Blog Topic #3 - VTS2-Lesson 1

Brook Watson and the Shark, John Singleton Copley, 1778

I chose this VTS as part of Lesson 1 of my BIG IDEA - Early American Art

Did this image motivate rigorous & engaging discussion for students?

Absolutely. 

If so, what do you think made it successful?

The VTS group that I chose was a group of my smaller students.  It is a class of 15 High Schoolers ranging from 16-18 years old.  When the VTS began, there was much intrigue and interest placed on the main focus of the piece, the shark, and the individual in the water.  It was a discussion that lasted 14 minutes.  I felt that this was a successful VTS because a small group spent a keen amount of time on the VTS, paying attention to detail.

Did this image satisfactorily introduce the BIG IDEA, CONCEPTS, &/or ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS of your unit?

I felt as though the image was satisfactory.  The timeframe fit within the colonial period, which is where the first series of lesson plans derive.  Even though the painting was created later, the event took place during the period.  Essential questions for this particular lesson was introduced prior to this VTS, upon introducing the Colonial period and also conducting 2 previous VTSs of images the period.  The essential question was:

• How does the art depictions of the early American settlers reflect upon the hardships endured while trying to survive in the harsh conditions of the New World? 

The essential question drew many solutions as we walked through the period and viewed the material.  

Was the image rich enough to encourage continued discussion &/or independent student investigation? 

I felt as though this was the most prolific image that I discovered dating to this time period.  As mentioned before the students spent 14 minutes discussing the elements of this painting making it a successful investigation.

If so, how might you provide continued exploration to satisfy student curiosity and/or motivation to discover more?

I am unsure how I could go about continuing the discussion on this piece.  It seems as though the students covered most of the basis.  I realized (by learning the HISTORY of the painting while researching), that the students were incorrect of the gender of the main focus BROOK WATSON.  I spent a lot of time promoting them on why they felt that the figure was female vs. the actuality of the figure being male. I found myself in a predicament that I had not been in before, in which students were asking me questions about the painting.  I was unsure how to deal with the situations. MAYBE by answering the questions, they would feel drawn more to discuss, but I was taken off guard and tried to guide them to answer their own questions.

Did this image invite opportunities to explore the BIG IDEA through art making?

Yes it did...I felt like the image invited many ideas.  Again, I must say that this is one of 3 that were VTSed and I feel as though the 3 images combined were adequate in promoting the BIG IDEA through art making.

How will you relate this image to subsequent artmaking for students?

This image promotes many aspects of the trials and tribulations of the period.  It serves as a reminder of the hardships endured by the settlers as they struggled without the modern tools and luxuries that we use daily thanks to great innovators.  In art making, the students are reminded of what they have today and must do without when creating their first piece.  The Cornucopia.

Would you use this image again to introduce the BIG IDEA?  If so, why?

Absolutely.  Again, this covers the basis of the hardships faced by the settlers, and how these difficulties reflected in the artists of that period.

If Image #1 did not elicit what you were expecting, what image might you use in its place?

I am unsure if this image used alone would FULLY depict the message of colonial art that I am trying to incorporate in my BIG IDEA.  I am satisfied that it is a vital part of the success of the curriculum introduced, however. 

Bog Topic #4 - Walker's Sequencing

I am sticking to the strategies of Walker.  I feel like the sequencing of the unit can only help better develop useful Visual Thinking Strategies.  My unit that I have developed is in line with History, as I have made known.  In saying this, history runs in sequences itself, therefore it can only better suit my unit to follow the sequences discussed by Walker.

Conceptual Framework:
Students can VTS a particular work of art that is depicting a certain event within the specific historical timeframe, but cannot truly understand the projects without researching criteria based on the activity.  It is essential that I keep all projects in line with the Graphic Design Standards that are state-implemented which I believe hinders my abilities to create true conceptual studio work, but I have found a way to keep my BIG IDEA interesting and structured toward visual learning.  As I move through the images involved in each category, it is assumed that I will be delivering more powerful and intuitive images as we move through each section.

Reading and Reflecting - Week 4

The article, Visual Literacy (Feldman), really hit home with me as a visual information major.  I have studied this subject and the argument being made is extremely accurate.  It is said that 80% of all things that we learn is learned visually, through our own perception.  I only wish that the author would have made the argument of the development of the alphabet that we used today by the Romans.  Our alphabet is a series of symbols transcribed from the Greek alphabet  which were also symbols. 
It is safe to say today, that the age of multimedia has forced us to become mote effective visual learners, as the need for long-term learning has been repaved by the instant gratification of Google and Wikipedia.  I feel that the struggle with illiteracy will soon be overcome with an abundance of literate persons, which will NOT possess long-term knowledge.  In other words, people will become literate, so they can write and read, but will only use those tools to learn short term answers to a question at hand.  
Everything today, it seems, comes in a nifty package with a simple slogan or logo, and a direct sense of information.  Persons do not seem to want to know the details, only the pertinent information at hand.  Therefore, the need for visual literacy will overrun the need for written and read literacy.  Most all advertisements today include type or text with the image.  This allows no visual interpretation, and basically explains the context of the piece for the viewer, with the exception of Fine Art.  
Multimedia will be the next wave, and may already be the front-runner of the new, improved, art and visual realm.

