by Bob Reeker, published in SchoolArts Magazine, March and April 2014
Part I
Art educators are busy
educators! With assessment
requirements abound and the focus of many different stakeholders (students,
parents/guardians, colleagues, administrators, the community, policy makers,
and others), it is a key element we must all work with and develop. At the same time, we haven’t added any
extra time to our teaching and learning day to address the many assessment
needs, so we must be strategic and use the time we have as wisely as possible.
Assessment can be a daunting and
overwhelming task for any art educator whether novice or veteran; it can be a
very time-consuming venture. So,
through an exploration and reflection of the many multitudes of theories,
concepts, and practical applications for assessments, art educators must
develop and refine those assessment techniques that work best for them as
educators and for the learners in their classrooms.
We’ve all heard the saying, “Keep
it simple, silly!” It is a must
when it comes to assessment in the art room. Strategize and come up with a system that works for
you. Whether electronic or paper
on a clipboard, there are a multitude of ways to document what and how your
students are learning. Can the
tool you use serve several functions?
Can your grade book be your attendance? Your seating chart?
Your documentation when contacting parents/guardians? Trying to make that one tool do many
things for you can be a huge time saver for the art teacher on the run.
An art educator on the run must be
a great multi-tasker. Having the
necessary supplies, good instruction, and then add assessment to the mix
requires an art teacher to juggle many things at once. When assessing, can you meet several
standards or objectives in one assessment session? After my students have completed their sketching and come to
a solution, I will often have them conference with me one-on-one. Students will share with me their
inspiration, thought processes, and how they came to their “final”
solution. Through this assessment
activity, I can meet my district’s standards of the Creative Process, Connects
to Art, and Talking/Writing about Art.
With our many time constraints, we must find ways to work smarter, not
harder.
Assess what is necessary and what
you need to best report to others the success of your students. We can get wrapped up in the idea that
I must assess every learning activity I provide students. You must understand your state/district
standards and be able to articulate assessment procedures and tools that
demonstrate learning in those standards.
Can an assessment also connect to and meet work being done in
Professional Learning Communities or data teams? It should. Here
the adage of “killing 2 birds with 1 stone” applies. Be sure the work you are doing is focused on what you have
to teach and assess.
Part II
Explore
the many assessment tools available out there online. There are many great resources if you are willing to do a
little research. Some of my
favorites include:
Formative Assessments (AKA 100
meter dash)
·
Questioning is vital when assessing. Questions are developed to get both
individual and group feedback. Students often use thumbs up or down to
agree or disagree. Students can rank or rate based on a 1-5 finger
count. Or questions can be phrased with 1, 2, or 3 choices with students
holding up the # finger accordingly.
·
Walk arounds: All work is laid out,
usually 1/2 to 2/3 the way through the unit. Students walk around and observe
each piece. Criteria for what to look for may be written on the
whiteboard. When done observing (and I do it with them to model),
students discuss with the group and me what they saw. Much information
about understanding can be derived from the sharing following.
·
Closure: I “borrowed” this from a student
teacher - At the end of class, in order to line up, the table must discuss and
volunteer an answer to the question I pose: Name a significant style of
art Picasso developed. Tell me a color family. What purpose might a
Native American Hopi create a Kachina doll?
·
Another simple tool I like to use with children,
as a formative assessment is the use of colored disks or squares of
construction paper. At some point in a unit (usually two thirds through
the project), children will lay their artwork at their tables and find a
different piece of art to assess. In the middle of the table is a pile of
colored disks or construction paper squares…usually 3 colors. Each color
represents a concept and/or criteria that has been shared with the children
throughout the unit. Red may be shape variety, blue may be pattern, and
yellow may be paint technique. Each child will assess how the art they
are in front of has dealt with each of the 3 components. If the critic
feels shape variety is the strongest, a red disk or paper is laid near the
art. Blue is used if pattern is the strongest element to the work, and if
paint technique is the best part, yellow is used. Children will travel
around to 3 peer works and do this activity for each. The real assessment
happens when children return to their own work and look at what peers have
given for colors. We spend time debriefing what the combinations may
mean…having one of each means you have probably successfully dealt with all 3
criteria well; having only one color shows you nailed that criteria very well,
however, the other two concepts may be lacking. And finally, I reinforce
that any missing color would be a criteria that the artist may want to review
to see if he/she can address to make stronger. And I do see children
respond to this formative assessment and rework their art. I find I can
do this activity in about 20-25 minutes and will do this activity with children
as young as 2nd grade. It’s simple, quick, and provides much formative
feedback to children.
Summative Evaluation (AKA The
Marathon)
·
Rubrics – whether developed by the teacher or in
symphony with students, rubrics give students valuable feedback. Self-assessment, peer assessment, and
teacher feedback can be several components of the rubric process. These are time-consuming but the pay
off is rich and comprehensive critical thinking and reflection.
·
P.A.T.S. (Praise, Ask, Tell, Suggest) – whether
written or verbal, using these components in a critique or feedback session can
be useful to students and teachers.
Students travel to four different art pieces to provide a reflective
piece for each of the categories.
At the end of the activity, students return to their own work and write
a summary of what information was shared.
·
Portfolios – in this digital age, portfolios
have become very manageable and easy to access, but they are still
time-consuming. There are many
tools on the Internet where students can collect work and then write about it
through artist’s statements. This
tool provides a summative look at the work done by students in a unit,
semester, or career in a school.
“On your mark, get set,….GO!” Art educators often feel this way each
day they enter their classrooms.
We are on the go meeting the many needs of students, as well as the
concerns and questions of parents/guardians, and administrators. It is important that you find ways to
keep records that are effective and efficient, keep things simple, multi-task
where you can, assess what is necessary and vital, and research the tools that
best fit what and how you are assessing.
Here’s to you getting on those running shoes and winning the assessment
race!
Bob Reeker is a K-5 Visual Art and
Integrated Technology Specialist at Lincoln Public Schools in Lincoln,
Nebraska. He was awarded NAEA Elementary Art Educator of the Year for 2013. breeker@lps.org
As the 2013 NAEA Elementary Art Educator of the Year, Bob will be showcasing his efforts at NAEA San Diego. He'll be presenting on Sunday at 9:00 to 9:50 in the Convention Center/Meeting Room 8/Upper Level.
As the 2013 NAEA Elementary Art Educator of the Year, Bob will be showcasing his efforts at NAEA San Diego. He'll be presenting on Sunday at 9:00 to 9:50 in the Convention Center/Meeting Room 8/Upper Level.
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