1. Understanding What They Know
The art teacher’s inside look to assessment
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Sarah Cress
Art Ed 4273

2. MoStep Madness Agenda…
• Xtranormal Video – Go Savannah!!
• Sketchbook Prompt
• Sketchbook Discussion
• MoStep Eight, Can I Have a Volunteer?!
• Assessment…What in the World!??
• Formal vs. Informal: A Peer Chit-Chat
• Sketchbooks: The COOL Informal Assessment Tool
• Cress Show and Tell
• Artifact Brainstorm
• Leave it at the Door!

3. Sketchbook Prompt…
Watch the following video in which
Wormeli describes formative and
summative assessment.
Right hand side of the room: make a
list of descriptors for formative
assessment.
Left hand side of the room: make a
list of descriptors for summative
assessment.

4. MoStep Eight…
1.2.8 The preservice teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment
strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social and physical
development of the learner.
Performance Indicators: The preservice teacher
1.2.8.1 employs a variety of formal and informal assessment techniques (e.g.,
observation, portfolios of student work, teacher made tests, performance tasks,
projects, student self-assessments, authentic assessments, and standardized tests) to
enhance and monitor his/her knowledge of learning, to evaluate student progress
and performances, and to modify instructional approaches and learning strategies;
1.2.8.2 uses assessment strategies to involve learners in self-assessment activities, to
help them become aware of their learning behaviors, strength, needs and progress,
and to encourage them to set personal goals for learning;
1.2.8.3 evaluates the effect of class activities on both individual and the class as a
whole, collecting information through observation of classroom interactions,
questioning, and analysis of student work;
1.2.8.4 maintains useful records of student work and performances and can
communicate student progress knowledgeably and responsibly, based on
appropriate indicators, to student, parents and other colleagues.

5. MoStep Eight Rubric…
The preservice teacher understands and uses exemplary
formal and informal, traditional and performance-based
assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous
intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner,
including but not limited to understanding of state
knowledge/performance standards and their assessment.
This teacher maintains and uses data from his or her
assessment activities to inform instruction and to provide
constructive and specific feedback to students, parents, and
colleagues. The candidate consciously encourages and
supports students. Self assessment as a means to enhancing
their own learning and achievement. Student work samples
verify candidate’s assessment knowledge and skills.

6. Assessment: What is it?!
Classroom assessment is one of the most important classroom
tools that a teacher has at their disposal. If the teacher utilizes
classroom assessments properly, it can aid the teacher, and the
students, in having a greater understanding on what is being, and
what is expected to be, learned. The primary goal of assessments
is to gather information about the students.

7. In What Ways Have You Been Assessed?
Individually, think of one specific course you have
taken. It can be from any level of your educational
growth. Create a list of ALL the various ways in
which your instructor evaluated your growth as a
student.

8. Formal/Summative Assessment
Formal assessment is the
conventional method of testing
that we are all very familiar
with from our school days.
Tests such as the SAT, ACT,
GMAT and GRE are classified
as formal assessments. These
are used to assess overall
achievement.

9. The Formal/Summative Rubric
In groups of two or
three choose an
arbitrary topic
(making a peanut
butter and jelly
sandwich). Using
the rubric template,
create a set of
expectations for
such a process.

10. Informal/Formative Assessment
Informal assessment
helps teachers gather
immediate data from
students. Informal
assessment is
centered on each
individual student
and how they are
acquiring the content.

11. Assessment: What Do We Already Practice?
Within groups of
two to three, think
back to your
internship
experience. In what
ways did you
employ formal and
informal assessment
strategies?

12. Trickier Than We May Think?
When it comes to assessment,
those strategies that fall into the
formal category are many times
easier to employ. They are
specific and formalized.
The shady brother to formal
assessment, informal assessment,
can be a bit harder to administer.
Within the art domain, the artist
sketchbook can serve as a
valuable teacher tool in
understanding the growth of your
students.

13. What are Artist Sketchbooks?
An artist
sketchbook is a
central location for
students to record
thoughts,
experiment with
new concepts and
ideas, brainstorm,
test their
knowledge, prove
their knowledge
and enjoy their
creative nature.

14. What are the Benefits of Keeping a Sketchbook?
• Provide an ongoing
record of a student’s
growth throughout a
given timeframe.
• Are a constant
reminder for students
of how far they have
come along within a
particular class.
• Can be collected by
the teacher for review
of student knowledge
and reflection.
• Create a sense of
pride amongst
students.

15. What got me started?
When I first started
teaching, I began to
incorporate
sketchbook prompts
into my daily lessons.
Not only did I want a
“bell ringer” to help
my students focus at
the beginning of each
period, but I also
wanted a quick tool to
gauge my students’
current understanding
of key concepts.

