knew what was going on and what I was looking for when I asked them the VTS questions. Students whom did not participate in the past were now raising hands to share. (Although, my “Big Mike” is still not participating… still working on that home front). Students are presenting evidence without me asking for it. The discussion has now moved for pointing random things out to actually trying to support what is going on in the picture. I think this change because I now prompt them back to the first question more often.

I think my students are learning how to look at an image and find meaning in it with evidence. I can see that some of them are using the VTS in their own art making. I think that because it is a group discussion they are now not afraid to ask for someone else’s opinion in their own work.

I am becoming comfortable with using VTS in my classroom. I can see the positive benefits it is having on my students. As stated above they are working on their own work, with a viewing process in mind. I am still challenged with the fact that this process is new to my students and myself. Although they know what is expected now, there is some resistance with some of the kiddos. Snow days, breaks, and professional development days have completely interrupted this semester’s lesson plans. I am still struggling to fit in material and VTS lessons. But because I enjoy learning from my students and looking at an image from a different point of view; I look forward to using this strategy in all of my classes next year. I will have time to lesson plan and implement VTS in lessons now that I will have time to plan them with lessons during the summer. 

Blog Topic #9

Tiger Gamblers. 2001. Henri Cartier-Bresson

Title Unknown. Nils- Erik Larson

The high school class that I am working with as my focus group, really enjoys photography. They like photography because they respond to it better then a painting or drawing. During my last VTS with a photograph, my students participated and were fascinated by what the artist presented. I think my students are very connected with photography because of the technological society they live in. With photo Apps like Instagram and SnapChat, they are interested in what an image might say to them. That is why I picked a photography image for them to VTS.

I believe that this image has many layers that my students can look at and think about what they might be viewing. This image presents many different pieces of evidence that they can present to rectify their opinions.

VTS Lesson #2

http://youtu.be/XCht91fQsM8

I've just uploaded a movie to YouTube!
You can check it out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCht91fQsM8

Blog Topic #7

Common Core:

Because I am in a private school we do not use the vocabulary Common Core very often. We have set school curriculum and standards that I follow. During my undergrad studies we talked more about the Show-Me standards. I currently hold no attitude towards Common Core.

During Kathy's class when Mary visited we were able to look at VTS and the Common Core. I was educate about the Common Core and how VTS addresses all levels of learning in the Common Core structure. This shows that VTS is a great teaching method and it reaches to all students hierarchy of thinking.

Blog Topic #6

This class was actually really hard to work with during this VTS. We had a bad start to the class with 5 of the students ending up with demerits and one having a detention assigned. I think this had major influence to the discussion. But so goes teaching!

The students notice what I believed to be the overall theme of this painting. After awhile the students seemed to loose interest. It might be because of my choice for picture to VTS. Some students were very sidetracked at the end. They started to list what they saw. I think this happened because I did not refer back to the first question enough. I needed to make sure that they were to talk about what is going on in the picture. That was my mistake.
The students did interact with me and they did well with staying on task. I have a group of "squarely" boys that got off track. They seemed to be making stuff up and feeding off of each other. They were also the ones I corrected to be respectful and quiet down.  But then again, they were some of the first to jump into the discussion because they wanted to state their opinion.
The discussion concluded when no one else had anything to say. I think they could have done a lot better, but I believe that because we had a very rough start to the class the mood was not very positive. It was just ONE OF THOSE DAYS... to say the least!

I was comfortable teaching in the VTS style. I was more concerned if the camera was recording. I was afraid that I was going to be looking at myself the entire time because I set up my iPad to record. I covered the screen with paper so I wouldn't become distracted. So when I hit record, I wasn't really sure that it started. There were no surprises during this VTS.

I want to work on the picture that I will pick for the next VTS. I don't think my students were as interested in it as I thought they would be. Next time I may choose one of the photographs.

Week #5

I have a student that is currently in the class that I am preforming the VTS assignments in, that has become “my project” for the semester. Lets call this student Mike, due to the fact that he reminds me of the main character in the movie The Blind Side.  He is quiet.  I believe that he is smart, but doesn’t give effort in his schoolwork. He is kind to everyone he talks to and he is tall and big; getting the picture. But unlike Mike in the movie where he found his place playing football. My Mike loves to draw. He carries around a notebook that he is always doodling in. All his other teachers tell me about his notebook. When I see him siting alone at lunch, he is always drawing in it. I take the time to sit down with him and page through the book. He loves to draw cartoon stories. I have asked him to take the time and draw out a comic for our school’s newspaper, but he has not yet. He was very excited that I asked him to draw for the newspaper, but he missed the deadline. I am determined to get him to draw one by the end of the school year. Anyways, With VTS, I believe that it might give a voice to Mike. He struggles with writing and in his Pre VTS assessment he only wrote down thirty words. He was very exact and did not explain a lot of details. I think that with VTS Mike can voice what he sees in the image. He can be guided by the group’s opinions to form and alter his own. I would like to see him participate in the group VTS but I am not sure if he will. I will try my best to make sure that he has every opportunity to voice his thoughts. I will make sure that he is sitting within the group and not on the group boundary. Like I said before, I want Mike to succeed in school and if his outlet is through drawing, I want to present every opportunity there is for him in my classroom. 

