VTS of Lesson 3 Image 1
This week I did the image above with my 4th graders. This week seemed harder, almost as if they are getting sick of having to do this. I still have the same kids getting engaged, and the same kids are silent. Not wanting to push them out of their comfort zone, I don't want to call on them if their hand is not up, but I think our next VTS lesson is going to be this way. I liked Mary's suggestion that I should call on those kids first so that the answers haven't been said. Those who are getting involved are doing a great job of developing thier answers. They seem to get stuck on two ideas: the idea of sick kid with a mom taking care of her, and the idea of whether they were at school or daycare.
I also took the leap to VTS 1st grade. I selected an image from our print curriculum and we VTS'ed it!!!!!
It literally just occurred to me that there is so much more to see in this image, but my projector is so dark we are missing more than I realized! Guess I need to find the Brighten and contrast buttons. So, It went really well with the first group. I explained that we were going to VTS and image, what that meant and that we were going to spend more time looking at art from now on, not just making it. So I rolled right into the sessions, and they were fantastic :) I was very pleased, we went for 15 minutes and I had to stop them so that we could work on our assignment. I noticed with the younger ones I have to keep them aware that we are only sharing one at a time. I have VTS'ed this image with 3 more 1st grade groups. Day 2 was a train wreck, because my blind student was at the back of the room reading a book and it was super distracting for me and the kids. I had a hard time hearing the kids and was not able to paraphrase as well. I hate to ask them to leave, but next time I am going to ask her to take him in the hall or something and read for 15 while we VTS so I can get things going right with the kids. Very difficult and sensitive situation, so I will be treading lightly.
Overall I am please with those who were willing to share, but there was always at least 5 per class that were done after about 2 minutes and off in their own world.
Great week in the VTS department, I think I might try it with my 5th graders at the start of our next project.
Kelley! Sounds like you are doing a great job with your little kiddos!
ReplyDeleteI think that the next time that I VTS images with my students I am going to start calling on my quietest ones. As much as I hate to call on them and take them out of their comfort zones from being quiet, I know that they have fabulous ideas! I also like your idea on calling on those students who rarely speak first, that way they have an opportunity to share their thoughts first so that they are not feeling left out and too intimidated by their classmates to share new ideas. Especially with Fourth Graders, I feel that the students will be able to handle being called on, without feeling caught off guard and intimidated by their peer's answers before them.
Several of my students are already sick of it, and you can tell by the way that they openly roll their eyes at me, regardless of why I tell you they are important. I was wondering if you felt that the students were excited each time you began VTS or not. I had thought that maybe the younger students would 'buy' into it more because the idea of VTS is still fresh to them and younger kids enjoy talking in front of their classmates, in my experience, than compared to the high school aged students. It is interesting that you feel that they are becoming more 'bored' with VTS and are not consistently excited. It seems that you are doing all you can to engage them though!!
I have also had projector issues, I have got to remember to check that before we begin our sessions.
I have to say that Kudos to you with overcoming several obstacles with your special needs students. I would have to agree with you that it is best of tread on waters and I would speak with the student's para/aid on where to take them during VTS, it would be very distracted with someone reading in the background and I feel that your students would lose focus very quickly. So kudos to you for working through it, especially with younger students.
Can't wait to hear about your VTS adventure with your 5th graders!
Carrie
Wow! You had a lot to report here, which is AWESOME! Let's see if I can respond to each event.
ReplyDeleteYou picked up on the things I wanted you to get from the VTS video. This teacher was not as accomplished as you at delivering the 3rd question and he did offer information that wasn't really necessary. SO, good eye!
As for your kids getting bored, that sounds like it may have something to do with image match. See if you can find images from other lessons in the curriculum or your own print curriculum. I was involved in the image curriculum selection and I did select images through a VTS lens as much as possible. Another thing you might try. If you are always VTSing at the beginning of class, you might try it at the end of class once in a while. For those who are impatient to get their hands in the art materials, this could help with their participation.
Yeah for you for trying VTS with other classes apart from your focus class. VTS questioning will really start to permeate all aspects of your teaching the more you practice. That will also help kids with transfer of the skills to other content contexts and contents as well.
I have a little story about "quiet ones." I noticed last year that one of our Ridgeway boys NEVER raised his hand during discussion last year, although when I reviewed the videos, his body language indicated that he was fully engaged. I also noted that he was VERY talkative at his table during art and writing time. I asked him about it and his response was, "I'm shy." I told him that I was going to start calling on him anyway because I knew he had a lot to say. So one of the first sessions this year, we had just finished VTSing and I was asking the kids non-VTS questions before we started our project to check for understanding. He raised his hand to answer one of my procedural questions. I called on him and right after he answered my procedural question, he said, "Oh yeah, and see that boy in the picture? I think he's..." So I realized he DID have things to say, but I suspect he was holding out as sort of a game.
Reading Carrie's response, it sounds like it might be time to brainstorm a little to remedy this: image selection, doing it a different times during the class period, selecting an image that is relevant, rewording the first question (without changing the meaning)...these are all ideas, but there may be others. I'll put on my thinking cap, too.
Great discussion!