A place to talk about art, artists, and art education
That Gosh Darn AEPA!!!
Okay, so I passed the AEPA subject knowledge test. At first, I was completely proud of myself with this accomplishment. Only one more test to go (the AEPA professional knowledge test) and I'll be a certified art educator (assuming I don't completely blow it during student teaching). It was a liberating feeling at first, but then I got back the official letter graphically displaying how well I did on each section.
From how the test went when I was actually taking it, I thought I would be high on the scales as far as passing was concerned. Quite frankly, I found the questions quite easy and flew through the test. When it came to all the multiple choice questions, it appeared my feelings were justified. In every area (creating art, art in context, and art as inquiry), the graphic display reported that I "answered most or all of the questions correctly." This means that when I look at the graphic display for these areas, it's as full as full can be. Then, I look at the last "subarea," as the report calls them, "Performance Assignment," this is the essay part of the test. This is the part in which I should have done at least comparable to the rest of the test. No, I didn't...I did horrible on the essay part of the test, something I normally can excel at. The graphic display says I am between a "weak" and "limited" response, the two lowest scores one can get! I know that not everyone is good at everything, but how could I do so horribly on the essay and pass with nearly 100% on the multiple choice? It's not even like I got lucky on the multiple test portion either because I distinctly recall only having three or four questions with which I was a little unsure or didn't know the answer.
Most people would say, "well, you passed and that's all that matters," and they would be partially right. Yes, I passed and the test is behind me, but I am left wondering what it is I need to improve on. While writing my essay, I included the principle and elements of design as much as I could without selling myself out to that out-dated method of describing art. I know the principles and elements are important, but there's only so much you can say about the implied lines of the piece and its form. Instead, I focused on context with which the pieces were made and compared them that way. One was a contemporary sculpture of a man on a horse, the other a 16th century sculpture of Louis XI on a horse (or something along those lines, I know it was King Louis for sure, the year may be off). I just don't see how I did so horribly on something that I thought I did well on?!
It somewhat angers me that ths is the test we have to take to become teachers. Right now, I'm beginning to learn about assessment through the COE and it just seems like this goes against everything teachers are taught to do in their own classrooms. I have no way of knowing what it is I did so "weakly" in my response or how my response was "limited." As a result, how am I to knowingly improve these skills if I don't even know what is lacking in the first place? Another thing we're beginning to learn about is how assessments should be clear and concise, with the expectations and their qualities clearly conveyed to the one being assessed. This way, the test-taker will know why they passed or didn't pass and what they need to work on. The AEPA doesn't do that, it's like writing an essay for English class in high school and getting it back with a "C-" on the front and not one single note or explanation as to why that grade was given, of what the student did that warranted such a grade or what the student can do to work on those issues.
Blah! Frustration! I'm just going to assume that all those essay test graders wanted was a bland, culturally and historically free critique of the artworks they presented and that I did as good as I thought I did. From the evidence I have to go off of, this is the only conclusion I can come to. I'm sure not going to conclude that I don't know how to compare works of art across time and culture. Can't wait for the professional knowledge test, yay!!!
From how the test went when I was actually taking it, I thought I would be high on the scales as far as passing was concerned. Quite frankly, I found the questions quite easy and flew through the test. When it came to all the multiple choice questions, it appeared my feelings were justified. In every area (creating art, art in context, and art as inquiry), the graphic display reported that I "answered most or all of the questions correctly." This means that when I look at the graphic display for these areas, it's as full as full can be. Then, I look at the last "subarea," as the report calls them, "Performance Assignment," this is the essay part of the test. This is the part in which I should have done at least comparable to the rest of the test. No, I didn't...I did horrible on the essay part of the test, something I normally can excel at. The graphic display says I am between a "weak" and "limited" response, the two lowest scores one can get! I know that not everyone is good at everything, but how could I do so horribly on the essay and pass with nearly 100% on the multiple choice? It's not even like I got lucky on the multiple test portion either because I distinctly recall only having three or four questions with which I was a little unsure or didn't know the answer.
Most people would say, "well, you passed and that's all that matters," and they would be partially right. Yes, I passed and the test is behind me, but I am left wondering what it is I need to improve on. While writing my essay, I included the principle and elements of design as much as I could without selling myself out to that out-dated method of describing art. I know the principles and elements are important, but there's only so much you can say about the implied lines of the piece and its form. Instead, I focused on context with which the pieces were made and compared them that way. One was a contemporary sculpture of a man on a horse, the other a 16th century sculpture of Louis XI on a horse (or something along those lines, I know it was King Louis for sure, the year may be off). I just don't see how I did so horribly on something that I thought I did well on?!
It somewhat angers me that ths is the test we have to take to become teachers. Right now, I'm beginning to learn about assessment through the COE and it just seems like this goes against everything teachers are taught to do in their own classrooms. I have no way of knowing what it is I did so "weakly" in my response or how my response was "limited." As a result, how am I to knowingly improve these skills if I don't even know what is lacking in the first place? Another thing we're beginning to learn about is how assessments should be clear and concise, with the expectations and their qualities clearly conveyed to the one being assessed. This way, the test-taker will know why they passed or didn't pass and what they need to work on. The AEPA doesn't do that, it's like writing an essay for English class in high school and getting it back with a "C-" on the front and not one single note or explanation as to why that grade was given, of what the student did that warranted such a grade or what the student can do to work on those issues.
Blah! Frustration! I'm just going to assume that all those essay test graders wanted was a bland, culturally and historically free critique of the artworks they presented and that I did as good as I thought I did. From the evidence I have to go off of, this is the only conclusion I can come to. I'm sure not going to conclude that I don't know how to compare works of art across time and culture. Can't wait for the professional knowledge test, yay!!!
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Comment by Kate Granchelli on March 26, 2009 at 11:04am
- Tara I don't know if this will make you feel any better BUT I am back in NY and the teaching test for AZ isn't accepted here at all. I have to do it all over again even though I am certifiied in another state. In fact AZ test is not accepted in most everyother state. You still have to take ANOTHER test in all of the 4 states i have been applying for jobs.
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