Artistic Vision
Art Education. Straight Up.Grading Student Art (Part 1 of 2)
I switched over to a new way of assessing my students’ work the other month. Previously, I never formally recorded notations about my students’ work. I had a generic rubric in front of me that considered three categories:
- Creativity/Originality
- Effort/Perseverance
- Craftsmanship/Skill
With those three categories listed vertically on the left, I have five columns running horizontally across the top that cover the numeric grade values for “A” through “F.” Bullet points under each numeric grade value correspond to the category along the left. Therefore when grading, I start with the first category on the left and slide my finger across considering the bullet points under each numeric grade value. I would assign a grade for each category and then average them together for a composite.
From the general to the specific
I began wondering whether my generic rubric was not giving sufficient feedback to my students so I moved to what I am doing now: a unique rubric for each assignment. Presently, I start with an Excel file where I set out five characteristics and then measure each student piece based on a scale of 1-5. I set up Excel to average the totals. This allows for students who may struggle with one aspect of a project but still do well overall.
Yet, I’m finding a couple of difficulties with this new system. The first I’ll address in this post. Presently, my school’s grading structure reads like this:
- A (100-95)
- A- (94-92)
- B (91-86)
- B- (85-83)
- C (82-77)
- C- (76-74)
- D (73-70)
- F (69-0)
Such as it is, when a student earns a 3.5 (out of 5) on one of the five project-specific categories, she would receive 87. I calculate that by starting with an 82 (top of the scale C) and then move five points up the grading scale.
The issue I’m running into seems to be on the lower end of the scale. Students who earn lower numbers on all five of the project-specific categories are receiving nearly the same as students who are getting middling scores. And, while I am not seeking to punish students with a bad grade, I certainly do not want to reward their poor effort and/or “I-don’t-care” attitudes. I want to devise a system to help me be as fair as humanly possible at all grade-point levels.
To address this concern of mine, I thought about changing where on the grading scale I should start my grading. If I move to the middle of each grading scale, a student who receives a “3″ would receive an 80 instead of an 82. Likewise, a “3.5″ would now become an 83 vs. an 87 which seems more in keeping to what I am getting in quality on that level.
Unfortunately, this adjustment doesn’t fix the problem alluded to previously because of the incredibly large range for an F (69-0). I certainly can’t begin at the middle point for students who receive a “1″ because that would mean I would need to start at 34. Generally speaking, the lowest grade I have given in that range is a 1.7. My old system which would start me out at 69 would push this student all the way up to a 76 (C-) which is much higher than she deserved given her final product. In the new system, she would earn a 41 which I’m not sure she would be able to recover from.
Obviously, I need to solve for this scenario. Should I start at the middle-point of a 100, namely a 50? I’m frankly kinda stumped here. How do you grade your students’ work? Do you use a generic rubric? A specific one? Do your students even earn F’s?
Your recommendations and thoughts would be appreciated.
Using Manga and Superheroes to Teach Drawing
I’ve mentioned before that I been contemplating changing my present stand-alone courses (i.e., Drawing from Observation, Introduction to Painting and Ceramics) to the more traditional Art I, II and III classes where drawing, painting and ceramics would be covered using units of study.
One of the perennial problems I continue to face in my school is with the student demographic. Namely, my particular urban population doesn’t see much purpose in seriously studying visual art. Likewise, their parents remain ignorant to any potential career opportunities.
This past year, student schedules prevented me getting a new crop of 9th and 10th graders. The seniors I had weren’t interested in doing much work without a serious amount of prodding. It was pretty dreadful. Fortunately, I worked it with my administration behind the scenes to move them along to other things.
My hope centers on using manga and comic book superhero art as the foundation for the drawing unit for Art I. I’ve gotten Mastering the Art of Manga, Simplified Anatomy for the Comic Book Artist and Superheroes and Beyond. I’ll look for other books to supplement these texts as I further develop what I plan on teaching. If you have recommendations I’d appreciate your feedback.
Book Review: Creative Time and Space, Making Room for Making Art by Rice Freeman-Zachery
I was reading an interview on Empty Easel with Rice Freeman-Zachery and it prompted me to buy her book: Creative Time and Space. Visually, the book does a fabulous job of showcasing the featured artists’ work. As for the content, I found myself wanting more.
