VTS
Visual Thinking Strategies

15 - 18 November

FOR TEACHERS

This workshop will introduce visual thinking strategies (VTS), a way of teaching young people to use their eyes and minds to make meaning out of complex visual information—works of art. We will also discuss the implications of vts for the development of skills that are useful in schooling more generally. It is based on the work of cognitive psychologist abigail housen and veteran museum educator Philip Yenawine.

Abigail housen has been investigating the nature of aesthetic Development and its role in education for over twenty years. Philip Yenawine (who will conduct the workshop) has directed education Programs at many museums, including new york’s metropolitan museum Of art and museum of modern art, and chicago’s museum of contemporary Art.

VTS has been tested in many sites, and is the basis for a growing number Of museum programs in the us and abroad as well as a complete k-5 Curriculum for elementary schools.

As a curriculum, VTS encourages:
A personal connection to art from diverse cultures, times and places.
Confidence in one’s ability to construct meaning from art.
Active class discussion and group problem solving.
Development of thinking and communication skills.
Transfer of these skills to other subject areas.

Organiza: CAAM
Colabora: Cabildo de Gran Canaria - Área de Educación

VISUAL THINKING STRATEGIES

CENTRO ATLÁNTICO DE ARTE MODERNO, CAAM
Sala polivalente del CAAM
15-18.11.05

Day 15
17:30 - 21:00 HOURS
Introduction to the workshop
Brief presentation of theoretical bases of VTS
Demonstration and analysis of VTS
Discussion: What can be learned from discussions that is hard to learn any other way?
Discussion: What does it mean to be student centered? Developmentally appropriate? What is discovery-based learning?

Day 16
17:30 - 21:00 HORAS
Questions and reflections on Day 1
Image discussion
Practice of VTS by teachers
Discussions: What is meant by “information?” What is the role of information in learning? What does it mean to teach by authentic experience? How does VTS represent authentic experience?
Discussion: How could facilitated discussion impact your teaching practice generally?

Day 17
17:30 - 21:00 HOURS
Questions and reflections on Day 2
Image discussion
Discussion: What about art images makes them useful topics for discussion?
Continued practice of VTS
Debates: ¿Qué habilidades o comportamientos de aprendizaje piensan que podrán ver en sus alumnos como resultado de VTS?.
Discussions: What skills or learning behaviors do you think you will see in your students as result of VTS? How could you track them? In what other lessons will such skills be useful?

Day 18
17:30 - 21 HOURS
Questions and reflections on Day 3
Image discussion
More practice by teachers
Thoughts on how to transfer VTS method to other contexts
Summary of growth produced by VTS over time
Final questions/reflections

JOINING
Members of “Amigos del CAAM” with membership of more than a month, students and official members of COAC: 24.00 ¤ (showing a photocopy of the documents). General public: 36.00 Limited Vacancies.

PAYMENT

1. November 8-12 at CAAM Reception. Tuesday-Saturday. 10:00-20:00 hours. C/ Los Balcones, 11, 35001, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 902 311 824 www.caam.net

2. November 2-12, bank transfer, account number: 2052 8000 76 3304501003 (Sending by fax the receipt to 928 321 629, or at CAAM Reception)

BENEFIT
1 free credit by the History College, ULPGC.

FOR MUSEUM EDUCATOR

This workshop Hill introduce the work of cognitive psychologist Abigail Housen and veteran museum educador Philip Yenawine as well as that of other theorists useful to consider when thinking about effective museum education.

Presentations of information will be followed by time for questioning and discussing the implications of ideas for museum education practice. One teaching strategy based on Housen’s research, visual thinking strategies, will be demonstrated and analyzed in detail. Ways of using her findings to think about writing, exhibitions and studio programs will be considered. Housen has been investigating the nature of aesthetic development for over twenty years.

Yenawine (who will conduct the workshop) has directed education programs at many museums, including New York’s metropolitan museum of art and museum of modern art, and Chicago’s museum of contemporary art.

Organiza: CAAM
Colabora: Cabildo de Gran Canaria - Área de Educación

VISUAL THIKING STRATEGIES

CENTRO ATLÁNTICO DE ARTE MODERNO, CAAM
Sala polivalente del CAAM
16-18.11.05

Day 16
9:30 – 14:00 Hours
Introduction to the workshop
Reflections on museum education: limitations and potencial.
Presentation: summary of some major insights of Rudolf Arnheim.
Presentation: Sumary of relevant findings by Lev Vygotsky.
Presentation: Abigail Housen’s methods, data and findings including research on adults visitors to US museums.
Discussion: what does it mean when we talk about beginning viewers?

Day 17
9:30 – 14:00 Hours
Reflection on homework assignment in small groups.
Image discussion.
Analysis of Visual Strategies method.
Discussions: What does it mean to teach by authentic experience? How does VTS represent authentic experience? What are the implications of Housen’s data for image choice?.

Day 18
9:30 – 14:00 Hours
Reflection on homework assignment small groups.
Image discussion.
Discussions: What it meant by “information?” What is the role of information in learning?
Discussions: What are implications of Housen for writing for adult museum visitors? For exhibitions? For studio programs? What can we hope to accomplish through museum education programs? Through collaborations with schools and other institutions?
Final questions / reflections.

JOINING
Members of “Amigos del CAAM” with membership of more than a month, students and official members of COAC: 24.00 ¤ (showing a photocopy of the documents). General public: 36.00 Limited Vacancies.

PAYMENT

1. November 8-12 at CAAM Reception. Tuesday-Saturday. 10:00-20:00 hours. C/ Los Balcones, 11, 35001, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 902 311 824 www.caam.net

2. November 2-12, bank transfer, account number: 2052 8000 76 3304501003 (Sending by fax the receipt to 928 321 629, or at CAAM Reception)

BENEFIT
1 free credit by the History College, ULPGC.