Planning Assessments

The objective for which you are writing assessments

A description of at least three types of formative assessments that will help you know that students are meeting the objective 

A rationale for selecting each assessment.

The Objective

The Objective I chose for this follows grade 9 Visual Arts Unit on Sequential Art. The standard is:

Criteria B - Developing Skills

ii demonstrate the application of skills and techniques to create, perform and/or present art. 

The students will use the techniques of sequential art portraying movement, change and transformation in a series of ordered sequential images.

Formative and Rationale

Written Reflection-

The students will write a reflection on the art form, the skills, and techniques. They will identify the skills and how they are used in the artwork by McCloud. They will then outline possible ways of applying them in a unique artwork.

Rationale: This reflection will identify whether the students understand the background, concepts, and context of the skills and techniques used. It will also show whether the students are ready to apply the skills/techniques by assessing their ability to plan and outline an artistic intention. 

Annotated Artist Study and Visual Plan-

The students will select an artist of their choice and research one skill and technique each. They will annotate the source material showing how the artist uses the technique/skill in the work. The students will then create a Visual Plan (sketch) showing how they would implement the techniques studied in their own work.

Rationale: This assessment shows the student as a researcher and an inquirer. They must be able to visually identify the skills in the artwork studied and incorporate them into a drawn Visual Plan. This involves both conceptual learning and practical application of skills.

One Page Abstract Comic -

The students will create a one page abstract comic with an emphasis on applying the skills learned from their first two summatives. The students identify the skills and apply them to their one page comic.
Rationale: This assessment scaffolds the skills learned in the first two assessments and gives the student the opportunity to apply the information to their work.

Reflection on Teaching Standards

Introduction

Through the process of working with some of the MYP Arts Standards in this unit I felt a certain sense of familiarity with the work and the subject as these are alright parts of my teaching practice. In my current school I work with the standards to design assessments both formative (learning engagements) and summative. I also use backwards planning to design the course in order to get the students at the necessary skill level by the end of the year. However, I did have some new clarity with understanding the standards that I already work with through these assignments.

Unpacking Standards

Through the analysis of the language in these standards I was able to clarify more fully the nature of the standards I've been working with in school. By looking at the verbs used I was able to create clearer expectations and write my assessments towards those actions.

Backwards Planning

Backwards planning is something that I already do in my current position and with my department. However, I liked having to think about it from the context of the standard. I usually think about first the course objectives, global contexts, and lines of inquiry when doing backwards planning.

Writing Objectives

Using the smart acronym was a helpful way to break down the objectives into something less conceptual and more practical. This way of expressing the standards gives a clear idea about the following tasks that will achieve the objectives.

Standards and Backwards Mapping

Introduction--Subject, Grade Level, Explanation

• The subject for the class is visual arts. The grade level is Grade 8 (MYP Year 5).
• The standards that I'm working with are International Baccalaureate Middle Years Art standards or the IB-MYP Arts Standards.
• I am going to look at is:
  Criteria B: Developing skills
  Year (5)
  i. demonstrate the acquisition and development of the skills and techniques of the art form studied       ii. demonstrate the application of skills and techniques to create, perform and/or present art.
• I chose this standard because my students tend to be weak in the development of skills area and I want to plan better lessons to help them and to help myself better meet the criteria.

Four Proficiencies

At the end of this unit students will be able to:

• demonstrate the acquisition of the skills of the art form studied
• demonstrate the acquisition of the techniques of the art form studied
• demonstrate the application of skills and techniques to create, perform and/or present art

Three Assessments

Assessment 1

Demonstrate the Acquisition of Skills 

The students use their class sketchbook to research a set of skills and techniques from an art form and develop these over time. The students will present a final portfolio of process pages showing their development with written annotations explaining how they acquired the skills.

Assessment 2
Demonstrate the Acquisition of Techniques

The students would select a technique from the art form studied and demonstrate it on a drawing or painting rubric with steps, spaces for annotation and written explanation. The final assessment would show the steps of the technique with written explanation clarifying using appropriate language and art terminology.


Assessment 3

Demonstrate the Application of Skills and Techniques
In a final summative artwork the students would apply the skills and techniques that they acquired into a summative artwork. The artwork would include a written annotation detailing the skills and techniques used and the process for applying them to their artwork using appropriate language and art terminology.

Three Learning Engagements

Demonstrating Skills

The students would look at the artwork for the unit and break down the skills that the artist uses in a class discussion and written exercise. They would then observe a practical demonstration of the art skill by the teacher. The students would then participate in individual practice exercises utilizing the skill.

Demonstrating Techniques

The students would watch a video demonstration of an art technique and take notes on the process. The students would then work in groups with teacher feedback to recreate the technique. After the group work and feedback, the students would then recreate the technique individually.

Applying Skills and Techniques

The students would create a small scale artwork using the skills and techniques developed and apply them to their overall work. The teacher would provide a finished sample with steps on how to use and apply the skills and techniques into the final artwork. The students would follow the steps and develop and artwork with the skills and techniques from the artwork studied.