The author, Rice Freeman-Zachery, weaves her own thoughts amid the mish-mash of anecdotal references by the featured artists on the various chapter topics:
- Exploring Time
- Making Time
- Corralling Time
- Stuck in Time
- Jumpstarting Time
- Mental Space
- Soul Space
- Real Space
- Creative Habits
- Taking It on the Road
The book is for those who are struggling with “making room for making art.” Rice includes little exercises in the form of “Try This” boxes to help you explore your own ideas about why you are where you are artistically and how to jump-start your passion for your art to get your back on track.
There is so much about this book that I wanted to like but much of it I had heard before. Surely, there is quite a bit here that is grounded in practicality, which just goes to show you why the reviews on Amazon were all positive. The author’s style is very warm and engaging. You cannot help but feel her passion and desire to motivate you.
However, what disappointed me was the fact that the Empty Easel interview, 10+ Ways to Make Time for Your Art, more clearly addressed what I needed to hear than the 171-page book. I expect an article that references a book to whet my appetite for the full-course meal that the book will provide me when I read it.
My Top 10 From Creative Time and Space
- Take a notebook/sketchbook with you everywhere. As Freeman-Zachery puts it so well, “Writing down ideas reinforces the value of creative thinking and encourages your brain to spend more time in creative mode.”
- Set studio boundaries so my creative time is seen as important to me (and others)
- Cut down on Web surfing and devote my time to painting
- Stop (or severely cut back on) watching TV since it easily and needlessly sucks up my evenings
- Consider implementing a schedule for myself (some of the featured artists’ schedules encouraged me, others were overwhelming)
- Write out my goals (both short-term and long-term)
- Make a studio-efficiency list as I work that could make my next studio experience more enjoyable
- Make a list of things that inspire me and when a rut hits, revisit it
- Make a list of what attracts me and/or scares me about my art; then take steps to work through that list
- Use my head-space as well as my studio space to infuse both thoughtful and spontaneous creativity throughout as much of my day as possible
You’ll notice in my list, time management plays a key role (see #2-7 above). In fact, that is really the crux of the matter and so the first half of the book is devoted to giving the reader strategies.
Rice (and a few of her featured artists) strongly recommends journaling. I have not made time for this and haven’t felt it to be a detriment. Who knows, you may find it essential. There were other pieces of advice throughout the book but I just didn’t find them compelling. They seemed more fluffy than substantial. Of course, we are all individuals and such little bits of esoterica may inspire you towards productivity.
The chapter on your studio—Real Space—was probably one of my favorites because I loved hearing about the variety of places these professionals did their work. I found it very encouraging since I just cleaned out a small space in our bedroom to work. (I’ll try to post on how that is working out for me in the near future.)
Well, that’s my take on Rice Freeman-Zachery’s Creative Time and Space. I can’t say I would definitely purchase this book again BUT I would have taken it out of the library and documented what I found that was practical. (3 1/2 Stars out of 5)
Pop Goes the Culture (Sports vs. The Arts, Part 7)
In my final post for this series, I’m going to quickly touch upon our culture and its influences upon both young and old.
The influence of pop culture on the hearts and minds of today’s young people (arguably, most Americans) is undeniable. Regardless of the contemporary medium you select, pop culture is pervasive. Two of the primary core values of pop culture are:
- The push to influence thoughts and shape values, and
- The need to make money and drive more sales.
Influencing Thoughts, Shaping Values
What does culture have to say to my students, or, more specifically, what do they hear when it “speaks?” Both boys and girls equated interest or aptitude in the arts with sensitivity, femininity and, to some extent, gayness. I can’t say that I was surprised by their comments since each is pretty stereotypical and has been around for I don’t know how long. Consider:
- Many prominent artists in history have carried with them the badge of emotionally sensitive. Probably one of the most prominent historical examples would be Vincent van Gogh. You can probably recollect a few on your own. Dr. Eric Maisel, in his book Creativity for Life, has an entire chapter entitled The Challenges of the Artistic Personality. I highly recommend the book.
- Generalization or not, girls often exhibit an early aptitude for coloring and interest in drawing whereas boys don’t seem to catch up for two or three years. Sadly, I think parents don’t take this as a life-lesson opportunity and nurture their sons through the early frustrations of hand-eye coordination needed for color and drawing. Unfortunately, many parents fail to consider that semi-regular coloring and drawing opportunities may not reappear until school introduces them. Even then, most elementary school art programs aren’t particularly rigorous where drawing is concerned so a talent may go undiscovered.
- Lastly, it doesn’t require much thought to figure out where my students get the idea of gayness associated with artistic types. Television provides ample exposure in both fictional and nonfictional genre. Consider artsy reality shows like Project Runway, Shear Genius or Queer Eye for a Straight Guy. And, once you factor in the strong religious undercurrents in many urban communities, you have another reason why there is negativity associated with this particular image.
