Assessing Student
Engagement & Learning
This week I chose the Carrie Mae Weems photograph from the 4 artworks I
posted on my blog last week. I think this sort of through them through a loop;
because it was the first time they looked at something other than a painting. I
think that aspect made it a little challenging for them but they were still
able to engage well. I could sense a little hesitation in their willingness to
respond but each student participated. The group was still able to make
comments of high stage viewers but their hesitation kept them from really
investigating like they usually do. It’s not that they didn’t like examining a
photograph, it was just another thing that they had to get accustom to. I think
what the students learned by looking at a photograph was despite the fact that
the elements of the photograph were more or less obvious (easy to identify)
they could still make different assumptions about the piece.
Reflecting on Practice
Like I said, there was some
hesitation by my group but they were still able to participate. One thing I realized
during this discussion is that I facilitate much better when I look at the
artwork as the speaker is talking. I noticed that if I looked at the speaker
while they talked, I wasn’t as good at paraphrasing what they said, and I also
think it is easier for the speaker to say what they want to say if the
facilitator doesn’t look at them. I find that if I look at the image as the
speaker talks about it, it is easier for me to remember what they said.
I am pretty comfortable with asking the questions. I do find that there
are times where I could be more specific with the question: what do you see that makes you say that?
For a while, I was comfortable asking that question as is, and I need to start changing
it in order to get what I want out of my participants.
Planning
What I want
to work on:
How I ask:
What do you see that makes you say that?
·
Like I said,
I’m going to try and change this question so that I can get more out of my
participants
Paraphrasing
·
This will
always be what I need to work on most. My mind is easily distracted, and so
figuring out how to focus is what I’m going to work on. Like I mentioned
earlier, looking at the speaker distracted me, so next time I will concentrate
on the image as the speaker talks, and hopefully I can better paraphrase as a
result. So working on how I paraphrase also involves how I conduct myself as I facilitate
the discussion.
How I begin
discussion
·
I notice
that I don’t say everything that I want to before I start the discussion. I
think for the next discussion, I will have my introduction written out because I
always forget certain things I want to say, such as:
o
“It is
okay to disagree with what someone says, I just ask that you do so respectfully”
o
“there is
no right or wrong answer, so feel free to say whatever you are thinking about
the piece”
o
“I want
to remember everything that you say, so if you are the one speaking, I ask that
you mention no more than 3 things per turn”
I was fascinated to hear about your group's more hesitant participation with a photograph! I wonder if the myth of truthfulness in a photograph made the assume there was a right answer this time? It would be fun to do a follow-up interview with the group to help fill in that gap! (I see everything as potential research these days!) I've hear Yenawine say that one of the functions of pointing at the photograph (and consequently, looking at it) when a participant is responding is that it helps the facilitator remember aspects of the commentary. Looks like you discovered this for yourself! You're brilliant!! I found that memorizing a script to deliver before each VTS session helped me remember all of the things I wanted my participants to know before starting to VTS. It's easier for me not to leave things out. I sense that the same may be helpful for you. Can't wait to see your video this time! I admire you taking on a group with advanced art knowledge for this course assignment! VTSing with children (or any other beginning viewers) will feel like a walk in the park after this workout!
ReplyDeleteDionne, I really enjoyed watching your video! You have a very calm and patient demeanor as you facilitate that I think must make your students feel very comfortable as they respond to your questions. You remained very neutral throughout which also encouraged them to keep probing. I see what you're saying about your student's hesitation as they were trying to figure out the image. And maybe you're right that with a photograph they think there is one "right" way to decipher the image. But as they got into the discussion they did notice more things and possible meanings in the image.
ReplyDeleteWith your adult viewers you really didn't have the opportunity to ask question #2 very much because they all gave their evidence as they made their comments. I know you said you want to work on being more specific with that question, but it is harder with your older students. You could've said, "what do you see that makes you say she has a poker face", for example, but for the most part they all offered their own evidence. And it seems like they all had a good grasp of the vocabulary too so you didn't need to offer new wording very often. I did notice that the students themselves helped each other come up with the "right" word or name on a few occasions.
I thought your paraphrasing was really good! It is much harder for you to paraphrase with adults than it is with my 3rd graders--hopefully I have a better vocabulary than 9 year olds, but maybe not with some adults!
I thought your students delved into the image pretty deeply and brought lots of prior knowledge to the discussion--such as Civli Rights Movement; ideas of gender discrimination; disparity between men and women, blacks and whites, etc. Your video cut off kind of abruptly so I couldn't hear how you wrapped up the discussion, but I think your students had a lot to think about from your facilitation.