Grade 3-5, Year 1 'Consider This' Activities

Some students may not be able explain their answers when asked for evidence. They may never have been asked to think this way and it may take time to learn. If words do not come in a moment or two, give them verbal credit for thinking: "I see that you are thinking, and that is fine." Or, "I'm sure you havethoughts—I can see that you’ve been looking carefully.” ." Make certain that the child who needs time to learn this task feels as capable as the one who responds quickly.

For students learning to think requires active use of their minds. Questions are a good way to initiate such activity, but the type of question dictates the outcome. VTS questions come from an understanding of what beginning viewers do. The first question gives students the direction to apply anything they know to the problem presented--an unfamiliar work of art. The second asks for evidence to back up opinions/initial ideas/impressions. The third is necessary to encourage further reflecting.

Some comments will not seem logical to you. Beginning viewers tend to see things from their own, often -idiosyncratic viewpoint, and art is ambiguous enough to allow many interpretations. Students enjoy the fact that different opinions are possible, and the second question leads students to evidence-based ideas. Silly responses are usually discarded. Sometimes, by the way, accepting an "off-the-wall" comment will stimulate the most interesting, deepest thinking.

During VTS, students are engaged and thinking, confident enough to speak up, and learning to use reasoning to bolster opinions– even if the opinions still seem off base to you at times. They are becoming problem solvers together, applying what they know—collaboratively—to figure out what they don’t. Give students room to test both likely and unlikely possibilities. As they reason about what they see, they are certain to make comments they later wish to revise; listen for this. Art actually provokes this response: more and other possibilities emerge upon reflection. Experts go through this same process as they try to understand what art tells us.

VTS represents a way to teach and learn that is not standard. The kind of growth supported by VTS can be difficult to measure using traditional tools, such as tests that assess for skills or retention of facts. While our research will support your own process of tracking the growth in your students, beginning your own action research will enable you to document results specific to your students and work. A good place to begin this research includes extracting ideas from the notes we ask you to keep after each. Recording lessons, and then listening to the discussions and reflecting up on them will also add data to your collection.

When you link, you are making it clear that students are collaborating to construct thoughtful meanings about a work of art—this collaboration is in addition to the brainstorming they are beginning to do naturally.

You are making apparent how ideas scaffold upon one another. You are outlining and making clear the progress of a joint effort at problem solving.

While VTS makes good use of group interactions, you eventually want students to operate with similar thoughtfulness and flexibility on their own—in interactions outside of VTS discussions.

As a way of weaning students from reliance on the eyes and minds of others — as well as helping them learn to write in general — these lessons include individual writing assignments. The concreteness and interpretive nature of well-selected art stimulate this writing.

Because they have discussed the images, words and ideas are readily available to students, making the task of beginning to write relatively easy. Students are empowered by being able to choose the images about which they write. Enabling students to feel successful and engaged in this context can benefit their writing in non-VTS circumstances.

VTS encourages a number of behaviors and qualities ranging from self-confidence and willingness to participate to evidential reasoning and speculative thinking. Think about how these relate to school success, including meeting standards and passing tests. Think about how VTS can assist students who struggle with language. Has VTS experience had any impact on students’ readiness for standardized/classroom tests?

The last VTS lesson ideally includes a trip to an art museum. If a trip can be arranged for your class, study Lesson Plan 10, and Looking Forward to Your Museum Visit, to help you determine how you can prepare.