Read & Reflect- Week 3

I thought that the article, “A Brief Guide to Developmental Theory & Aesthetic Development” (DeSantis & Housen), gave wonderful insight to the introductory theories of Housen's wonderful discovery.  It is always exciting to learn about theories that can, through study, generate such wonderful discoveries.  Learning about the different stages that a Viewer goes through when looking at art gives me a great insight on how to become a better viewer and learner myself.  My biggest difficulty with VTS has been struggling with being a facilitator and being a Level 1 myself. 
My question would be as follows:  How effective am I as a facilitator at a Level 1 viewing stage?  I struggled with this for some time while initially beginning the phases of VTS.  


I am now a bit more in tune with VTS which makes me a bit better I suppose.  But as I reflect on practice, I still have a long way to go to achieve Jedi Level.  The quest continues....

Blog Topic #2 - My BIG IDEA

BIG IDEA - ARTISTIC HISTORY OF AMERICAN CULTURE
We are consistently challenged with the idea of teaching across the curriculum.  I felt it would be challenging, and also that it would be beneficial from a learning standpoint to explore American art in a historical manner, and also explore one's own cultural experiences by the creation of their own pieces of art.
I am currently studying the impact of culture through art, and trying to get a sound understanding of how art demands humanity and cultural respect.  I felt that "tying" historical art and VTS together, along with the input of my students would help me gain a better understanding of art & culture as a whole.  My focus for this entire semester has and will remain cultural growth through Historical Art & VTS.

CONCEPTS - PARTS OF THE UNIT
The Unit will be broken into 5 categories:

• And So, A Ship Settles - Early American Settlers
• My Culture Tis of Thee - Art of the Revolutionary War
• The Three Branches - Political Paintings of a Constitutional Democracy
• From The Mountains, To the Prairies - Art of the American Frontier
• We Shall Not Be Moved - Slavery In America

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

The Unit will consist of a primary Essential question for each category.  They are as follows:

• Early American Settlers - How does the art depictions of the early American settlers reflect upon the hardships endured while trying to survive in the harsh conditions of the New World?
• Art of the Revolutionary War - What are the relatively repeating schemes that follow each of the Revolutionary Artworks?
• Political Paintings -  Do you try to picture yourself present at the signings of the Constitution and  Declaration of Independence while viewing historical paintings?  If so, how and why?
• American Frontier - The westward movement was monumental for both economic and cultural reasons.  How was America culturally changed in its move to the west.
• How does the horrific ideology of slavery impact the relationship to the artist and the work of art?

STUDIO ACTIVITY IDEAS

There will be a specific graphic design related studio activity following each of the assigned categories:

• Early American Settlers - The First Thanksgiving.  Students will be reminded of the wonderful luxuries that we have today vs.  the "inevitable nothings" that existed during colonial times for the settlers.  Students will create a visual Cornucopia of 6 things that they would have brought along with them to the first Thanksgiving meeting were they able to travel through time to that period.  They will discuss why they would bring the luxury item, and how it would help with their survival
• Revolutionary War - Students will come up with a slogan for helping to recruit young colonials to help fight the British in the Revolutionary War.  They will then design a poster using similar styles of art of that era that would help the recruiting process.
• Political Art- Students will design an informational flyer breaking down the specifics of the US Constitution in efforts to make readers more aware of the finest document in the land.
• American Frontier - Students will choose a specific flower that would be found growing wild on the Oregon Trail, and will create a logo using that specific species of flower in efforts to signature their new company, Oregon Trail Travel Agency.
• Slavery - Students will consider the effects of slavery and create a flyer advertising the Underground Railroad.  The flyer will be made to look as though it came from that period of time, and must contain specifics involving the Underground Railroad.

IMAGES

There will be a minimum of VTSs for each lesson.  I think that it is important to give multiple examples of work to view in efforts to grasp the true cultural differences that are evolving during this time of American development.  Some Image Examples:

Brook Watson And The Shark, John Singleton Copley

Fall Of The Alamo, Robert Jenkins 

Declaration Of Independence, John Trumbull

Washington Crossing The Delaware, Emanuel Louts

Harriet Tubman's Underground Railroad, Paul Collins

Read & Reflect

After reading Housen's article, “Eye of the Beholder: Research, Theory, & Practice”, I became more in tune with the theories behind VTS.  I found it interesting, as I sort of began to grasp a sense of a Left-Brained approach to a Right-Brained exercise.  I enjoyed the idea of a problem solving method of viewing art.  
It is quite funny how we naturally avoid appropriate steps that need be taken in creating theories, solving problems, and even creating art.  I feel like (and teach daily), that the better result always comes from using a process.  It seems only natural that using the VTS processes will only make any novice viewer of art a more effective and adaptive viewer.