16. What Stipulates a “Sketchbook?”
A sketchbook can
be a binder with
blank pages, a spiral
notebook, a
hardbound
sketchbook
purchased at an art
store, or even a
recycled book. The
most important part
is that the student
considers it a
personal item and
can take pride in
their possession.

17. The Sketchbook as a Formative Assessment tool
• Daily prompts
• Vocabulary
exercises
• Comprehension
checks
• Brainstorming
exercises
• Formal analysis
writing
• Material exploration
• Artist sketchbook
pages
• Note taking
• Summarization of
procedural steps
• Sketchbook
challenge

18. Daily Prompts…
• Prompts are posted
daily on the
chalkboard, on the
overhead, or on
individual tables for
student reflection.
• Vary in topic and
timeframe.
• Can relate to current
lessons, discussion of
historical or
contemporary
artworks, or can be
extemporaneous
topics that prepare
students for creative
thought.

19. Vocabulary Exercises…
• The sketchbook is a good
location for students to
record new vocabulary
terms.
• Each week, provide a set of
vocabulary terms in which
students must define, and
provide a visual example.
This visual example can be
a computer generated
image, a magazine image,
or a sketch.

20. Comprehension Checks…
• Can be used on a
regular basis to test
students’
understanding of key
concepts.
• Incorporate basic
exercises for
students to practice
newly acquired
skills.
• House mini quizzes
that help students
understand what
they need to work on
to improve.

21. Brainstorming Exercises…
• Students can use the
sketchbook as a means of
brainstorming current and
future projects.
• Students can draw ideas
or write out their
thoughts.
• By compiling all of their
ideas in one place,
students can easily access
thoughts.

22. Formal Analysis Writing…
• Can be used as traditional
journals.
• Use for free thought
writing, in addition to
prompt writing.
• Formal analysis writing
involves the in-depth
critique of a particular
piece of artwork. It helps
students explore different
means of expressing their
immediate thoughts
regarding a work.

23. Formal Analysis Writing…
Give me the details…
• Write down the specifics of the work. This includes the title, the artist, media, size, year and any
other information that may be provided.
What is it…
• Summarize the overall appearance of the photograph. What is the subject matter? Where was the
image taken?
Look closer…
• Describe the details of the image. Describe how your eye moves around the composition and why
it moves in that particular direction. Also describe what steps you believe were taken to create such
an image.
Think harder…
• Discuss the symbolic references within the image. How do elements such as composition, gesture,
color, lighting and environment influence the meaning of the piece?
Now reflect…
• Write your overall impressions of the photograph. What draws your eye to that particular image?
Why do you find it interesting? What questions pop up in your mind when viewing it?

24. Material Exploration…
• Use sketchbooks as a
means of exploring
various media.
• The sketchbook is a safe
place for artistic play and
happy accidents.
• Not everything in the
sketchbook has to be
perfect. The sketchbook
is a safe haven for
experimentation.

25. Artist Sketchbook Pages…
• Thematic pages encourage
brainstorming, creative
thought, problem-solving
and individual critique.
Sample themes:
• Man’s impact on the world
• That’s out of place
• Geometry, geometry, geometry
• That’s delicious
• If I had a million dollars…
• What I love more about
myself…
• What I dislike most about
myself…
• If I were president of the United
States…

26. Note Taking…
• Students can use
sketchbooks as a creative
note-taking tool.
• Incorporate visual
imagery to help
comprehension and
memorization of
important terms and
ideas.

27. Summarization of Procedures…
• Having students rephrase
procedures and steps help
reinforce their relevance and
importance.
• This requires students to put
steps into a language that
they can readily understand
and relate to.

28. Sketchbook Challenge…
• Every month, students
have a regular
sketchbook activity that
must be completed prior
to the next month’s
assignment.
• “Artists of the Month”
give students a reason to
investigate masters of
photography.

29. Where Can it Go?
• Students begin to see
their own progress
within a given class.
• Students begin to take
their work more
seriously.
• Students receive
recognition for a job
well done.
• Students begin
participating in
friendly competition
with one another.

30. Is There a Digital Alternative?
• Using an online blog
space can encourage
students to continue
their “sketchbook”
experience outside of
the classroom.
• It also “tricks” them
into enjoying the
process of learning
about artwork.
http://streamwoodphotography.blogspot.com/

31. What are Your Ideas?

32. The Question of Grading
When it comes to issues of
grading, providing nominal
feedback for
summative/formal
assessments is simplistic and
straight forward. How do we
philosophically grade
students on
informal/formative
assessment measures?

33. Artifact Brainstorm…
Now, let’s
brainstorm
some ways
we can
demonstrate
our newfound
knowledge.