Chapter 10 & Chapman Discussion

[Pam Stephens]

What does the Chapman article imply about the future of art in our schools?

As an art educator, what does the future hold for you?

[Jennifer Moffett]

The Chapman article implyies that the future of art may still exist in schools, but there will be cuts in funding and possible cuts of many art programs in many types of schools.

As an art educator in the future I think edventally the NCLB will include the arts into the core of the program. Here is a piece of the letter I wrote to our congressman for the homework for chapter 10. I believe all of these things will be changed or added to the NCLB because of people like Linda Chapman, and Pam, and all of us who take action to corect this problem.

Adding the arts to the core subjects of the NCLB can increase the AYP scores in all types of schools across America. The arts contribute to major skills and tools needed to do better on state-wide tests, and in other core subjects areas of NCLB: such as critical thinking skills and self-regulating behaviors. Students will only gain these skills if they are taught by a well qualified art teacher vs. a college graduate with a degree in some art field. When the arts are incorporated into the core subject areas in NCLB, schools across America will see a reduction of cuts and funding in their art programs. The arts, sciences, and humanities should all be added into the core subject areas of NCBL, and each should be given the proper funding deserved the education of the children of America depend on it.

Question 1- What is the deal with the funding of the arts in Linda Chapman's article. Where does that money go?

Question 2-Why is it that any person with a college degree in some form of art specialty can qualify as a art educator? These people are not properly trained to teach the arts. Hiring well qualified or highly qualified only teachers to teach the visual arts can also help lead to higher APY scores, because a well qualified teacher in the visual arts will instill critical thinking skills, and help promote self-regulating behaviors in their students. What can we do to fix this problem?

[Pam Stephens]

Good question about where the funding goes. I wish I could tell you!

Your second question has always stymied me. It seems that generalist teachers feel confident in teaching art; that art is a subject anyone can teach regardless of educational background.

When budget cuts threaten arts programs, it is not unusual to hear generalists teachers say, "I can teach art, but we'll need a music teacher." This implies to me that the generalist teachers have not been adequately informed about comprehensive art teaching. They are still in the "refrigerator art" mode.

How can we fix this? YOU are the change. Model effective art teaching and art programs. Make art intrinsic in your school, you district, your state. Be a professional whose program leads the way.

[Tara Nunimaker]

In the article, it said that unless the Department of Education has more than 15 million a year for art education, it will go to art education. If it has less than 15 million, then ALL of the money goes to other programs, some of which may be regarded as art education (artist in residency programs). I don't know if this adds anything, but I found that absolutely appalling!

[Pam Stephens]

It all boils down to money, doesn't it?

Artist in residency programs are one-shot sorts of a activities that cannot be considered effective. They are nice enhancements to a strong art program, but as you point out, it is appalling if these approaches are considered "the art program."

Gives me pause to wonder if a school would have an mathematician in residence program and consider that math had been covered for that school term.

[Tana Mendenhall]

Jen, Let me tell you first hand. When I was on break, I taught at the local Charter school. I was able to take over the class and teach for a whole week. After that week was over, they offered me a job teaching art. I was flattered, of coarse, but also kind of insulted just because they need a filler for the class. They were not looking for a qualified teacher to teach this class. They had offered me the job once before and that was before I had even earned my associates degree. They do not care, in my opinion, how these students are taught, they only care that the students ARE being taught. That, to me, is appalling. I could never do that. I want to teach all the way or nothing at all.

[Tara Nunimaker]

1. My Question/Response Regarding the Chapter
What is the difference between evaluation and assessment? (I'm not sure if we're supposed to answer our own questions or not, but I will anyways.) ;}

While often used as interchangeable words, there is a definite difference between the two. Assessment is the way teachers explain what has been done in the classroom, whereas evaluation "describes the degree to which it was accomplished." More specifically, a teacher who uses assessment will display their processes and descriptions of student works outside of the classroom for everyone to see and understand what his/her students are learning. Teachers who use evaluation will distribute fill-in-the-blank tests that put a numerical value on what the student understands or knows.

2. Pam's Question Regarding the Chapman Article

The Chapman article suggests that art education is in danger of becoming an "enrichment" activity at our public schools due to the unclear and vague language of the NCLB Act. Though the arts are listed as a major subject, it implies that art is secondary to a more important curriculum of math, science, and the language arts. This leaves art educators with the uphill battle of challenging NCLB throughout their careers, to ensure that they are taken seriously and that the ignorance about arts education is erased.

As an art educator, I see my future holding a fragile structure of advocacy and strategically placed comments to help dispel the ever-harmful assumptions that are held by other educators and society in general. Honestly, I don't know how long I'll last in the actual K-12 environment, as I find the rhetoric of such environments often based solely on sociological factors, such as wealth and religion. I imagine myself moving onto other forms of support for arts education within the next decade or so, such as getting my PhD and working on a University level. No matter what I do, I will definitely be a huge advocate of DBAE, and can't wait to use my big mouth to do so! ;}

[Tana Mendenhall]

The difference between the assessment and evaluation is that assessment is something that should be done on a regular basis in order to become the best teacher you can. Keep assessing your performance and your students. Find your weaknesses and your strengths and build on these. Evaluation puts a value on things. I personally feel that this is not as important. It reflects test scores, statistics and numbers. There are so many factors that come into play when it comes to evaluation, I don't feel you can actually get a true perception of the goal at hand.

[Tara Nunimaker]

Yes, I definitely agree...isn't it depressing that evaluation is what NCLB focuses on (standardized tests and such). Reading those stats on how much time teachers have to spend preparing for those pointless things is ridiculous! The government is telling teachers to "teach to the test" yet if they were cognizant of any form of educational psychology, they would know these types of evaluations, if they are used, should not be used alone to asess students knowledge and learning! Argh!

[Pam Stephens]

It depends on the evaluation and how well constructed it is. A good evaluation can help a person grow as a teacher and a program grow into something better.

Each district has its own evaluation instrument to measure teacher performance. The best instruments have several components that can be looked at and analyzed together. There might be several observations by various adminsitrators and then a portfolio of sorts gathered by the teacher. When these things are looked at in a holistic way, it provides a good basis for the teacher to reflect and adjust strategies.

[Pam Stephens]

Here are fairly clear definitions of evaluation and assessment.

Assessment is defined as data-gathering strategies, analyses, and reporting processes that provide information that can be used to determine whether or not intended outcomes are being achieved. Evaluation uses assessment information to support decisions on maintaining, changing, or discarding instructional or programmatic practices.These strategies can inform
1. The nature and extent of learning,
2. Facilitate curricular decision making,
3. Correspondence between learning and the aims and objectives of teaching, and
4. The relationship between learning and the environments in which learning takes place.

http://www.foundationcoalition.org/home/keycomponents/assessment_ev...

[Tara Nunimaker]

Yes...I agree. ;}

That is a much more in-depth definition than the book gives. I'll definitely be visiting that website to further reflect upon my understanding of evaluation and assessment.

[AshtonElizabeth]

On the basis of assessment virsus evaluation, NCLB - according to what is said in the article - is obviously trying to make these state-approved tests SO hard that they more than not promote failure. "These state-approved tests must be 'rigorous,' 'demanding,' 'academic,' 'secular, neutral, and non-ideological'."

Their idea of "assessment" is to test, test, test! They aren't interested in what the student KNOWS just what they have memorized. And this has been the big arguement about state tests for many, many years.

True assessment is like what you said, displaying what the students are learning and achieving. A fill-in-the-blank test shows nothing of improvement.