Assessment Instruments
Student Group Observations/Investigations
One of the assessments we carried out was at the beginning of classes when we’d look at different artworks by other artists. Through this, we would ask them questions that, in some cases, pertained to the lesson for the day or reviewed ideas from the week before. The purpose and intent for it was to have them become familiar and comfortable with identifying key ides in art. Through this, it helped create a foundation for proceeding and it helped us see their progression.
Mid-way Gallery Walks
During middle points in work time, we’d invite students to take a break and join us in a group to walk from table to table to see how others were making their art. It followed the same practice of commenting on what imagery they see, how it could have been made, and making comparisons between works of art. It touched back on how we opened the beginning of class and helped them talk about each other’s and their own artwork.
Mini-Exhibition Presentation
For one of our projects, we invited the students to bring their sculptures (toys with a purpose) to the front of the room and present them. In doing so, the other students would take guesses at what purpose the toy could serve based on the way it looked and some of the colors it had. The student, who made the toy, would then describe what they had made and explain the purpose it has. It offered students the chance to make similar observations about how the toy was made and, also, talk about the process in making their toy.
Student Group Discussions
Usually at the end of class, we’d gather on the front rug to allow the students to share some of the things they observed and get a feeling for where they were at in the lesson: how did things work, did they have any troubles, and things that they discovered. This could be anything from how a material felt, how materials reacted together, and what they looked like when used. It allowed us and the other students to hear their discoveries and helped us base future choices off of those comments.
End of the Semester Exhibition
This was much more accumulative of everything the students did this past semester. While we were able to talk about different ways they made their art along the way, this was a full show of everything they had accomplished and in turn learned. Along with viewing their own work on display, they were able to see the other class’ artwork and compare it to their own creative process’. It acted in a similar way to when they took guesses at their fellow student’s artwork and viewed artists’ works.
Blog
While the students may have never read through every entry that was posted, the blog served as a hub for us to review our own teachings and see a compilation of observations. This allowed us to conduct an informal assessment of how the students were developing. It also came together as a working archive of development to look back on moving forward and reflecting on how we can improve as teachers.
Newsletter
This was a big compilation and watered down version of everything that was accomplished in the semester. It contained examples from the blog and excerpts from the lesson plans so that parents would have the chance to read about what their children were learning about. It helped us create an "itinerary" of what we explored while giving them a sense of what we were focusing on during the semester.
One of the assessments we carried out was at the beginning of classes when we’d look at different artworks by other artists. Through this, we would ask them questions that, in some cases, pertained to the lesson for the day or reviewed ideas from the week before. The purpose and intent for it was to have them become familiar and comfortable with identifying key ides in art. Through this, it helped create a foundation for proceeding and it helped us see their progression.
Mid-way Gallery Walks
During middle points in work time, we’d invite students to take a break and join us in a group to walk from table to table to see how others were making their art. It followed the same practice of commenting on what imagery they see, how it could have been made, and making comparisons between works of art. It touched back on how we opened the beginning of class and helped them talk about each other’s and their own artwork.
Mini-Exhibition Presentation
For one of our projects, we invited the students to bring their sculptures (toys with a purpose) to the front of the room and present them. In doing so, the other students would take guesses at what purpose the toy could serve based on the way it looked and some of the colors it had. The student, who made the toy, would then describe what they had made and explain the purpose it has. It offered students the chance to make similar observations about how the toy was made and, also, talk about the process in making their toy.
Student Group Discussions
Usually at the end of class, we’d gather on the front rug to allow the students to share some of the things they observed and get a feeling for where they were at in the lesson: how did things work, did they have any troubles, and things that they discovered. This could be anything from how a material felt, how materials reacted together, and what they looked like when used. It allowed us and the other students to hear their discoveries and helped us base future choices off of those comments.
End of the Semester Exhibition
This was much more accumulative of everything the students did this past semester. While we were able to talk about different ways they made their art along the way, this was a full show of everything they had accomplished and in turn learned. Along with viewing their own work on display, they were able to see the other class’ artwork and compare it to their own creative process’. It acted in a similar way to when they took guesses at their fellow student’s artwork and viewed artists’ works.
Blog
While the students may have never read through every entry that was posted, the blog served as a hub for us to review our own teachings and see a compilation of observations. This allowed us to conduct an informal assessment of how the students were developing. It also came together as a working archive of development to look back on moving forward and reflecting on how we can improve as teachers.
Newsletter
This was a big compilation and watered down version of everything that was accomplished in the semester. It contained examples from the blog and excerpts from the lesson plans so that parents would have the chance to read about what their children were learning about. It helped us create an "itinerary" of what we explored while giving them a sense of what we were focusing on during the semester.
