Elizabeth Hogan

Professor Ward
Art 133 PM
8 October 2015
Unit Paper 3
The reading by Housen and Yenawine was about Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS). In the
reading, something that is talked about is: what is needed to stimulate growth? The authors say
that looking at art of increasing complexity, responding to developmentally-based questions,
and participating in group discussions that are carefully facilitated by teachers is what stimulates
growth. VTS begins with an image that is open to interpretation by the students. The teacher,
who is the facilitator, asks the question What is going on in this picture? and leaves it up to the
students to form their own ideas about it. After each answer, the following questions are used to
elicit more information: what do you see that makes you say that? and what more can we
find? When the student describes which part of the photo they are referring to, the teacher points
to that spot on the picture so that the students are all seeing what is being described.
I really like the idea of using VTS in my future classroom with my students. I like the
way it creates a dialogue and communication between the students, and how we all learn things
from each other. When my peers and I did this in our art class, I remember my peers pointing out
things I hadnt yet noticed myself, and I loved hearing about other peoples perspectives about
what was going on in the picture. I also like how this experience elicited complex thought, as we
tried to decipher what was happening in the photo without any prior information about the piece.
As a teacher, I want to teach complex thinking, learn from each other, and have communication.
Reference

Housen, A., & Yenawine, P. (n.d.). Visual thinking strategies: Understanding the basics. Retrieved from
http://www.vtshome.org/research/articles-other-readings