1. FORMER WISCONSIN FINE ARTS CONSULTANT, RET.
MEL PONTIOUS
FORMER WISCONSIN FINE ARTS CONSULTANT, RET.

2. Today’s Session Early education goals, ca. 1800’s Current goals
Student-centered model that fulfills these goals
How this is an organic part of normal standards-based classes/studios/rehearsals
How to begin
Deeper, more valid information than traditional instrucstion/assessment

3. Early US education
Goals: numeracy and literacy (Industrial Revolution)
Teacher-directed education
Triage assessment

4. Current Goals Higher order thinking A disposition to learn
Critical and creative thinking
Problem-solving
Self-directed learning
High achievement for all
DESPITE THIS

5. Disciplinary and Universal Goals
Disciplinary Goals
Produce/communicate, perceive, and reflect at appropriately high level
Develop necessary skills; knowledge of disciplinary domains; ability to think and express oneself in the discipline with a degree of automaticity

6. Universal Goals
Ability and will to learn; problem-solve; think rationally, critically, and creatively
Evince “Other-centeredness;” respect for others; an ethical sense and practice; and empathy
“TO FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY IN AND CONTRIBUTE TO A JUST AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY”

7. SCLA Model of Learning/Assessment
Five Questions
Where do we want to go? Students find and define the problem and develop the outcomes
Where are we now? Students (with teacher) discuss present status
What will it look/sound/be like when we get there? Students develop rubrics at different levels
How will we get there? Students discuss actions to achieve the outcomes and select those most appropriate
Are we getting there? Students formatively analyze work in progress and reflect: what’s working, what isn’t, what will improve it?

8. At this point, teacher’s and/or peer’s supportive feedback informs student’s continuing work
This is a classic problem-solving process, one that we all use automatically (e.g., a vacation trip)

10. The Model and Disciplinary Goals
Produce/communicate, perceive, and reflect in the discipline;
Develop and use knowledge of the discipline’s domains
Develop aesthetic awareness
BECAUSE STUDENTS ARE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE LEARNING/ASSESSING PROCESS, THEY LEARN THESE MORE DEEPLY.

11. The Model and Universal Goals
BY BEING DIRECTLY INVOLVED, STUDENTS
Learn to learn
Problem solve
Think rationally, critically, and creatively
Develop empathy, respect through peer assessment (and through teacher modeling!)

12. Teacher-Centered vs Student-Centered
Teacher presents the problem
Teacher teaches the solution
Teacher drills students on solution
Teacher tests and grades students
Students find and define the problem
Students develop and implement solution
Formatively analyze work, both process and product
Reflect: What’s working; What isn’t; What would improve it?
Teacher/peer input infoms continuing work

13. Two Vital Factors: Climate and Motivation
Teacher-student rapport
Teacher-student interviews
Student-teacher consensual assessment of student work
Student journals
Teacher request for student suggestions
Student-student rapport – sense of community
Peer interviews
Student-student collaboration
Students as learning resources for each other
Students use constructive peer assessments as learning tools

14. Motivational Qualities of Learning Tasks
Motivational factors
An itch to learn
A desire to grow up – fast! (The emerging adult ego state)
An urge to control their own lives (An internal locus of control)
Motivational Qualities of Learning Tasks
Authentic tasks
Appropriately challenging
Creative
Relevant to students’ lives

15. Student-Centered Learning in the Normal class/studio/rehearsal
Findings: Disciplinary goals - Students learn more deeply in the discipline when they drive their own learning. (The Learning Loop model)
Universal goals - They learn to learn,to problem solve, think rationally, critically, and creatively.
The process of planning, performing/creating, and responding uses the full range of thinking skills valued in any field.
The “other-centered” category of the Universal Goals is ‘caught,’ rather than ‘taught.’

16. How to begin SCLA
Start small, as part of the normal work of the learning situation; use learning projects and portfolios for documentation
Performing arts: Student assessors of live performance
Art: small groups develop rubrics for learning project; group sharing and consensus; use resulting rubrics for formative assessment of self and peer’s work (a gold star and a wish)
When these become easy, expand to larger contexts, then the Learning Loop

17. SCLA Formative and Summative Assessments
Formative assessments are built into the Learning Loop model and are kept in the student’s portfolio
Summative assessments are also a learning event – both teacher and student look at the portfolio material, study the progress, and rate the final work against the rubrics, each giving reasons for the rating. The only point of contention occurs when the students rate themselves lower than the teacher. (Really!)
The portfolio makes student thinking and learning visible and is used by the students as a learning tool.

18. Validity and Reliability of Performance Assessments
Can such assessments serve the interests of the broader community beyond the classroom/studio/rehearsal? Howard Gardner: a basic part of learning process. Since assessment is ongoing, “formal testing might atrophy altogether.” Such assessments are reliable and have ecological validity and better predictive validity than standardized tests. Lauren and Daniel Resnick: Such assessments could fill the need for public accountability sans the problems and expense of the present regimen AND foster students’ extended thinking and reasoning. (Changing Assessments: Alternative views of aptitude, achievement, and instruction. Kluwer Pub.1992)