The first session with my 5th grade students went great. We all seemed to enjoy the first image so much we went on to the second image. The students all had very stereotypical responses at first and they didn't seem to want to disagree with their classmates. However as we got into the conversation about the girl in the bed one of my students stated that he thought the woman was older because she filled the bed and the little boy at the end of the bed was her son. I was very pleased to hear him come up with another explanation/narrative for the piece. He also thought her face made her look older and then a girl.
Yenawine discusses how Stage I viewers use memories and personal associations when making interpretations about art work. I saw this in the comments from my students. The picture of the man on the dresser was the women's/girls husband/father who had passed away in war or the older woman caring for the woman was her aunt/grandmother/mother. They thought the two people above the bed were dead and were grandparents because the pictures were in black and white so they must have been old.
One of the students in my class was making many simple observations, as Yenewine discusses, such as there is a sewing machine and some candles. She would not elaborate and come up this ideas or narratives about the image. However, the other students would take the observations she made and come up with a story such as the woman laying in the bed likes to make clothes because she has a sewing machine and there is an outfit she has been working on hanging on the wall.
We also had a great discussion while looking at the second image of the "Rock Star"!! It was great to hear what they had to say. One student thought it could have been Micheal Jackson! I wonder if their parents listen to Michael Jackson. It was great. I had a great time, however need to WORK on Linking!!
The fact that the kids wanted to continue with the second image is proof that you are doing a great job as a faciitator! (LOVE to hear it when kids don't want to quit!) The linking will come as you continue to get relaxed with the basics. I often wonder if VTS facilitation is harder for art teachers than regular classroom teachers because we are so enthralled by visual imagery and its many levels of meaning. Can't wait to hear more as the semester progresses!
ReplyDeleteI'm part of the Group B section of the class so we are weeks behind you and I am just implementing Lesson 1 with my high school students. Its great to hear that your students enjoyed their first lesson so much. With my high school students it was like pulling teeth to have a discussion but I hope that with practice it gets easier. I really worry that the age difference with my students is going to make VTS difficult.
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