Vanessa Stott

October 5, 2017
Art 133
T/R 1-2:50 PM
Unit Paper 3
Vulnerability is the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked

or harmed, either physically or emotionally. For an adolescent vulnerability usually includes all

possibilities. For some it doesnt include other resources like advise, confrontation or shelter. As

educators, it is our job to help protect or allow confinement when a child is feeling vulnerable.

Teachers should be able to detect and let the child express such vulnerability in the best way they

know how. Laurie Eldridge explains that caring in holistic approaches such as being evaluative

in a childs home life, seeing if his or her needs are being met or if the child is showing signs of

stress can show vulnerability from the student. In this unit of the big idea as vulnerability there

was exploration of approaches of how to examine and detail a way for students to present their

own emotions using meaning through Pinks five senses, Housen and Yenawaines visual

thinking strategies.

For many students, the school is a haven in a harsh world (Pink 73). The five senses

explained in Pinks second part chapters are more like tools for using in a classroom to allow

students to express vulnerability in light context. The first being design which plays a huge role

as an essential background for a students art work. In my classroom, the design process will

allow my students to gain a perspective of what they are about to accomplish. Communication is

the key to open expression. My students will know that they can express their point of view or

opinions while doing art. Symphony to me is seeing the bigger picture in text of art, knowing

that the art work a student might think of in their head might turn out different and that is okay.
Students need to have empathy and emotions in their art and allow time to have fun. This all

results to meaning, the final piece of a students art work creates the sense of accomplishment.

Visual Thinking Strategies will help myself as a teacher allow my students to use

communication, thinking and visual literacy. During VTS, my students will have the time to

think out loud what they see in a picture no matter how little it is. They will be allowed to ask

questions and comment off of other students sightings so that further discovery can happen.

VTS helps create reason and theory of what is going on in a picture such as a story or theme.

Pinks five senses and VTS come together to allow students who are feeling vulnerable, feel safe

instead through expression with art.

References:

Housen, A., & Yenawine, P. (n.d.). Visual thinking strategies: Understanding the basics.

Retrieved from http://www.vtshome.org/research/articles-other-readings

Pink, Daniel H. A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. Riverhead

Books, 2012.