For years, I have tried to find methods at supporting a critical community within each section of my studio classes. I think the students best work and highest personal gain derives from their response to peer critique.
I have tried different prompts and spoke formats. These I had the most hope for because for an actual conversation. Written responses are are are more prone to deny a timely back-and-forth exchange.
What usual happens with my spoken prompts is that some type of silent collusion occurs between most of the students. A typical comment would be, “I think everybody tried their best and did a really good job”. The next two to ten comments would ether be “I agree with her,” or “We all learned something.” The students have always done a great job of showing solidarity towards non-critical critique.
This year, for other technical reasons, I worked with Joan Tracy to find a better platform for my photo classes’ digital portfolios. We ended up with trying seesaw.me. This app effectively addressed my needs and concerns with creating and storing each student’s online portfolio. Once we started using it, we discovered another beneficial function. Seesaw has a LIKE and a COMMENT button under each individual image!
On screen, Seesaw looks much like Instagram. The images are displayed in a list with comments or in a grid of thumbnail without comments. These are familiar interfaces for my students. It is this familiarity that has finally enabled a conversation. These girls like to comment on pictures!! Even though it is not anonymous, they have found confidence to critique that was elusive as an oral conversation. The comments are still understandably gentle and superficial but it is clear in reading them (everything is public to all member and teachers of that class) that growth has happened. And with a little gentle pushing, they are responding!
My immediate task is to give them the vocabulary to be more expressive and then to help them expand into an out-loud, spoken critique. I still believe the immediacy of the class discussion!
I can add more teachers to a photo class if your are interested at looking around the platform at your own pace. Other types of files can be added besides still images. I believe that Sra. Green is having students record and post short videos. Documents and links can also be posted. Let me know if you want some guidance getting started!