Assessing The Arts With Mr. Lopez!

Cast:

Mr. Lopez- The new student/teacher. He is a voice for his students and their work.

Mr. Simpson- The drawing professor who pays close attention to students. He'll always have something right to say.

Jamie Franki- The illustration professor. Laid back, funny, and observant, this cool cat encourages playfulness over anything the standard has to offer.

Prof. Rothstein- The sculpting professor. Expects professionalism in all college students and accounts for the goals they yet made.

Dr. Emerling- The contemporary art history professor whose intelligence is just as great as his fashion sense. He loves to evaluate student work and is a strong supporter in the standardization of the visual arts.

Prof. Wallace- The loud 3D instructor who encourages class participation.

Setting: The University of North Carolina at Charlotte inside the Rowe Arts Building. It's a bright and early morning and students are entering the building like a swarm of ants, ready to begin their classes and get the day over with. As the students arrive to Mr. Lopez's classroom, they notice that five teachers with clipboards and pencils are standing in the back of the room silently observing. They have no idea what's going on but of course all they could do was question it among their friends and wait until Mr. Lopez arrived to clear things up.

Mr. Lopez: *Walking in abruptly straight to his desk* Good morning class, sorry I'm running a little late I had a run in with- *looks up towards the teachers in the back* why hello! It seems like we have some new guests today. What are all you professors doing here?

Dr. Emerling: *Lowers clipboard* We are here to perform a surprise evaluation on you and your teaching skills. Since it's your first time teaching here at UNCC, we want to make sure that you're professionally grounded and fit for the job.

Mr. Lopez: Well be my guests! I'm honored. *Turns to class* Okay students, take out your illustrations and place them on the wall. We're having a working critique today!

*Students listen to Mr. Lopez's instruction and wait for him to start critiquing*

Mr. Lopez: As usual, I will assess you all based on your aesthetic efforts, not just the requirements. If you guys completed the assignment and have thought about it thoroughly, creatively, or conceptually it's an A in my book! Now let's look at Austin's piece. I can see you've really

Dr. Emerling: *Interrupting* Wait you're not using the academic standards for visual arts education to evaluate your student's artwork, Mr. Lopez?

Mr. Lopez: Why yes, I'm not. I see no need for using restricted guidelines that limit my student's artistic freedom.

Ms. Wallace: *Points pencil at Mr. Lopez* What!? You're not SERIOUS are you?

Dr. Emerling: *Tightly grabs the folds of his smooth cut burgundy suit with both hands* In our education system, we need make sure we have an orderly approach that will measure student success in performing to pre-specified, learned levels of artistic competency. These students need measurable, set goals. Without it, there could be multiple sporadic outcomes, results that you won't be able to keep track of. You don't want to make things complicated for you and your

students, do you, Mr. Lopez? These higher level students should all be evaluated on their growth, intellectual capacity, and understanding of application and be able to evaluate the effectiveness of this arts program (Welter).

Mr. Lopez: I understand this Dr. Emerling, but I'm allowing my students to evaluate themselves and share with me what they're learning from their own personal discoveries. I meet with my students at least once a week to discuss their work individually.

Dr. Emerling: There's nothing wrong with conducting routine student meetings, in fact continue meeting with your students occasionally, just don't go overboard. There is so much variety of curricular structures that you can only follow by, Mr. Lopez. You need standardized lessons and outcomes that articulate goals that will send them forward from one stage to the next. Don't jumble all your students' learning. One student could be on a completely different side of the world from another. There's too much for you, even I, to handle.

Mr. Lopez: How could I not? They're all at different levels of learning and come from diverse backgrounds. From what I get out of meeting with my students, they are all still comprehending skills.

Dr. Emerling: These are college students, right? They should already have a basic knowledge of most of this material. *Smirks* They're not kids any more.

Jamie Franki: I agree! They're definitely not kids- they're adults and should be treated as such! These students don't need to learn what the standards expect them to know, they've suffered through the standards for years already. I, for one, see this as an opportunity to recognize the diversity in the students' growth and providing sincere learning.

Dr. Emerling: Sincere learning comes from a strong, foundational education system. "A standardized and measurable arts curriculum would offer a stable, welcome respite to those, grappling with the demands of daily arts teaching. To eschew standardization would mean a continuation of the presently disjointed assemblage of educational practices with their conflicting aims and scrambled outcomes" (Welter). *Points at Jamie* You and I both know, Jamie, that these students all need achieve the same requirements. If there are too many requirements, too

many paths for students, and not one single direction to guide their thinking, it'll be a train wreck for everyone.

Professor Rothstein: I disagree with you, my friend, Dr. Emerling. In any subgroup, or any population as a whole, even in the set of environments, "challenging" achievement in a particular subject for higher-ability students would be impossibly hard for those who were slower, and "challenging" achievement for slower would be too easy for brighter ones (Rothstein 55). Now thats a real trainwreck.

