Portraits of Practice

AT a public museum, a fourth-grade class sits in a semicircle in front of a painting. Each student has a special journal prepared by the museum's education department and a pencil for taking notes. The museum guide asks the students to look closely and explore the painting: "What do you see? " Hands go up in the air and comments are offered. "Yes, good," the guide responds to each observation. She sometimes points to the specific area of the painting that has been mentioned. But she never accepts a remark as the right answer; she always keeps querying the students. Is there more that they can discern? The students' comments move past the obvious. They begin to notice nuances within the painting. One student notes an image emerging from the shadows. Another points to an incongruous facial expression. As the students continue to examine the picture, the guide subtly shifts the focus of her questions. When a student points out a particular detail in the painting, she asks the entire class to look at it and describe how it makes them feel. The students are asked to attend to their emotional reactions. What feelings do different details engender? What is the overall mood? One student thinks the picture is scary. The museum guide asks her to identify the visual evidence that supports her impression. The girl points out the way the light falls on a face and how the twisted figure seems to want to run away. But another student is fascinated by a different section of the painting. He points to a table of animated men who seem to be having a good time. Again, the museum guide asks for visual evidence. How can the student support his claim? He notes the figures' fancy clothes and says that this must be a picture of a party. The guide asks why the student thinks the clothes are fancy. He points out the bright colors and silky textures of the fabrics. The figures are dressed in embroidered robes and elegant shoes that are much more ornate than anything the students wear. The guide summarizes both students' observations. Are other readings possible? Which interpretation accords with the most visual evidence? Which analysis do they think is best? She asks the class to write down in their journals their opinions and the evidence that supports them. Through this detailed discussion, the students analyze the work and discover that within this one painting multiple moods and feelings exist. Questions arise. What is this painting about? The students offer their interpretations. The museum guide continually prompts them for evidence that supports their claims. Is there evidence in the painting that could dispute a student's interpretation? Could the artist have intentionally incorporated contradictory qualities in the work? If so, why would the artist have done this? The students look over their journal notes, make inferences, and write their own conclusions. They spend about 10 minutes with this painting. In the course of their museum visit, they will analyze six different works. As part of the field trip, the classroom teacher receives color posters and overhead transparencies of the works that have been analyzed so that she can take them back to her classroom and build on these museum discussions. The teacher later enthusiastically describes increased class participation, greater willingness to offer opinions, and more extensive writing, particularly from students who previously performed marginally on academic tasks. (1) DEVELOPING SKILLS IN QUALITATIVE REASONING The explicit educational goal of this museum program is to develop students' skills in making inferences. (2) In contrast to many museum tours, this one does not focus on the name of the artist, the date of the painting, or the artistic style. The works are not iconic images from a cultural canon that all students should know. However, when examined carefully, the images reveal richly layered visual evidence. Rather than teaching inference entirely as a language-based skill, the museum program uses visual evidence to build premises for linguistic expression. …