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| Looking forward |
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| There's no performance quite like it |
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| Environment free of fear |
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| "permission to wonder" |
There were a lot of moments that stood out during my experience with
VTS this semester. For this project I focus on some of the biggest moments
through 4 paintings. The paintings are constructed to look reminiscent of
medieval books because I wanted to tell my story using visuals and text. Here
is an in-depth description of each painting:
1. Looking
forward
This painting is about how VTS
impacted me as an educator. During the semester, VTS was a constant thought in
my mind. As I was writing lesson plans, I was thinking about how to best utilized
VTS. I was so inspired this semester, that I actually ended up developing a
lesson dedicated to introducing VTS for ART I students, assuming that most ART
I students probably don’t have a lot of experience with VTS. The lesson is
titled Interpretation of Story, and it teaches students how we have our own
unique interpretations when reading stories, therefore it is okay to interpret
artworks differently. The text in the image reads:
“VTS inspired me to develop a lesson
plan for ART I students. In this lesson, students learn that they interpret
stories differently, therefore it is okay to interpret images differently.”
2. There’s
no performance quite like it
This piece is really about the
facilitating aspect of VTS and how it is really a unique performance, which is
why I painted myself on a stage. It isn’t something that you can totally
prepare for because you don’t know all that you’re going to say, and at the
same time it is similar to improvisation because you have to respond to what
other people are saying and without any time to really think about what your
response is going to be. I thought facilitating a VTS discussion would be a
terrifying situation for me because I hate public speaking; I would rather do
just about anything else. Yet facilitating a VTS discussion isn’t at all like
public speaking because it isn’t about the facilitator, it’s about the
participants. So thankfully, I am actually comfortable when facilitating because
it is the audience that is the focus of the discussion, not me. The painting
reads:
“There is no other performance
quite like it, and you don’t have to be the world’s best public speaker.”
3. Environment
free of fear
This painting is about the
transformation I saw with my group over the semester. They transformed from a
group that initially was uncomfortable to speak up and really share what they
were thinking, to doing just that and without hesitation. That is because VTS
naturally creates an environment that is free of fear. Students don’t have to
worry about whether or not their interpretations are right because they are
constantly reminded that there are no right or wrong answers and therefore it
is also okay to disagree respectfully with what someone else says. Because of
this comfortable environment VTS creates, there is nothing that holds students
back from participating and saying what they really think. The painting reads:
“Students feel comfortable
participating because they are in an environment free of fear. There are no
right or wrong answers.”
4. “Permission
to wonder”
With time, students become
critical thinkers because they are given the “permission to wonder.” Since
students are in a carefree environment where they know there is no right or
wrong answers, they naturally allow themselves to really contemplate and
examine the images that they look at in discussions. This was something that
naturally happened with my group over the semester. The painting reads:
“Through VTS, students become critical
thinkers because they are given the ‘permission to wonder.’”
