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Running head: SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING LITERATURE

Summary of Supporting Literature

Robert Lowder
TED 690 Capstone
Professor Clifton E. Johnson
June 25th, 2015

SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING ARTICLE

Abstract
The following is a summary of the article The Pocket Guide to Simple Art Assessments by
Jessica Balsley from the site, The Art of Education. The article details her overview of how she
implements assessment into artistic projects, ranging from self-assessment to collaboration. She
identifies several methods that accomplish the expectations laid forth by Domain B: Assessing
Student Learning, along with its subsequent Teacher Performance Expectations, or TPEs.

SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING ARTICLE

California Teacher Expectation Domain B outlines what our efforts should be in order to
properly assess student learning, and the effectiveness of our instruction. More specifically, TPE
2: Monitoring Student Learning During Instruction (2013) states Candidates use multiple
measures for progress monitoring throughout instruction to determine whether all students,
including English learners and students with special needs, are understanding content and
making progress toward identified key concepts from state-adopted academic standards (Page
11.) The segment that stands out the most to be within that statement is making progress
toward identifying key concepts... In my case, these would be the learning goals tailored toward
the aforementioned academic standards. The Pocket Guide to Simple Art Assessments by
Jessica Balsley identifies several methods I can use as an art instructor to ensure success.
Balsleys first concept is titled Verb is the Word, in which she identifies four verbs that
students can use to describe their artwork and provide further assessment to the instructor. These
four verbs are explain, describe, why, and what if. Balsley (2012) further explains in detail,
Explain to me how Monets brush strokes differ from those of Seurat. Describe the process an
artist might use to create a coil pot. Why did you choose to use warm colors in the sky? What if I
chose to use zigzag lines instead of straight lines in this work? How would it change the meaning
of the piece (Page 4.) These are outstanding examples of questions that can be asked of students
after completion of a lesson, exercise, or project, and can be tailored to any focus. They are also
relevant to new thought-provoking common core standards.
Another technique identified by Balsley is what she refers to as the Wagon Wheel. This
simply refers to placing students in two circular groups, one inside the other, and allowing them
to collaborate about their individual artistic creations while rotating to ensure a new partner at
every phase. This really gets students comfortable talking about their artwork in a structured

SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING ARTICLE

setting (Balsley, 2012, Page 6.) The students finding a level of comfort with one another is
important to both their development as well as the learning environment within the classroom.
Coupled with monitoring, and ensuring students are on-task and engaged with either form of
assessment, an instructor can both evaluate progress and foster the creative atmosphere necessary
for an art classroom.

References

SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING ARTICLE

Jessica Balsley (2012,) The Pocket Guide to Simple Art Assessments, The Art of Education,
Retrieved from: https://theartofeducation.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/pocket-guide-to-simpleart-assessments.pdf

California Teacher Expectation (2013,) Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Retrieved from:

http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/standards/adopted-TPEs-2013.pdf