What’s going on in this picture?
Beginning with this simple question, Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) uses student-driven conversations about specific works of art to foster vocabulary, fluency, and the critical thinking that drives both. This course prepares educators to implement VTS with children, in class or online, in a Montessori context.
“I feel that this course gave me grounding both in how to use VTS with my class and an understanding of the skills it supports in children. The connection to language/literacy and executive functions is amazing, and I feel prepared to explain the benefits of VTS to coworkers/caregivers who might not see the purpose in discussing art with primary students! Similarly, I appreciate how clear the connection between VTS and Montessori pedagogy is.”
“I feel that this course gave me grounding both in how to use VTS with my class and an understanding of the skills it supports in children. The connection to language/literacy and executive functions is amazing, and I feel prepared to explain the benefits of VTS to coworkers/caregivers who might not see the purpose in discussing art with primary students! Similarly, I appreciate how clear the connection between VTS and Montessori pedagogy is.”
“I was able to start using the strategies with my students and I saw immediate results. My students were engaged and I was really excited about all the details they noticed and the connections they made to other work we’re doing in the classroom.”
“I enjoyed the camaraderie among the cohort and being able to participate in real time in a VTS discussion. Class went by quickly because the course was engaging.”
“Katie Brown brought her considerable knowledge on the subject to the discussions and was a kind and thoughtful facilitator. She engaged all the students on the call in the discussions and invited friendly discourse.”
Participants will learn:
- How to facilitate VTS discussions
- How VTS supports language development and critical thinking
- How to incorporate VTS in Montessori classrooms
- How to select images for VTS discussions
- How to assess growth through VTS
This course includes readings, images, videos, self-guided practice sessions, and written reflections, as well as four live sessions. Live sessions will be held from 2-3pm ET on the following Tuesdays:
- July 9
- July 16
- July 23
- July 30
The companion text for this course will be Visual Thinking Strategies in Montessori Environments, which is now available on Amazon and priced at $29.95.
Paying by check: We accept payment via most credit cards. Request an invoice with this form. You will not be registered until your payment has been received. Once payment has been received, we will enter your registration for the event and confirm via email. For questions about payment, contact payments@public-montessori.org.
Scholarships: We are sometimes able to offer seats in our professional learning courses on a scholarship basis. Please complete this form to be considered for a scholarship-funded seat.
Photos and Video: NCMPS may take photos or record video during this event. By participating in this event, you consent to your likeness being used for promotional purposes without compensation, and you release NCMPS from any liability related to this use. If you do not want your likeness used in this way, you may inform the event staff, and NCMPS will make its best effort to prevent such use.
Attendance Policy: To receive a certificate or (when available) CEUs, for NCMPS professional learning offerings we require participants to attend 80% of live sessions (typically this allows for two missed sessions).
Live Session Recordings: When available, recordings of live sessions will be posted to the course for no less than six months after the date of the live session. Recordings older than six months may expire at any time.
About the Instructor
Katie Brown is the NCMPS Director of Research and Professional Learning. Katie manages NCMPS Professional Learning courses, trainings, and workshops, and liaises with the educational research world.
Katie holds a PhD in urban education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she studied outcomes for African American students in public Montessori schools. She is an adjunct faculty member at Whitworth University, where she teaches the Montessori Surround arc of graduate-level courses. Her recent research projects have focused on creativity, executive functions, and distance learning in Montessori schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also serves on the Breakthrough Montessori PCS Board of Trustees and the American Society Research Committee.
Katie has been working in Montessori since 2012, and with NCMPS since 2015. She also has the pleasure of being a Montessori parent. Katie lives in Cary, NC with her partner and two first-plane children.
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