VTS Facilitation 101:

Visual Thinking Strategies uses art to foster students' capacities to observe, think, listen and communicate.

In VTS discussions teachers support student growth by facilitating discussions of carefully selected works of visual art.

Teachers are asked to use three open-ended questions:

  • What's going on in this picture?
  • What do you see that makes you say that?
  • What more can we find?

3 Facilitation Techniques:

  • Paraphrase comments neutrally.
  • Point at the area being discussed.
  • Link contrasting and complementary comments.

Students are asked to:

  • Look carefully at works of art.
  • Talk about what they observe.
  • Back up their ideas with evidence.
  • Listen to and consider the views of others.
  • Discuss many possible interpretations.