Culture’s images for sports are polar opposites to the above. Ruggedness, no gender confusion, always getting the girl, wealth, popularity and fame stand in stark contrast to the characterizations mentioned above. This is why I think the arts have a mainstream image problem.
Making Money. Driving Sales
Once you factor in the backdoor messages that my students have (unconsciously? consciously?) picked up on, the nail on the coffin comes from the sheer volume of cash associated with the sports industry. Sports franchises are about packaging youth and selling athletes for their unique talent. In our free-market economy where entertainment is a multi-billion dollar enterprise, I can’t fault marketers or business people who leverage every possible angle of the sports world to turn a profit. It’s like a legal drug that my students are raised on from a very early age. The sports industry taps into boys needing exercise, teens looking for acceptance, young adults seeking fame and fortune, and outliers seeking to relive the glory days.
I don’t know how else to end this series except by commenting that until the arts can find an avenue into the hearts of the mainstream population it will remain of peripheral concern for them; a periodic diversion for the masses and a more regular one for the wealthy and more educated. Perhaps I’m wrong in wanting to mainstream the arts, but I have a hard time not seeing that as part of my job as an effective art educator.
Family Affair (Sports vs. The Arts, Part 6b)
In this post, I’m going to discuss the important role parents (as well as family) often play—both intentionally and unintentionally—when it comes to the sports vs. the arts debate.
Family
Family poses a unique dilemma since they can:
- Undermine any burgeoning interest in art by giving the impression it is silly or unworthy of serious study,
- Never expose children to the value of the arts,
- Encourage the arts but in a diminished capacity as a “mere” hobby or
- Nurture the arts in their children as both a hobby and viable career opportunity.
In my district, many parents have limited exposure to the arts. So, for them, it is a classic case of ignorance—not knowing any differently. When they were children they were not educated about the value of the arts and/or never exposed to its career potential (often a key concern). Therefore, a lack of parent education perpetuates the cycle of ignorance.
On some level, the arts require an educated appreciation in meaning and value: in description, interpretation and analysis. as well as hands-on application. Of course, this doesn’t prevent people from liking what they like; however, it does keep them from a broader knowledge and deeper understanding. Certainly, the so-called “cultured” art world hasn’t helped the general population’s attitude concerning the importance of the arts when it celebrates bizarreness and incoherence as a right. Should it really surprise us when people look at a piece of art and say, “My three-year old could do that!”
Contrast this with sports… There is a low point of entry: you play with friends in context of casual, low-pressure spare time. The fear of looking silly is short-lived because the average skill level to do well is much more easily within reach. (Please don’t misunderstand…I’m not speaking of the skill level to play collegiate or professional sports just in the neighborhood.)
For many families (particularly those of urban youth), sports involvement finds a broad and welcome atmosphere. Many parents (not to mention coaches, guidance counselors and teachers) push students into sports early on because sports are a widely acknowledged and acceptable gateway to college scholarships and, of course, the coffers of the pro sports teams. And, while these may be reasonable goals (especially for a parent who has no means of funding a four-year college education), there are reasons to be concerned. I find the following commentary from an online article called Race and Sport to be a sobering point to end this post on:
While this may be true for black kids who devote extraordinary amounts of time, and expend prodigal amounts of energy honing skills and capacities that allow them to ultimately realize their dream of becoming professional athletes, one must ask why so many see this path as a realistic occupational goal given the odds against succeeding at it, and the odds for succeeding in other careers? Indeed, the large base of aspirants necessary to produce the disproportionate number of black athletes that we see today in our major sports is recognized as a social problem in that the development of other non-athletic skills, leading to more realistic career options, are being neglected (Ashe, 1977). Indeed, while blacks make up 77% of the NBA, 64% of the WNBA, and 65% of the NFL, they are only 4.2% of our physicians, 2.7% of our lawyers, and 2.2% of our civil engineers (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1997). The point is that striving to become a professional athlete is a risky proposition for any person since it often requires many years of total dedication that often is associated with a failure to develop knowledge and skill in other areas. The vast majority of aspirants never see a professional pay day, and are ill equipped to do other things. But for a variety of reasons, blacks have become more vulnerable to the carrot that is held out, and the great success of black athletes is accompanied by too many forgotten youth who not only have no contract, but no direction.
In my next post, I’ll touch upon what I had to say to my students about pop culture and its influences in our discussion of sports versus the arts.
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