instruction and assessment
My Philosophy
Students learn best when they feel as though they are in control of their learning experience and are capable of reaching success. A well-implemented art plan that directly links assessment and instruction together can be a great way to help students achieve this sense of control over their own learning.
In my opinion the best way to set students up for success is to give them an active role in deciding what success looks like. One way this can be done is by discussing the learning target before the lesson is taught. When students come together to decide what success looks like, the whole classroom becomes unified in the common goal of creating a piece of art that makes the most out of the learning target at hand.
When properly implemented, assessment in the art room is a great way to teach students how to assess themselves. Presenting assessment to the learner as a tool intended to help them help themselves promotes the practice of self guided learning, which is the key component of life long independent learning practices. In the art room, everything we do is a formative performance based assessment. This is because we are constantly building upon existing skills to produce a new product. This is why it is important to reflect on developments in learning as rapidly as they occur. By emphasizing reflection in the art room, students learn the valuable 21 century skill of constructive self-assessment.
As a class, students can weigh in on what they think:
-Successful achievement would look like
-Attainable goals are for how to get there
-How learning in this lesson will build from their success in previous lessons
-How learning in this lesson sets them up for success in the next lesson
Teachers support student learning through use of assessment by:
-Clarifying exactly what they want students to know and do by the end of the lesson
-Clarifying the exact criteria that will be considered when assessing the success of an assignment
-Understanding typical and atypical patterns within each individual students learning experience
-Providing comprehensive feedback about what students are doing well and how they can improve.
-Providing activities that promote student engagement in thought processes necessary for them to gain complete understanding.
-Addressing the learning needs of individual students as they work
In my opinion the best way to set students up for success is to give them an active role in deciding what success looks like. One way this can be done is by discussing the learning target before the lesson is taught. When students come together to decide what success looks like, the whole classroom becomes unified in the common goal of creating a piece of art that makes the most out of the learning target at hand.
When properly implemented, assessment in the art room is a great way to teach students how to assess themselves. Presenting assessment to the learner as a tool intended to help them help themselves promotes the practice of self guided learning, which is the key component of life long independent learning practices. In the art room, everything we do is a formative performance based assessment. This is because we are constantly building upon existing skills to produce a new product. This is why it is important to reflect on developments in learning as rapidly as they occur. By emphasizing reflection in the art room, students learn the valuable 21 century skill of constructive self-assessment.
As a class, students can weigh in on what they think:
-Successful achievement would look like
-Attainable goals are for how to get there
-How learning in this lesson will build from their success in previous lessons
-How learning in this lesson sets them up for success in the next lesson
Teachers support student learning through use of assessment by:
-Clarifying exactly what they want students to know and do by the end of the lesson
-Clarifying the exact criteria that will be considered when assessing the success of an assignment
-Understanding typical and atypical patterns within each individual students learning experience
-Providing comprehensive feedback about what students are doing well and how they can improve.
-Providing activities that promote student engagement in thought processes necessary for them to gain complete understanding.
-Addressing the learning needs of individual students as they work