Blog Topic #2: Professional Peer Feedback

On Thursday I invited any faculty who could to stay after school for a short VTS lesson.  I had nine teachers show up.  Some had no idea what VTS was, and some had seen me do it with students before.  I used the Winslow Homer painting Dad's Coming.  The actual discussion about the painting only lasted about six minutes, but then we had an additional 10-15 minute feedback discussion.  The teachers in attendance ranged from pre-K-8th grade so they brought many viewpoints and experiences to the discussion.  Most of their comments focused on how VTS could help students with  skills needed in other areas of the curriculum such as:

- "This is really the same process as taking a reading or text and putting it in context and backing it up with evidence."
-"Learning how to gather information from what they've got, (in any subject), is a skill that students need to develop and this is a non-threatening way to develop that skill."
-"This is especially good for LD kids because there is no text to scare them away from figuring out the story."
-"Good way to get kids talking about pictures and that helps with story writing."(from the K teacher)
-"Forces us to really LOOK at the picture."
-"Listening to others can spur you on or make you think something new."
-"VTS is a good opportunity for everyone to contribute."

One teacher whose students had VTS with me last year has noticed that her kids are more receptive to talking about art on their visits to the St. Louis Art Museum.  (They participate in the ABC program at SLAM). She feels they open up more in talking about art (with the docent) than they did before they had VTS.

As far as their critique of me, they said I was nonjudgmental in my facilitation, although we all agreed that it is especially hard not to get excited about a particularly "astute" observation!

Since these were adult viewers they had very good comments about the painting and really backed up their comments with evidence before I had to ask the second question.  In the end, most wanted to know the artist and title--I did tell them!

I did give the group some background about VTS and Yenawine's studies, but really I think everyone saw the impact and benefits VTS can have in their classrooms without needing much information from me.  Their comments just underscored what the readings to date have said--that VTS reaches viewers where they are and gives them a strategy to learn to think, listen, respond and problem solve.