“♪♪♪ Assessment, assessment, as----sess---ment! ♪♪♪”
( sung to the tune of the Girl Scout Camp Announcement Song)
Seeing that assessment is my greatest weakness when it comes to art education, it is only fitting that I share the next line in the song, “A horrible death to die! A horrible death to die!”
I can recall no part of my teacher prep education (remember, it was a looooong time ago)that applied specifically to the assessment of art. Staff, Leadership, and PLC meetings are filled with the word, and quite frankly, I’m sick-to-death of hearing it! I know feedback is important, and I know that student input into the construction of the assessment is essential, but aside from rubrics, I have a difficult time imagining what the big picture looks like. It was with curiosity and speculative interest that I approached the Beattie Chapters. What a pleasant surprise to find some new assessment strategies that will, as Beattie says “….blend(s) seamlessly with the teaching process for the purpose of learning.”
Assessment Strategy 31, Annotated Artworks (p74) is one that I will definitely use as formatively for both the planning and production process. I will have students place their work atop a piece of paper with a three inch margin and have them identify areas they like, areas they don’t like, and areas where they need help and then exchange this evaluation with a table-mate, or maybe the entire table. As Beattie suggests, perhaps students could revisit this paper to revise / rethink their project.
With the unit theme of ‘Story’I definitely believe that using VTS on the completed Story Tile would be an appropriate summative assessment. Before beginning work on the final project students will be writing a narrative piece addressing the topic of ‘Change’. I have not yet used VTS with student created work. It will be interesting to see how closely responses match the narratives. I am wondering if their skills in the production part of the bas-relief tile will be strong enough and detailed enough to convey their original ideas.
Beattie became my friend as well when I read her statement that assessment should "“….blend seamlessly with the teaching process for the purpose of learning.” I think the reason I dreaded assessment for all those years was because I felt like I had to stop teaching (and my students' learning) to administer it. Beattie has helped me, too, view assessment in a whole new way. I can't wait to see the way you use it to inspire assessment ideas for your unit!
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