Dr. Emerling: Yes, yes, I know students won't be able to perform as high as others, but "these criticisms that standardization and assessment limit unplanned educational opportunities are in themselves a product of narrow thinking. Simply because a standardized curriculum suggests the need to focus on predetermined goals, teachers and students as groups or individuals are not denied formal or informal opportunities to plan divergent avenues of educational exploration into the curriculum" (Welter). It is your responsibility as the educator to help your students out of tough spots and push them to make work that will satisfy.

Mr. Lopez: But, Dr. Emerling, is it narrow minded thinking to replace their passion for knowledge and artistic exploration with the mindset of gratifying these artificial goals? From what I understand from my students is they truly want to express their own selves without suppressing their own desires. Through my research I found it common for most students to believe that their teacher's assessments hinder their creativity for depending on whether the critique is good or bad. For the most part, as long as students are in school and grades are an established system, students will only try to perform to the bare minimum (Lopez). How else could I assess their work? What about their learning?

Dr. Emerling: "On balance, perhaps the greatest difficulty in assessing the arts is not to avoid the temptation to measure obvious or mundane behaviors, but to recognize where the measurement of these compulsory activities fits into the larger picture of measuring the increased capacities of the human mind" (Welter).

Mr. Lopez: Uh, could you clarify that for me a little bit more, Dr. Emerling?

Dr. Emerling: We need to look at the BIG picture here. At earlier elementary grade levels, students will be identifying things like shapes, colors, and textures right? Then as they grow older and reach towards the middle and upper- grade levels they should be concentrating on more data-oriented information likes names, historical dates, scales, and techniques etc. that they should be able to manipulate (Welter). How do you think we should go about measuring and observing the growth of these skills?

Mr. Lopez: ... By the way these students demonstrate the comprehension of these skills?

Dr. Emerling: YES! Exactly. Thats why you need the standards. To keep these students in line with what they are absorbing from their education. If these kids were passionate, they would hold on to these skills and work on them constantly.

Mr. Lopez: Ok, I can adhere to that. But what about the students work as a subject to the whims of the grading system standard's? Wouldnt that take away from the individuals own expressions and force them to achieve an empty grade? I know that grades can be used as incentives, as a motivator, to influence students to perform better and even change their attitudes but there's nothing really constructive or personal about it. "To some degree I think grades help students perform better, but it's sort of a cruel system that neglects a lot of factors like personality, perserverance and can sometimes be directly linked to poor teaching" (Lopez). I've had teachers use grades to "challenge" my performance, but for what? Just turning in a grade? From my research I found that most students feel that the achievement of grades becomes the only purpose of learning. I'm starting to think there shouldn't be any grades at all. This is art! Why waste time for grades?

Mr. Simpson: Well, back in my day when dinosaurs still roamed the earth, art education didn't have any grades. It lacked any measurement of learning. In fact, art education wasn't considered an academic discipline. At one point, the classical approach to determining grades in art found the terms assessment and evaluation used interchangeably. But now, " evaluation encompasses the global aspects of the curriculum while assessment refers to more tightly focused measurements at the level of the individual student and his or her interactions within the art program" (Gruber). You see, without grades, no one is really keeping track of how anybody is performing. There is no "backbone" to hold the body of education together. Assessing art had absolutely no measurements and art needs measurements, not just grades alone, but a structure that will demonstrate that assessing students work consistently without it being so labor intensive will benefit the growing artist by gaining more creative processes (Gruber 41).

Jamie Franki: Assessment leads into art criticism which provides students with the methods and content to make works of art more meaningful and satisfying by knowing how to look at art, what to look for, and how to discuss and write about art. Teachers, like you and I, use instructional strategies to involve their students in observing, describing, analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating or judging art . Art criticism promotes sensory awareness, perceptual discrimination, and judgement (Guskey 81-82). It's essentially the "bee's knees".

Mr. Simpson: Or the cat's "pajamas". Anyways, don't get so caught up or worried about grades sucking the lives of your students. We've got to worry about their current process; their current ability and knowledge. I can see so far that you care about your students and their reflections but how have you been keeping track of their progress?

Mr. Lopez: Well, I've been using portfolio assessments to mark my students' journeys. That's one way I've been improving my grading system by putting their work together so it's all relatable and capable of being discussed and articulated."Restructur[ing] it in a way that puts people in things that they are good at rather than making them drag their way through things that aren't relatable to their field" (Lopez). When Dr. Emerling said students needed to demonstrate those abilities and knowledge, do you think portfolios would be a valid way of keeping track of learning?

Mr. Simpson: Indeed that's one way but there are many ways which you can use to keep things in line. No single aspect of assessment can provide a representative and accurate measurement of student learning in art. Art educators call for a variety of assessment strategies that include testing, observation, products, and portfolios. This is a "balanced approach" because it uses like the four legs of a table, the four assessment strategies form a balanced support for a comprehensive assessment plan (Gruber 42). "Such data can be aimed at behaviors during the ongoing process of studio activities such as organizing the work area, use of tools and materials, and clean up" (Gruber 42). You want to be able to take into account your students' behaviors and where their modes of thinking come from. Use rubrics and checklists to record data. This will help keep your students accountable for their own work.

