VTS: Week 8 Blog Assignment

VTS-to Date:

I have become much more comfortable facilitating VTS discussions with my students since my first one.  I no longer feel self-conscious, and I remember the three questions easily.  Since my first VTS experience with my professional peers, I have gained confidence and am able to focus on paraphrasing rather than asking the questions.  Since my first Video assessment, I have thought more intently about the vocabulary I use when paraphrasing because I don’t want to miss the opportunity to scaffold with my students.  Previously, I focused on paraphrasing accurately, but now I am able to give thought to word choice.  This is an area in which I hope to continue to grow.

The most surprising issue I have encountered in my VTS experience is that only male students are participating in the discussions.  My Advisory class consists of 19 students; 11 boys and 8 girls.  In considering possible reasons for the gender divide, I have noted the following:

• The images we've used thus far only have males in them.
• The girls in my Advisory are more likely to work on homework before socializing, and they may have chosen this on the VTS discussion days.
• Some girls belong to clubs or groups that may have met during this time.
• The boys in this group are more social, especially towards the end of the day.  

I want to work on linking student responses and scaffolding vocabulary through paraphrasing.  My goal is for this to become “automatic” as I facilitate.