Documentation of Learning
Throughout the semester, we took careful notes about the student's everyday learnings and recorded them on an educational blog. This allowed us to review and prepare for the next week's lesson. Looking back on it, it is easy to see the specifics and how they played into the standards and objectives we had.
One such example relates back to our first standard of "Observe and Learn to Comprehend" with how the student can tell a story with their art. One of the comments we were told by the student was how their dog had dark fur but was energetic.
"They're really energetic and I think of orange." and "I chose blue because I feel calm with them, yellow because they make me happy, and pink for joy when I see them at home!" They were able to explain the story in their art through the symbols they used and colors they chose. |
Another example came from our Tell-tale Diptych lesson when a student explained their ideas about the art and how they differed from others.
"The story reminds me of doing something really hard and climbing a mountain is hard." The story we shared was the same for every student, and we helped them create a word bank for ideas, but everyone of them came up with different ideas and ways to express what the story made them think of. In turn, that fit with our standard in "Envision and Critique to Reflect" and how students can talk about different types of art. |
In our League of Extraordinary Toymakers, all of our students had the chance to play with a lot of tools and materials to learn what they do. This resulted in many different forms of contraptions being made and prototypes utilizing different materials that were made available.
As seen to the right, this student was designing a toy that could function as a game he called "Draw Straw". While it could still function as a sculptural piece, he wanted to make its purpose as a game people could play together. |
Part of this lesson's focus for the Secret of the Treasure Box was to look at real life examples of treasure boxes we call "reliquaries". The two words can be synonymous but reliquaries tend to be more religious in nature.
In looking at real life examples, this allowed the students to find art around them in the art community. This way they could see how it connected to areas in the world around them. |
Strengths and Weaknesses of Assessments
Student Group Observations/Investigations
Strength: Allowed students to collaborate and listen to each other's thoughts and opinions.
Weakness: Didn't give every student the chance to give their feedback and didn't promote varied responses.
Improvement: Create topic specific questions to promote deeper thinking and ask a variety of students to share their ideas.
Mid-way Gallery Walks
Strength: Gave the students the opportunity to take a break and see what their fellow students were making.
Weakness: Was unorganized resulting in a group of students around a small table where not everyone could see.
Improvement: Have one table group present their work at the same time while the rest of the students respond to what they see.
Mini-Exhibition Presentation
Strength: Allowed the student to talk about their own artwork and how they made it while giving their fellow students practice in identifying what their work was about.
Weakness: Takes up a lot of time if everyone responds and on how long student talks about their work.
Improvement: Limit responses to three students and have the presenting student give a short explanation/artist statement about their work.
Student Group Discussions
Strength: Was a good opportunity for teachers to hear what the students had learned and discovered.
Weakness: Could take a long time if every student was asked to share and could drag on with unnecessary questions.
Improvement: Create a set of questions that pertain to the lesson that day and limit the responses to four or five students.
Blog
Strength: A working archive of real-time development with examples and documentation of learning.
Weakness: Students may not have access to the information or may not be able to read it depending on the grade level.
Improvement: Figuring out a way to have it available to students or convert it to a hard copy so they can look at it or have a parent read it.
Strength: Allowed students to collaborate and listen to each other's thoughts and opinions.
Weakness: Didn't give every student the chance to give their feedback and didn't promote varied responses.
Improvement: Create topic specific questions to promote deeper thinking and ask a variety of students to share their ideas.
Mid-way Gallery Walks
Strength: Gave the students the opportunity to take a break and see what their fellow students were making.
Weakness: Was unorganized resulting in a group of students around a small table where not everyone could see.
Improvement: Have one table group present their work at the same time while the rest of the students respond to what they see.
Mini-Exhibition Presentation
Strength: Allowed the student to talk about their own artwork and how they made it while giving their fellow students practice in identifying what their work was about.
Weakness: Takes up a lot of time if everyone responds and on how long student talks about their work.
Improvement: Limit responses to three students and have the presenting student give a short explanation/artist statement about their work.
Student Group Discussions
Strength: Was a good opportunity for teachers to hear what the students had learned and discovered.
Weakness: Could take a long time if every student was asked to share and could drag on with unnecessary questions.
Improvement: Create a set of questions that pertain to the lesson that day and limit the responses to four or five students.
Blog
Strength: A working archive of real-time development with examples and documentation of learning.
Weakness: Students may not have access to the information or may not be able to read it depending on the grade level.
Improvement: Figuring out a way to have it available to students or convert it to a hard copy so they can look at it or have a parent read it.