Be Specific

Artists, the Artistic Process, and Practice

It's a Process

Unique Expression

 

Student Assessment in the Arts

 

General Comments and Reminders

• Make a positive comment about something specific you see in the artwork, e.g., "That blue reminds me of a summer day."
• "I like the way your _________ looks. Then name the criteria it looks like."
• "WOW! I like these bright, juicy colors!" or "great mix of colors—you have so many different shades of green!"
• "Looks like you were really enjoying yourself here"—pointing out area.
• "That was great. I could really hear that________." (crescendo, forte, accent, etc.—be specific.)

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• Often students will say midway, "I hate this," or "this is so ugly." One reply is to tell them, "Now you are truly having the same experience many artists have." Artists tend to dislike their work and feel it falls short of their expectations but that is good because that is what motivates an artist to start another work. If a work is completely successful there is no reason to do another one.
• The book, Art & Fear, Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking, by David Bayles & Ted Orland, is excellent in talking about the problems in making art.
• "All artists tend to hate their own work at one time or another. It's OK."
• "Go easy on yourself. Have you been doing this everyday of your life? If you do, it will get easier."
• "Basketball players practice, piano and clarinet players practice—so do artists."

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• "It's taking form, you are headed in the right direction."
• "You're making good progress, now can you________?"
• "That was a really great soft sound, can you try it loud?" Get them to try another way before deciding what they like.
• "Stand back from a distance. Do you see anything you would change or add?"
• "Sure you can start over. But tell me first, what would you do differently? Can you make those changes on this one?"
• "There are no mistakes in art; turn it into part of the work. What can you do with that line?"

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• "Look at the diversity in your work"
• "That is very interesting. Can you tell me about it?"
• "Only you can create this. Absolutely no one in the universe can duplicate it exactly."
• "Does it say what you intended it to? Is it the vision you had in your head?"
• When a student asks, "Is this good?" a good reply is, "How do you feel about your________?"

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• Evaluation in the arts is a delicate and complex task.
• Learning may be considered in terms of domains such as cognitive, affective, psychomotor, and critical thinking. Making and responding to art often involves an interplay of all these learning domains.
• A key issue in arts evaluation is whether to focus evaluation on the product or the process of a student's artistic efforts; and on technical skills and/or expressive qualities.
• Remember that "doing" is not necessarily "learning." Nor, does "verbalizing" necessarily equal "understanding."
• It is important to be overt and clear with students about the purpose, criteria, and method of evaluation.
• There are many evaluation methods and tools available. Choice of method should be fair and appropriate.
• Remember that creating art and responding to art are two different types of activities involving different processes.
• Evaluative processes are tools that can be used to:
  • diagnose
  • anticipate educational needs
  • revise curricula
  • compare
  • determine if objectives have been met
• Evaluation can be formative or summative.
• Criteria for evaluation can be:
  • self-referenced
  • criteria-referenced
  • standards-referenced
  • norm-referenced
• Some tools to consider:
  • pre-tests and post-tests (skills, knowledge)
  • demonstration
  • portfolio (important to review with an adult periodically; provides concrete evidence of development over time, promotes self-awareness and understanding)
  • semantic differential scale (affective responses, self-referenced)
  • self-evaluation
  • written
  • checklist
  • observation (important to keep a checklist or written record)
  • teacher-student dialogue (formal interview or informal)