PLEASE NOTE:  This course outline is tentative and currently under reconstruction. Last Update: January 15, 2010

Welcome To The Art Department!

Proposed Units of Instruction:

General Class Objectives:

• To develop skilled, intelligent and articulate consumers/creators of visual images;
• To acquire skills/awareness of artistic preferences, processes, philosophies and production values as they relate to art education;
• To impart a introductory knowledge of the terminology and history of ideas as evidenced in art;
• To increase the students’ ability to grow ideas and improve decision making skills;
• To impart an enhanced understanding of the interconnectivity of art, society and personal development in each individuals experience with visual images.
• To explore the arts industry as a potential career direction.

Course Materials:

• Mark making/manipulating/imaging tools (various pencils/pens/markers/color pencils)
• Ruler (minimum 12 inch)
• Erasers
• Hand held pencil sharpener
• Post-it Notes
• Scissors
• Glue Sticks
• Notebook/Binder and loose leaf
• "Sketchbook"
• “Portfolio”
• Image Bank (start collecting visual images of interest)
• Miscellaneous TBA (i.e. Personal cameras are not required, but if you do have access to one that you like using…use it!)

NOTE:

I seriously believe that one can not buy talent and skill. Keep that in mind when you are wanting to buy expensive art materials

as part of the solution to the visual art problems we will be solving in this course. This art course should not cost you a lot of

EXTRA money...if you are resourceful, creative and challenge yourself to think outside traditional art media possibilities.

Structure:

One of the wonderful qualities about Art Education is that it heartily expects students to build upon their current levels of artistic growth and integrity through

a ’snowball’ style of learning (unlike, for instance, mathematics/music…where one must have an understanding of foundational elements before

continued/advanced learning may occur).  For this reason, a great deal of emphasis is placed on art student engagement with artistic processes and products.

For this reason, I have designed the 10/20/30 programs as Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced challenges that aim to meet students where they are in their learning.

In short, for this class, students need to understand and appreciate that it is those people who do things - practice, research, plan, self-evaluate - who best

succeed in this course…and learn.  An attitude that accepts risk taking, experimentation, tenacity in personal growth is not an option for those involved in

quality Art Education learning processes.  

Our classroom environment intends to be a safe space for learning where mutual respect between all parties involved is expected.

The two central art classroom rules are:

1. Be Kind

2. Work  

Evaluation:

The Portfolio:

1. Each student is expected to keep a portfolio for this class. This portfolio will be reviewed on a monthly basis, but...most importantly...before quarter report

cards and during final assessment week.

Here's a sample of a portfolio case. Ms. Deck also has an example of a portfolio case made from one piece of poster board in the classroom.

Students: Make certain that your portfolio features your name, grade and section CLEARLY on the outside. Thanks!

The Drawing Journal/Notebook or 'Sketchbook':

2. Students are also expected to keep a class drawing journal/notebook or 'sketchbook' for daily class work and homework. Sketchbooks are a key discipline

for any artist and is to be filled with both

• drawn/written work from class assignments and;
• Personal artistic expressions, experimentations, discoveries, artistic research documents, dreams...

While sketchbooks have a private and personal nature, students need to recognize that this aspect of their evaluation will be viewed by the teacher and is

not 100% private.

Various additional evaluation strategies will be employed throughout the course of the experience - as necessary, within the portfolio work - as a means

to bring about the highest degree of learning possible for each individual.  For example:  rubrics, group critiques, peer critiques, teacher-student individual

education planning, oral and written quizzes, journal writing and responses, brainstorming assignments, external examinations… every moment counts!

In my evaluation process, emphasis is also placed on the idea that the individual student is in competion with themselves for grades and not other

classmates. Personal goal setting and the pursuit of personal excellence will be discussed frequently.

LHS Art Notebook/'Sketchbook" Guidelines and Ideas

Student assessment is based on the foundational objectives of the course. Teachers should take into account students' perceptual development, procedural

and conceptual understanding, and personal expression. Assessment should be ongoing and include a wide range of assessment techniques focusing on

the student's creative and responsive processes, as well as on any culminating product. In Arts Education, teachers must rely to a great extent on their

observation and record-keeping abilities. Students are encouraged to take an active role in their own assessment.

Additional Notes:

HOMEWORK IS NOT AN OPTION. Students are expected to put in one half hour of homework for every hour of class time, at minimum.

EACH CLASS IS EXPECTED TO HELP DEVELOP THE UNIT STUDY TIME LINES WITH THE INSTRUCTOR.

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