Effective assessment strategies.

What are some effective assessment strategies that can be used in the art room?

There are many ways that a teacher can assess their students work. The one that I found to be very interesting was the use of a journal or diary. I think that this is a fantastic way for the students and the teachers to become a more confident and better artist, while allowing the teacher insights on what the students are thinking and feeling about their own work. In chapter 5 of Emphasis Art, they talk about this; “Engaging students in verbal and written expression concerning the meaning they ascribe to their work.”

I think that this could work both ways. A teacher could also keep a journal about the students that they are teaching and reflect back on the progress that each of them has made as well as using this journal as a tool to keep track of that progress. At OFSTED.GOV.UK there was an article that stated: “As a regular part of her practice, the teacher found opportunities for pupils to share and think critically about their work. Half way through one Year 8 lesson, for example, she selected three pupils to hold up their paintings and to say briefly how they were developing. None seemed put out by this. Each spoke confidently about what they were trying to do, and how successful they were in realizing their intentions. The three paintings offered quite distinct but equally bold solutions to the expressive problem the teacher had set and thus gave other pupils the green light to take a more adventurous approach.” Now imagine that both student and teacher had gone and written about this experience in a journal, both would benefit from the entry and experience.

Finally, I found this in Assessment in Art, Chpt. 2 by Dr. Donna Kay Beattie: “Journals, diaries, and logs are written and visual records of students' ideas, reflections, experiences, explorations, notes, studies, replies to teacher's questions, and statements on goals and objectives. Student journals are useful in all four visual arts disciplines as both teaching and assessing tools. A sketchbook used as the journal encourages exploration and the practice of media and techniques in art production. The art journal also serves as a tool for clarifying thinking processes, guiding research and other work processes in the reflective disciplines, and evaluating these processes and the final products.” I can not think of a better way for a student to find confidence in themselves then to write what and how they feel about their own work.