FAQ
- Where is the course outline/syllabus located?
- Why do we have to pay a lab fee?
- Why do we have to grade our own projects before you'll grade them?
- Why don't all the projects get fired at the same time?
- How do you grade the 2D artwork?
Where is the course outline/syllabus located?
coming to the handouts page of this website soon!
Why do we have to pay a lab fee?
The short answer is because the district requires it.
The longer answer is because that's what I use to purchase supplies for the class that you use
everyday like glaze, clay, paper, colored pencils, paint brushes, etc. Also because I can buy in
bulk, I can purchase large amounts of materials for a cheaper price so you get more for your
money this way.
Finally if you don't pay your lab fee when asked too it becomes a fine and you won't be eligible to
play sports or go to dances or other school activities or graduate and you don't get to take your
projects home or have the benefit of a class locker or tools.
Why do we have to grade our own projects before you'll grade them?
Self reflection is an important aspect of art. It helps you improve your clay skills as well as your
observation skills. Also it helps fulfill a state and a national standard for the arts.
Why don't all the projects get fired at the same time?
There are many answers to this question. First, projects have to be totally dry or they will blow up
so thicker project tend to take longer to fire because they take longer to dry. Second, occasionally
there is something wrong with a project that doesn't allow me to fire them like the glaze wasn't
wiped off the bottom or there wasn't a hole poked in the bottom of a rattle. Third, loading a kiln
is kind of like loading a dishwasher, not everything fits every time, unusually shaped or large
projects might not fill a shelf and I need to wait until similarly sized projects are available to fire
with it. Finally, stuff turned in on time will be fired before late work if at all possible, so if it was
turned in late it might take longer than normal to get it fired.
How do you grade the 2D artwork?
Students start the process by evaluating their own work first. They check that they have met the
requirements of the project and decide what they did well and where they can improve next time.
I go through each artwork and line up the projects from the highest quality to the lowest quality
so they are all displayed. Next I look for similarities in how well the students met the
requirements and group projects into grading categories. After they are grouped I turn them over
and look at the students name and grade form and check if they have any comments they want
me to consider (like they restarted the project or went to a funeral and returned on the day it was
due, etc.). Most of the time students are fairly accurate in their self assessments, but occasionally
they are too harsh or too generous.
