Imagine! Someone ending up on this blog as a result of a google search of the above! For some reason, according to my blog stats and google search referrals, everyday there is at least one view of this blog by someone looking to test elementary age students in art. If you have read much of this blog at all you’ll understand why I think this is so hilarious!
Now they’ll end up on this post and wonder why. Maybe they’ll read a few posts and leave a comment.
Maybe they don’t teach in California public schools.
too funny – for many reasons, it’s just too funny.
good to know it’s not just me….
Yes we think it’s the most ridiculous thing every heard of but with the whole world driven toward data we are afraid that if we don’t try to come up with our own first some idiot who doesn’t know anything is going to come in and make them up for us. Also afraid that if we can’t “prove” our worth they will cut us one day.
good point heather. although i’m not sure i subscribe to this solution even thought i don’t have another to offer at the moment. the idiots are already in charge here-art for elementary kids is but a thing of the past. let us know how it works out for you.
CA established “standards” for art (along the lines of math and reading) which are completely ignored.
i still favor bucking the system as opposed to submission. taking my crayons elsewhere to color…
In my Colorado district, they have Standards and a curriculum alignment plan which we all need to follow. Colorado has now changed our standards and we will probably be getting a new curriculum. We also have had a fifth grade assessment until the curriculum alignment came along and then they ended it until further notice. I was against this assessment also, until I saw it and saw how the students did on it. While most of the kids did score extemely well, it helped me to recognize the ones that did not. In our data driven education environment this is a way to prove ourselves and since our salaries will be based on these assessments sooner than later, we will all need to accept the assessment as part of our work as art teachers.
i don’t think i can ever accept the illusion that a data assessment driven education is the best we can do.
here in CA we have art ed standards too. they are largely ignored and only adhered to as an after thought when it is convenient.
just my experience…
I have taught art for 21 years. Besides making me old, it has made me frustrated with the role of the arts in our schools. If schools or districts want to show how bright and shiney they are, they bring out the arts. And then, as budgets are cut…but what is more frustrating is when art teachers try to justify our worth and existentce by creating knowlege based tests. We need to be “accountable.” Yet, the assessments we develop, in order to establish our validity, move education in the wrong direction. The focus has been on convergent thinking, one correct answer possible. In assesing art outcomes, we are best served with using assessments that promote divergent thought- critical thinking, visible thinking (Project Zero), creativity, (Torrence)….
yes, India. i can see you speak from experience. it always ticked me off that the teachers wanted to use the artwork the students created in my art classes
(remember, i was teaching weekly art lessons as an unpaid volunteer parent-so art was obviously not part of the official curriculum) for their Back to School Night and their Meet the Teachers Night and any other publicity stunts in order to make their classroom stand out and shine. and yes, critical thinking, creative problem solving, and artful thinking are better suited for creating divergent rather than convergent thinking skills. i do wonder though whether or not this is the point anymore. creating convergent thinkers that will just accept the status quo and go along with things unquestioned. in my opinion, this is a recipe for sure disaster with all the problems our world currently faces. we need divergent thinkers more than ever. (and by the way, our city also treats the arts in this manner-
they bring out the arts to show how great they are when in fact, all is crumbling beneath the surface. it’s just sad really. my favorite example of this is that in this city there are innumerable empty storefronts that suffer from neglect. following the broken windows theory, they have decided that
Art Will Save! so even the local arts council backs this idea of getting artists to fill these windows (for free) with art (some dubious by my standards) that now art is in the forefront, the city supports the arts!, and artists all benefit by having a place to have their work shown! Yay! mind you, this is for free, the artist receive nothing (but hey- free Exposure!) and the city defines itself as supporting the arts! a win win, in their minds. ick! keep me away from that mentality!