VTS, Learning Environments for People of Color, and Antiracist Pedagogy
When separated educational settings are used intentionally, they can be essential for strong racial identity development.
Letter from the Editor
VTS has been engaging in reflective practice around issues of race, class, gender, and ability in order to increase awareness of and respond to the inequities that exist in the arts and education.
Letter from the Editor
Among the many joys of being a VTS Trainer—as well as the Editor of Site Specific—is the opportunities I have to work with and learn from truly incredible teachers. Aija Simmons is just such an inspiring figure. Her work in and out of the classroom is a model for how...
Using VTS to Teach Claims, Evidence, Reasoning, and Writing
VTS allows students to engage in productive discussion, learn to form an argument, and transfer skills to other content areas.
Learning to Listen
Listening is necessary for any conversation, but listening well expresses something meaningful in and of itself.
The Gift of Sight: Why You Cannot VTS on Your Own
The core of the VTS experience lies in the fact that it takes place with other people.
Tending a Garden Requires Care: VTS, Making Art, and Deep Listening
Learning requires collaboration and a humble reorientation to knowledge that encourages improvisation.
Letter from Milwaukee
VTS has become a vital part of my instruction and I am convinced it can work for all students.
Letter from the Editor
As VTS Trainers working in schools, perhaps one of the most frequent requests we encounter is for more information on how to leverage the types of learning that occur during VTS discussions into other areas of the curriculum. This edition of Site Specific is devoted...
The Power of VTS Writing Lab Changed Me, Then My School District
Three, deceptively simple questions changed my teaching practice forever. I wondered, could we also teach writing using VTS?
Honoring Students, Teachers, and the Work of Kerry James Marshall Through VTS
How VTS helped shape communities of practice that value diverse input and prioritize inclusive discussion.
As Opposed To…
Clearly, the curriculum was failing this classroom. How should a facilitator respond in such a situation?