On Saturday, April 2, 2005, Linda Hatch, Educational Consultant and Massachusetts Alliance for Arts Education Visual Arts Educator 2002 – 2003, presented a workshop on how and why to use authentic assessment tools in art classrooms. She began by asking, “How do you know what they know?” Teachers need to be accountable to their students, the parents, other teachers, the school and the community at large. Therefore, they need a wide range of evidence of student performance.
Following this line of thinking, Hatch said the students, first, have to know what is expected in order to perform well. Therefore, teachers need to decide what they want the students to learn, and they should be looking for “observable evidence” of achievement. Some people, even colleagues
believe testing of the arts is totally subjective. Others believe art is busy work, a break from real study. It is the art teachers’ duty to write outcomes for the arts as learning goals. Linda Hatch expects teachers to establish curricular goals that are attainable and recognizable. Then, link how art is essential to meeting these goals, and provide evidence of that. This author thinks this might be the ultimate in arts advocacy.
“What is meant by authentic assessment?” you might ask. Linda Hatch suggests having a variety of assessment tools, such as worksheets and checklists, as well as “on-going assessment” with the teacher as coach and critic. Provide feedback when students are working, and record their learning regularly and consistently. Devise reasonable tests based on a
sequential program of study. Keep portfolios of on-going work, to demonstrate what is being learned. Confirm learning in the entire classroom experience by allowing open-ended interviews (student to student), questionnaires, calendars (by this date the student will have?.), and sketchbooks in which students both draw and write. Plan time for group projects, presentations and exhibits.
When inventing a grading system, be specific about what constitutes an A+ and every other grade right down to an F.
One example given, showed an A+ the following way:
- projects are on time
- projects meet all objectives
- superior craftsmanship
- creative risk taking
- constructive use of class time and usually extra time
- going beyond the norm to create a piece of artwork with high artistic and/or technical merit. EXCEPTIONAL WORK
- exceptional class participation
The same example showed the F this way:
- projects are often not done on time
- projects do not meet main objectives
- unacceptable craftsmanship
- unacceptable use of class time
- poor class participation
This author would hope never to have to discourage a student with the F, but having this grading system in front of the students’ eyes would surely encourage them to aim high with their teacher/coach’s help and good will. I believe Linda Hatch is correct in saying “this is what a student needs to do to get an A, a B, a C, a D”. Then it is each student’s choice and responsibility to try to meet the requirements set out. She also
encouraged assigning outside work, but call it independent practice as a way of taking away the stigma of homework.
Besides writing one’s own assessment materials one can find many commercial products that help art teachers assess student learning. Look for them on line. Linda Hatch suggested valuable resources found at SCASS Arts Education Assessment Consortium, Art: A Global Pursuit Davis Publications, Inc., and Vancouver School District Essential Learnings. For more information on this subject, or to book a workshop on assessment, contact Linda Hatch at:
-- Marie Meegan
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