Mr. Lopez: If I could should I let my students help me create their rubrics to see what they would like to value in their assignments?

Mr. Simpson: By all means, go for it! Try it out and observe what your students see is useful. "There is essentially no limit to the length or number of attributes one includes on a checklist. They can be quantified for simple conversion numerical equivalents or letter grades.Rubrics, on the other hand, are detailed guides for scoring student behaviors, products, projects, or portfolios. They are specific descriptors listing criteria for levels of expectations or accomplishments from highest to lowest In contrast to checklists, rubrics are more difficult to develop, but are applicable to more objective analyses of learning" (Gruber 42). Using these tools will allow not only you but the students to keep themselves accountable and to view what they have accomplished throughout the art program.

Ms. Wallace: And if you really want to keep your students accountable Actually have them TALK during critique. Not just yourself I know you Mr. Lopez! I've stopped by a few times and have seen you talk on and on and on!

Mr. Lopez: Well, I just want to make sure that my students are hearing what they need to hear.

Ms. Wallace: Well, your students might want to say something themselves. Plus their participation will show their level of engagement. Experts have learned to look at things a different way from non experts but they also need an approach to dening the creativity of products that transcends creativity cultures and can thus be used across disciplines, although it must be understandable to both experts and also inexperienced non-experts. Use a system that will identify strengths and weaknesses of students' work (Haller). That way you will both understand what needs to be improved and success will come.

Jamie Franki: It's all about com-mun-i-cating! That plays a huge role in art education. Ya know, this discipline expects students to gain an understanding and tolerance of alternative viewpoints about the merit of art and encourages them to reflect on a spectrum of criteria and standards of excellence. Today educators expect quality art programs to adhere to basic educational principles in their planning, implementation, and evaluation similiar to any other subject included in the school curriculum (Guskey 82).

Prof. Rothstein: There is a need for professional evaluation and systems that will build up what students already know. Narrowed minded schools and accountability dont accomplish anything. That's why we want to make sure that you and your students are following through and not only

accomplishing what the standards put down but what you all are individually faithful working towards (Rothstein 55).

Mr. Lopez: Wow, I feel like I've missed a lot of points when it comes to teaching and being an artist myself. You professors have shown me that there is more to it than meets the eye when it comes to standardizing the arts curriculum and assessing an aspiring artist's work. I'm beginning to understand. I see now that, as Dr. Emerling has mentioned earlier, that having a set guideline, or measurement with predetermined goals won't really prevent me or my students from taking creative routes. They can still creatively accomplish these predetermined goals with their personalities and have their own educational plans so much as their own individual work, and as diverse as it is, can merge with the expected study materials. I feel like I've looked down upon the "standards" on arts as something that holds, restricts, and even dumbs down art education. Now it seems to me it's more of a measuring tool to see where students are at and how we, as teachers, can help our students' performances improve. You professors have reminded me that I need to engage and stimulate my students' thinking while my students alike need to engage themselves into the tasks and demonstrate their abilities. If they love what they do, they would be willing to do better than what the standard requires. Since this an art program that is dedicated towards building professionals, I'll see to it that students get the most feedback they need out of their work, not just letter grades, so that the content and craft of their works will improve. Giving them the opportunity to reflect and to provide me feedback as well will give me the chance to improve as a teacher as well. Back and forth communication would definitely solve problems. Haha, we artists are problem solvers after all, right? We communicate answers, questions, and transfer ideas and hidden truths from a simple brush stroke to fake newspaper articles about falling into voids Thank you, wise professors for your time. I will definitely be providing a professional system that will ensure my students' success. I will work hard for my students just as my students are willing to work for their goals to accomplish to great things.

Dr. Emerling: Well you better get to it, because you have A LOT of work to catch up now.

Mr. Lopez: *Looks at his wrist watch and at students* Oh boy, let's get going with this critique shall we!

As Mr. Lopez returns to his teaching duties, the professors in the back of the class begin to slowly smile as they take note on Mr. Lopez's performance.

Works Cited

Gruber, Donald D. Measuring Student Learning in Art Education. Art Education 61.5 (2008): 40-45. Education Research Complete.Web. 11 Mar, 2013.

Guskey, Thomas R. Communicating Student Learning. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1996. Print.

Haller, Chiara Simone, Delphine Sophie Courvoisier, and David H. Cropley. "Perhaps There Is Accounting For Taste: Evaluating The Creativity Of Products."Creativity Research Journal 23.2 (2011): 99-109. Education Research Complete. Web. 16 Mar. 2013.

Rothstein, Richard, Rebecca Jacobsen, and Tamara Wilder. Grading Education: Getting Accountability Right. Washington, DC: Economic Policy Institute, 2008. Print.

Welter, Cole H. "Grade-Level Assessment In The Arts: Of Stoppages And Stratagems." Arts Education Policy Review 94.(1993): 2-8. Art Abstracts (H.W. Wilson). Web. 14 Mar. 2013.