An Open Invitation

To all of my wonderful art students, welcome.
I say welcome to this opportunity because it is just that - an opportunity for you to show me your work and your growth.
I know, I know...you do this each day you are in the studio, but I wanted to throw something new out there.

If we step back and we think about the big things that we've gone over with the foundational building blocks of art, we have things such as:

• line
• value
• contrast
• shape
• proportion
• hatch shading
• smooth shading
• etc etc etc

These vary slightly if you are in Art 1 or Art 2 (at least in terms of what we have focused on thus far), but all of these are important.

You pretty much always have simultaneous projects running in the studios between your "big" in-class projects and your Sketchbook (Art 1) or Independent Practice (Art 2), and what I would like to see as often as possible is that you are using the second of those to both have fun, but also show how those skills where you are less proficient are getting better. But there can be more...

So the opportunity comes in two forms:

First, come in at tutorial and/or after/before school. Many of you are just not using this time. Remember, tutorial times counts as minutes of instructional time, so please please use them. I know some of you do this, and your work is consistently better for it, but many more of you could be working during these hours each week. Trust me when I say it will give more growth, be more fun, and less stressful. Just try it out. Please (or did I say that already?!).

Second, if you want to use your time to create another drawing that shows you are getting better at the tasks that were put at hand during the still life drawing unit, please do. Create another pencil drawing that shows, for example: better hatch use, or wider a wider value for more contrast. If you want to do this and bring it in to be before November, I would be happy to work with you in a way that might increase the assessment of the still life drawing in Canvas.

I really am trying to give you the opportunity to show growth here.
What I want to see is how you can show me the initial still life drawing, what was said you needed to work on in the given feedback, and how you used those concepts to greater effect in a different final drawing.

If you want to discuss any of this with me during a tutorial I would be happy to. I won't remind you of this or talk about it in class, but I do want to give you the opportunity.
I believe in your ability to show growth, and this also gives you time - which hopefully, for those of you that desire it, will be of benefit.

Not everyone needs to do this, but if you desire this opportunity, please take it.

Thinking About Finishing and Follow Up

Art 1's:
As we near the end of our first "big" project, I wanted to take a moment and encourage you to spend some time in the studio during out of class time this next week.
Some of you already do this regularly, but most of you do not. Please schedule this in.

Not only will some of you need it to finish your still life drawing well, but there is also the matter of your sketchbook. As most of you hopefully noticed, I got feedback into the Canvas gradebook before the weekend. For those that I didn't get to (yet), I should easily get that done at some point tomorrow.
You will have this coming week (the last of September) to use the feedback to make any adjustments and/or fixes to your work.

To remind you, I already have marks recorded separately from the online gradebook, but I know through research and experience that you won't really pay attention to that feedback the way it is intended to if you see a "grade" up front. After this week I will put your assessment in the gradebook, but if you have gone back and made adjustments, so will I.
Some people will see something like "great job", and will need to do nothing; many people need to do even the simplest things such as label everything properly; several of you will need to go back and show that you can shade with smudge shading while having the entire objects shaded (not just the edges) and without lines for definition. If you have questions, see me at tutorial. Please.


I am requesting your sketchbook by the end of this week for final assessment if you are going back to make adjustments. If you do not need to do anything, or just decide not to, you don't need to give it to me again.
If you go back and fix something, I need to see an updated photograph in Canvas that documents the changes made (ask me about this when you turn it in again).

I have put some more sketchbooks up along the window sill in class so all of you can see some of the interesting things your peers have done. If I don't have you in class tomorrow, you can still come and pick up your sketchbook at tutorial or after school if you know you want to have time to use the feedback I have provided - otherwise you will get it in class when I see you.

I hope you had a great weekend!

Assessment Update - All Levels

Yikes, we are finished with the second grading period of the semester (already). That means something like eight weeks before the end, and even less than that before the "drop dead due date deadline" of 5/11 for any work that is yet to be turned in (or is in need of adjustment).

There are a lot of "incomplete" assignment marks in the grade book, and if you are the owner of one of those, please know that I intend for an "I" to show up once the district transfers marks from Canvas to Aeries tomorrow.

You should, of course, know that this is a progress report and that it isn't permanent and that there is the chance for you to come in and work on the piece(s) and that there is the opportunity for you to come see me about any questions you have.

Students, if there are errors, please just kindly let me know during tutorial.
Parents, this isn't your responsibility, but if you have questions, please talk to your student(s) first and allow them to explain the process and explain why they are where they are.

I'll get everything adjusted/corrected as the work comes in, it may just take some time.

Have a great week everyone!
 

The Struggle is Real

Grades.
I asked my students yesterday if they get stressed out about grades and the resounding response was "yes". I knew this, but it's good to hear it from others as well.
As I stated during BTSN, I want the focus to be on learning and achievement (which looks different for every student), and NOT on grades.

Remember, it's about the learning, not the grade.

With that said, the Canvas grade book has sucked up more than three hours of my life from 3pm yesterday and 8:30am today. Not cool, Canvas. Not cool!

I want the assignments, when they are worthy of a letter grade, to receive a letter grade. The thing is, I'm bound by the constrictions some other developer - that is most likely NOT an educator - created. Frustrating to say the least.

What I have realized is that in order for my students to have a "grade" in the class, the assignments have to be worth some number of points. If I make the assignments worth "zero" points and put a letter grade in for their work, the total in the grade book doesn't exist. The program has no points to average, so it doesn't do anything with the letter grade.
If I make the assignment worth some number of points it does some other weird default stuff that I don't like, and that's what has consumed my time. What's the workaround? I have no idea, but I've found a workaround for the time being.
I think.

I don't know if it will work, but I think it will be ok for now. We'll see.

What I loathe is that it still very prominently displays a percentage for the student to see. The is NOT what I want. At all. I want the focus to be on the learning and not on the grade - but I think I've already said that many times.
I know that the students will still focus on the percentage instead of anything else every time they go in the grade book, so what do I do? I don't know.

I guess for now I have to be ok with an "I don't know". Which doesn't feel good.

Please remind them, and yourself, that the real assessment comes in the feedback for the assignment. There is a running commentary for each assignment, and often for assignments that aren't "graded" - when applicable. Please please please make sure to read the comments.

I know for the projects that are officially at the beginning of assessment, there are a lot of comments. I am even asking some of the students to come in and make some corrections so their work will be better. I am happy to reassess. There are steps for them to follow, but they are pretty easy. I have spoken with them about how to do this and I will continue to remind them as necessary.