Part III, Planning & Evaluation

A common misunderstanding of TAB is that it's a free for all. It's not. I mentioned in previous posts that I started my elementary TAB program in a school where I was observed daily. The expectation was that  my teaching was based on state standards and that I was never more than one day off the county pacing guide. It was also expected that I clearly show student growth and mastery of standards. Here a some things I did that worked for me:

- I started my planning by going through the standards at each grade level and dividing them into two groups. One group consisted of standards that would be met by everyday center work. So, using the North Carolina Essential Standards for grade 5, things like "create art that reflects personal voice and choice", "apply the Principles of Design in creating compositions","evaluate solutions to artistic problems, including their effectiveness" and "evaluate how to manipulate tools safely and appropriately to reach desired outcomes" could all be taught and assessed through student work in centers. To facilitate this I created an extensive list of questions to use for assessment. To assess manipulating tools I might ask "Tell me about what tool you used to make this. How did you use it to make your art? Why did you pick it?" These questions were listed with the standards in a sort of "base" lesson plan for each grade for standard center work. I also compiled a collection of evaluation rubrics with learning goals written in student friendly terms, like this one for manipulating tools:

5.V.3.1: Evaluate how to manipulate tools safely and appropriately to reach desired outcomes.

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Level 1: I’m not sure about the difference between media and tools. I can’t evaluate how they work. 




Level 2: I know what tools I’m using but I need help to explain my thought when I’m asked to evaluate.





Level 3: I can evaluate how well the tools I’m using work. My thoughts are clear and make sense. 





Level 4:Not only can I evaluate tools in art but I can also evaluate how well they might work outside of art. 

Teacher Observes: Student is unable to use tools safely or student is unable to use tools to reach desired outcomes – most of the time. Student is unable to select a better or safer tool or method (evaluate). 

Teacher Observes: Student frequently needs help or reminders to use tools safely or to use tools to reach desired out comes. Student realizes when a tool or method is not safe or working well but needs suggestions from peers or teacher to make a better choice.
  
Teacher Observes:Student is able to independently use tools safely and makes decisions about their effectiveness as part of the work process. This can look like picking the right tool the first time or changing tools when they are not producing the desired result. 

Teacher Observes: Student can teach other how to use tools in new, safe ways. Student uses tool in unique ways to accomplish goals. 

- The second group of standards  were those that were not taught as a normal part of centers. For these I used mini lessons in the start of class to teach the standards and assessed them during work time, weaving assessment in to student's own work. I organized these mini lessons into units of study, centered around a central theme. For example, in a unit centered around the idea of how art connects with other subjects I might teach a mini lesson one week about how patterns are important in both math and art. During work time I might ask students to compare and contrast math and art using a visual organizer to record and share their personal connections. 

- Self-assessment was something that worked well for student's learning, especially with process. Command charts, lists of steps or videos of processes were all incorporated as tools for students to use as tools to check learning or revisit needed information.  

Students self-assess by checking understanding of process against video instructions

Students use a graphic organizer to record thoughts about how math and arts connect.

Students use a command chart to self assess.