Looking Back, Looking Forward

Good day to all of you Art 3 and Art 4 folks.
I realized (too late) yesterday that some of you are lacking in a few turn-in items that you need.
Please make sure to address the following things:

• are your memory thumbnails turned in and marked complete in the gradebook?
• did you give me a description of what your final painting will look like in the acrylic painting assignment in the gradebook (if you are in the app hit "message instructor")?
• how many process photos have you uploaded (drawing, initial glaze, layering, initial color mixing, etc.)?
• have you uploaded your photo reference(s)?

These things hit on success not just for this project, but for a later project as well. Please work on this during tutorial today if you have not done it already!

Thank you!

"Last Week" Parent Update

I know what you're thinking: "I"m glad it's December. That means this guy is almost finished sending out so many updates for the semester!"
Don't worry, I feel similarly.

Overall, I am excited about the end of the semester as I have seen a lot of growth coming out of the studio, and most of my students will be presenting a digital portfolio of their work that I am excited to see compiled in one place.

With that said, this is "the" week. This Friday is Dec. 8th, and all the students have known for quite some time that this is the last week to turn in any late and/or missing and/or do-over work for the semester.
Yes, that's right, even if it was something left incomplete or not done from two months ago I'll take it and give them a new assessment if they have done the work (and it deserves it).

This gives me one last week before finals to get this work in the gradebook and have any final conversations with the students as necessary. Now, this all needs to be done on top of finishing our end of the semester assignments.

My request is for you to please take the time to ask how your offspring is doing in class, what they are up to for projects, etc. We are wrapping things up, but there are some good topics at hand.
(Art 1's are starting a painting that is about culture and Art 2's are ending a big oil painting, for example.)

If you have any questions I am available, but in terms of grades, those questions should be initiated by the students. I still have quite a few incomplete things from many students so I'm hoping they take advantage of the time they have had to do more work (if needed). I would also encourage you to look at any comments in the gradebook if there is something that doesn't make sense to you - especially look at any sketchbook (for Art 1) or independent practice (for Art 2, 3, 4) comments as there are still big final grades that are not due as of yet in those categories.

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.