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In Their Words

Click to see what people are saying about VTS:

• Teachers and Students
• Principals
• Museum Educators
• Medical-Related Programs
• Pre-Service Teachers
• Business

Teachers and Students

"Just telling us the ‘answer' is the easy way out; [through VTS] we discover for ourselves."
Boston student, 8th grade

"I feel more confident as a teacher because I learned a powerful tool that will support the language development of my students."
Terra Institute, Chicago

"VTS has profoundly changed the way I think about teaching across the curriculum."
Elementary School Teacher, Seattle

"During my very first lesson, I could see right away that VTS changed to entire social dynamic of my classroom — every child felt comfortable enough to express his or her opinion about the painting on the screen on that very first day."
Elementary School Teacher, Boston

"With VTS you see themes and ideas emerge. You see students improving how they communicate and improve their interaction with each other."
Elementary School Teacher, Los Angeles

Principals

"VTS has had a tremendously positive impact on my students. They are communicating more effectively and there is evidence of transference of VTS strategies to their reading and writing. We have also observed a decrease in conflict among our students. I attribute this to the conflict resolution component of the VTS program."
Elementary School Principal, Chicago

"Students need to be inspired by culture and encouraged to pursue their talents. For many students, arts programs are what they look forward to most when they leave for school each morning. Our school's experience demonstrates that arts education has a positive impact on adolescent development and provides a benchmark for every student to excel."
Elementary School Principal, Brooklyn

Museum Educators

"VTS really resonated with me, with the way that I've always taught, the way I helped my students to construct knowledge and reflect on their own learning. I'm very much at home with it."
Director of Education, Massachusetts

"What I think we can forget as educators is that, in order to continue to be vital and useful, we ourselves must continue to grow. Participating fully in VTS discussions ensures that we do, indeed, grow."
Director of Education, Provincetown

Medical-Related Programs

"I am beginning to see how applying the skills we are learning to develop by observing art can be relevant to the clinician. Separating the stereotypes, initial reactions, etc., away for a moment, and instead focusing on describing and observing what is actually in front of you, is truly important. There have been works of art that I did not like. However, taking a moment to separate those thoughts allowed me to take in very complex works and make many observations. In the clinic it is the same thing: putting everything else you know or may feel away, making the observations, and then synthesizing the story or diagnosis with everything you have now learned."
Medical student, Seattle

"We're trying to train students to not make assumptions about what they're going to see, but to do deep looking. Our hope is that they will be able to do this when they look at patients,"
Brigham & Women's Hospital Internist, Boston

Pre-Service

"After a workshop on VTS, my teacher candidates approach student critiques and classroom art discussions with students with dialogue that is rich in interpretation and an open-ended approach to their art conversations. The teacher candidates are amazed at the comfort level and community that the process creates among all ages of students. I have made this process an important aspect in the development of a quality art educator in our program."
Assistant Art Education Professor, Chicago

"Learning VTS with coaching is a valuable tool for developing self reflective practice and strengthens the student's teaching experience. Looking at and talking about art with students who may never have done so before encourages them to consider integrating art into their lesson planning. I have found that students continually refer back to the VTS experience throughout the year when they are discussing curriculum or writing lesson plans."
Pre-Service & Primary Educator, San Francisco

Business

"We need people with skills in critical thinking, analytical reasoning and problem solving. We need people who can communicate. We need to enhance the richness and diversity of the workforce, and we need people with the confidence to face the future.
Financial Analyst and CEO, New York City

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