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Lesson Plans


Re: HS independent study...need advice

From: Dennis Freeman (freemad)
Date: Wed Jan 26 2000 - 15:48:23 PST

  • Next message: Aaron and Jennifer: "Re: HS independent study...need advice"

    Bets - No, I don't think you are too demanding. This sounds very much like
    the syllabus for our IS students. However, I contract with students at the
    beginning of the sem. for what they will be doing. How do you define a
    "project"? Is it a pencil drawing of a set size, a certain number of work
    periods, or what? We use a process called "project equivalents". A
    "project" is a std. size (11 X 14") pencil work with reasonable detail and
    finish. Anything else is negotiated up or down with the student. Oil
    paintings could be 2 or 3 (or more) projects, bronze sculptures might be an
    entire semester's worth of "projects". We require 6 projects, a sketchbook
    (which includes 1 major assignment and several smaller ones) and a
    matting/slides/portfolio requirement. One of the projects may be an art
    history research piece, which is sometimes required of students, sometimes
    waived in lieu of projects (ie, for a senoir who has already done this
    previously). All can be negotiated for project equivalents except the
    sketchbook.

    So... Is this student really "getting after it", or is a whole semester
    required so that they don't have to bust a sweat? If it is the former,
    then I would discuss with the student how many "projects" this is worth,
    compared with what other capable and motivated students are doing. I might
    consider modifying the sketch work, but if you are like me, this is too
    important to completely set aside. I would shoot for a "quid pro quo": I
    will give you the time you need and count this as 8 projects, but you must
    do all (or part) of the sketch assignments and give a report on art history
    examples which relate to the work you are doing. Make sure that the
    student understands that such freedom will be pretty hard to come by in a
    university or art school program, and that you must be fair to the other
    students, who I am sure are not just sitting on their hands.

    Hope my $.02 worth helps. I supervise between 10 and 20 IS students each
    semester, and it is always a challenge to balance creativity and quality
    against legitimate learning goals and productivity. Let us know what you
    come up with. - Dennis Freeman, Green River High School (Wyo)

    >Need advice:
    >I have an independent study student (very talented) who is working on a
    >painting This painting is going to take this student the whole of
    >next semester to finish, .how will I evaluate this student who is
    >basically involved only in this one work of art?

    >--- 

    ---

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