Week 6: Lesson 2- Success!

W. Eugene Smith

Untitled (Dr. Ceriani after the loss of a patient),   1948

Up to this point the VTS lessons have been like pulling teeth with my high school photography class. So for lesson 2 I spoke with Mary Franco about using different images and she sent me some photographs which were great. I also had my students sit closer to the image that was being projected and sit together as a group rather than sit individually at their desks. I also gave each student a photocopy of the image so that they had something in their hands to look at. I think that all of the above attributed to a much better VTS experience for myself and my students. 

In addition to the above I spoke with my students prior to lesson 2 about VTS and we looked at the image from lesson 1 again. I modeled for my students what my own responses would have been and at that point I asked them how many of them had been thinking the same things that I had said but they didn't say it out loud because it had to do with race. Most of my students raised their hands. I also asked them based on my responses how many of them had thought of other things. Many of them raised their hands again. I continued to look at the artwork and make comments and I purposely let some of my comments be on the edge of what my students would consider school appropriate because I wanted them to know that they could speak freely and I wasn't going to judge them. I wanted to model for them that there was no right or wrong answer and that this was a safe environment to have an open discussion about art. I don't know if this was appropriate or not but I really think that it helped my students to feel more comfortable speaking their thoughts aloud. 

Back to Lesson 2, it was successful. My students were engaged and participating and their discussion was engaging and thoughtful. I was very proud of them. I feel like I still have some work to do. I feel that I need more practice so that the process is more automatic. I just want to feel more polished. Overall I am happy and pleased with the progress that has been made. 

I apologize for the delay of this post. We actually did Lesson 2 in class on October 5th but I've had some technology issues that have kept me from posting.