Summative Project: Artist Statement for Poster

From the beginning of my work on this project I have envisioned a poster that could advertise VTS to people in my classroom and to remind me also of features and background of VTS so it will be on the readily available for me to refer to again and again.  My desire was to highlight different aspects of VTS so as to inform the viewer as much as possible, but yet not cover the whole poster in text.  By going back over my notes, the book and website, I collected key pieces of information and tried to whittle it down to the important aspects, such as where it came from, and how VTS can benefit students.   

When I look back at the semester and where I have come, it reminded me of a journey so I wanted to include this idea in the design and included the image of a sail boat to express it. This course has opened my eyes to new possibilities which led me to thinking about the fun "out of this world" fantasy art of Peter Max.  I enjoyed his work as a child and it gave me inspiration as I looked to designing a poster.  His work seems hopeful, safe, but adventurous, with almost infinite possibilities are with in your reach, if you go for it attitude, which reminds me of how VTS can open the eyes of the viewer to new ways of looking at artworks and other things.  The colors are bright which is intentional to grab the eye of a passerby, but are also made more intense by the camera, which is throwing off the photos somewhat.  My computer graphic designs skills are limited so it was a little challenging for me to design a poster that could be fun, attractive, and informative.  By seeing first hand how students can improve their observation, speaking, and writing skills in a short time,  I want to tell as many people as possible about VTS and I think this seems to be a good place to start. 

Final Blog Entry: Pre & Post VTS Analysis

Based on the numbers entered into the GraphPad QucikCalcs calculator from the Pre and Post VTS samples, the conclusion is that there is not enough evidence to suggest that using VTS increases word count. The other area of interest to me was; did the samples of both Pre and Post VTS samples show an increase in the use of evidence to support observations?  In that case the calculator also said that “the difference was not to be considered statistically significant”.

 

Due to limitations in this research such as sample size and limited time, (which these two factors alone have probably influenced these results) and also knowing that research has been done before that suggests the opposite is true; that VTS can increase word count; I would advocate doing more studies with samples that would be larger and also longer in duration.  I believe that studies have shown that after one year of regular VTS experiences, students will show concrete measurable signs of growth that can be demonstrated and calculated.

  

I also believe that even though statistically speaking there was not enough evidence here to show a significant difference, I know that I have seen growth in many students. Almost all of the word counts increased in the samples, with a mean increase from 26.78 to 32.29.  I have also seen changes in behavior with some students showing more positive and confident behaviors and more students participating with longer sessions with an increase in words spoken and deeper observations noted as the discussions continued through the semester.

Word Count Test:

 Evidence Included with Observations: