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Re: Kids Should NOT Fail Art......

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From: Woody Duncan (woodyduncan_at_TeacherArtExchange)
Date: Sun Jan 30 2005 - 13:06:54 PST

I guess I got out at the right time, before my district fully
implemented report cards that reflected degrees of meeting
standards rather than letter grades.

> << Man, that's a hard thing! Effort and participation is the main aspect of
> << Art is not always about the end result. It's often about the journey.
>

> The process is so important...so think of ways to document it. Everything a
> student does is student work...it is not pointless! Make your grades reflect
> what you ask the student to do. Instead of giving an effort grade, make it a
> planning grade or a daily work grade.

Art is "about the journey" and the "process" is most important. But
report cards that are standards based won't reflect the process, the
journey, how hard they tried, the finished product, nor the little
steps along the way. If the student has not met the standards the
card will say so, no matter how much work they put in or how much
progress they made from where they started. In art more than anywhere
we take kids where they are and try to move them as far as we can.
They should be judged upon individual criteria rather than the standards
set for the group as a whole. Be they a young Picasso or a child
with clumsy skills, each should be expected to make progress and be
rewarded accordingly.

I always put effort first in my grading. If they cut school too often
I failed them because they were not there to put in the effort nor to
contribute to the growth of the group. Standards based reports seem to
imply that you need not participate, just show that you understand it
and move on. Now I wish I'd never helped write those standards because
of the way they are being twisted.
                                Woody, Retired in Albuquerque 

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