Week #4

After having my student fill out the Pre-assessment to VTS, we completed my assignment to introduce VTS with a discussion. We used the same image that they filled out on paper. We walked though VTS and talked about the questions. We then preformed a VTS of the image. The students were very willing to participate in the activity. They noticed details in the image and pointed out things that I did not see myself. Some of the comments made students change their opinion about what was happening after someone else pointed out something in the image. A few students participated more then the rest of the group, but that’s what I was expecting. After telling me what was happening they have very good evidence towards why they felt that way. Students were respectful towards one another’s thoughts. They corrected themselves when they were talking out of turn. The discussion ended when no one else had anything to say. We talked about the image for about fifteen minuets. Following the VTS the students wanted to know the name of the image and the meaning behind it. I told them that I would look up the name for them if they would like me to as soon as they start their projects. I also explained to them that there is no written meaning for the image unless the artist themselves wrote it down. Most of the time in art, it is up to the viewers to form their own interpretation of the artwork. They did not like it that I did not have the “answers”.

I was actually really nervous to preform this VTS. I got over that really fast because standing and teaching a group of teenage students is my job and I do it every day. Overall I thought that this activity went really smoothly and the students impressed me with their observations and own thought for the VTS image. I became really comfortable with the VTS questions and my students picked up on what I was asking after a little while. I felt that I stuck with the questions throughout the VTS and thought that I was good at rephrasing what the student said for the group. I was very excited and happy with the way that the VTS went. I was also happy that the students were curious about the image even after the VTS session. I am happy to be learning more about VTS and how it helps me and my students view an image and fully understand and see what is going on.

Week #3

Week 3:

 I gave the Pre VTS assessment to my Foundations of Art class. All of my students were present

 during this class. It is a mix grade level group; consisting mostly of freshman and sophomores 

with one Senior and a few juniors. They are all in this basic class with very little prior knowledge of

 art at all. After reviewing the results of the assessment, a lot of the students came up with a common 

story line. Some students revealed more evidence then some of the others. A lot of the students 

created a story with predictions on what they were viewing. This class has about half of the student 

population that requires accommodations due to a Learning Profile, aka IEP.  I was surprised on 

how well they did with telling me what they saw in writing. But I was also very disappointed in 

some students writing skills.

 

I believe that the students fall within Housen’s description of Stage one:

Accountive viewers are storytellers. Using their senses, memories, and personal associations, they 

make concrete observations about a work of art that are woven into a narrative. Here, judgments 

are based on what is known and what is liked. Emotions color viewers' comments, as they seem to 

enter the work of art and become part of its unfolding narrative.

 

They all had a narrative and told me a story about the painting. They all had some predictions. I am 

looking forward to when the students can write and vividly describe what they see. One of my 

schools common goals is writing skills. I think lessons like this will help improve writing. I also think 

that the students will like these writing lessons because there is no right or wrong answer. They are 

simply telling a story about what they are viewing and providing evidence to back up their story.

 

I am very excited about using this more in my class!

Week #2

I guess I never posted this last week! Sorry for the delay!

Week 2:

I was unfortunately only able to collect one coworker to perform the VTS with. Due to this week 

being Catholic Schools Week, we have been on a special schedule every day, all week. We were 

cut down on our plan periods and when we have one, we are very limited on time to get things 

done. So you can say its been crazy around here and not a lot of people were willing to give up 

all their time this week.

 

But needless to say… I worked with what I had. I presented the Winslow Homer work, “Dad’s

 Coming”. She was able to quickly find things within the picture and support what she was saying 

with evidence.  She liked the higher order thinking skills that were required for this task. She did 

not come up with a story line that followed the title. After she asked for the title of the work, she 

was surprised with the answer. She created a story of a “day at the beach”. She thought that this 

was a great way to enhance your viewing experience and make you think about the meanings 

behind a work.

 

She was impressed with the teaching methods and the steps in VTS. She asked multiple questions 

about the VTS process and how she would be able to use it in her classroom. She stated that she 

would like to come back when I perform this strategy in the classroom setting. I told her that I 

would welcome her to come when we do this. I am not sure if she will be able to because we 

have the same plan and teaching times. We will see. 

BLOG TOPIC #1: Intro

This semester, I will be practicing my VTS instruction on my introduction class, Foundation of Art. I teach in a private High School with about 400 students. This school is located in the north county of St. Louis. We are a very diverse school with our student population being almost half African American and half Caucasian. I am the only Art Teacher in the school, so I see almost all of these students due to the fulfillment of the required 1 credit in Fine Arts to graduate. All the classes offered in my Visual Art Program are a semester long. We just started a new semester, so all of the classes just started new after Christmas break. The Foundation of Art class is the entry-level class into the Visual Art program at my school. The class consists of 26 new students ranging from freshman to juniors. I have two sections of this class this semester and I will be practicing the VTS on both in order to keep the students at the same level of learning and understanding of art. Some of these student have never had an art class before, so this is their first exposer to art. We start at a very basic level of instruction and practice due to the range of knowledge of the class. Because of the new introduction to art and the student’s first exposure to me, as their teacher, I think they will be a perfect class for VTS.

I expect these students to be a little reserved to the practice of VTS. I think they will be reserved to VTS because of the unknown expectations that I will be asking them to do. I anticipate that the students will hold back at the beginning. On the other hand, I think that with my examples and teaching strategies they will ketch on to the practice and participate fully.