Blog Topic #8

So far, I think what I’ve been able to do well is remain neutral during discussion. Also, I think that I’ve done well at pointing while a person talks.

In comparison to the first VTS I did with the class to yesterday’s discussion, I feel much more comfortable. Even though I still need to work on it, I think I am better at paying attention and paraphrasing. Initially, it was very hard to turn off my mind in order to focus on what the speaker was saying which also made paraphrasing incredibly difficult for me.

As for surprises, what has surprised me the most has been the changes I have seen with my group. Every week, I compare the latest VTS discussion to the first and the transformation has been great. They are no longer uncomfortable like they were the first time. The rich ideas that they are able to create has also surprises me and how quickly they are able to reach those ideas. It’s obvious that their experience with VTS this semester has changed the way they view and think about an artwork. As for their interpretations, I am surprised every time we VTS. They say things about the artworks that I don’t notice and I think the group as a whole finds that surprising as well.

Paraphrasing is what I need to work on more than anything. I have trouble paraphrasing when a group member offers a lot of different information. After hearing some of the suggestions from this weekend at the SLAM, I am going to take some of those that were mentioned to address this issue. In my introduction, I will start to tell my group that I want them to stick to mentioning 1 or 2 things. My group has a tendency to say a lot so I’ll address this with my group before the next VTS discussion. I think this will help with my issue of trying to remember everything that is said.