Super Model

The Arts Education Master Plan developed by the San Francisco Unified School District concludes that "Assessment is inherent to the artistic process" and offers itself as a conversation-starter and step toward  establishing "standards and expectations for the literary arts that can provide a statewide and national model." On page 23, the Master Plan goes on to say that assessments in the classroom should be "formative (conducted when a program is being developed or improved) and summative (typically quantitative, using numeric scores or letter grades to gauge a student’s achievement)."

Using Assessment as the foundation of a TA planning model requires that the Teaching Artist articulate desired learning outcomes that are specific, observable, and measurable. Our planned activities are aligned, and TAs can come away with documentation--written observations, reports and data. I wonder if you feel close to the idea that this kind of planning will make for better teaching, and that our collaborations with Classroom Teachers will be more successful in terms of student achievement? Teaching Artists are invited to send an email or make a comment on the blog.

According to the Master Plan, the assessments should follow the five strands outlined in the California Visual Arts Content Standards:

Artistic perception – processing sensory information through elements unique to the arts.

Creative expression – creating or performing original or existing art works.

Historical and cultural context – understanding and appreciating how the arts represent the time and place of their creation.

Aesthetic valuing – analyzing, judging and pursuing meaning in the arts.

Connections, relationships and applications – applying what has been
learned through the arts to other subjects to support lifelong learning.

Download a copy of the SFUSD Arts Education Master Plan at their website.

Also: Blondie - The Tide is High

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Essential Questions

Teaching artists work in a variety of environments. One of my favorite ways to work is in authentic partnership with classroom teachers. As artists, we pose and try to answer essential questions all the time--it's our bread and butter. To classroom teachers, our perspective on this kind of inquiry-based approach can be incredibly useful. We are sounding boards and cheerleaders, and we have a distinct set of instructional skills that Classroom Teachers can adopt. When I am working in close partnership with a teacher, I feel like the impact of our work increases exponentially. We make each other better teachers. The students are the winners.

The essential question I am asking myself this week is "How can we as professional Teaching Artists better help Classroom Teachers use art to achieve their teaching goals?"

I think the possibilities are infinite, because art-making involves every skill and understanding under the sun, right?