FOR TEACHERS
The creative process is a complex and multi-layered, never-ending journey but there are a few critical components that can help students to cultivate a greater awareness of their creative experience. These include reflective writing, documentation of project work, presentation of final work and student choice built into assignments.
REFLECTION
Creative Process students maintain personal websites for this course which serve as a home base for their reflective writing about the development of their project work and their experience of making itself. Blog entries are purposeful, thoughtful reflections written in response to specific prompts designed by the instructor. The demands of written reflections grow in complexity over the course of the year as students build stamina and familiarity with this part of the process. Students can easily share their sites with other faculty, family, and friends but also it is an excellent resource for reflecting upon the year as students see their growth first hand with a few easy clicks. Sites are generally very cool too! as readers get a strong sense of individual voice almost immediately.
DOCUMENTATION
Rigorous documentation of project work is important. During each stage of the creative process, students document in a variety of ways. The means by which students "take notes" on their project work may vary from drawing/sketching to photographing/filming to recording audio files. Documentation should be intentional. Even if a student is unclear about the direction of the work, documentation aids in continuity and keeps the work alive in between classes. Documentation is key to visible learning and allows teachers access to what students are understanding.
STUDENT CHOICE
Introduction to Creative Process is loosely organized around four 8-week long terms. For the first 3 terms, students are given assignments which are scaffolded to support their understanding of their creative process with increasing complexity and which will help to ultimately prepare them for a culminating self-designed, independent project.
Each assignment focuses on a specific art practice, related materials, and techniques. For example, when introducing 2D form as a means expression, students will consider different approaches that artists take with regards to the drawing medium. Some artists approach drawing through observation, others with their imagination or memory and some create a system or set of rules to inform how an image will appear on the paper. After experimenting with each approach, students determine which they would like to engage for the purpose of creating a more in-depth work of 2D art.
The choice built into each assignment gives room for student voice and not surprisingly no two works are the same.
For the Independent Project, students start with a concept and a question from which to generate their work. Resourcing artists that prioritize conceptual practice, students reflect on their work up to that point and determine which medium and techniques they will employ to best communicate their idea.
PRESENTATION
Presentation of final project work is a meaningful conclusion to any creative investigation. After all, work should be shared, seen and discussed. A formal share invites others, not immediately involved with the artist's creative experience, to consider what's being proposed and the means by which the artist is expressing themselves. The dialogue that results can inform both artist and viewer. And, by delineating an end, students can move freely onto the next experience. This is particularly important developmentally for teens because if their project doesn't feel successful they have the opportunity to learn from it.
Presenting or sharing of work can take multiple forms. Critique is a studio favorite and works well when students lead. Organizing around CAG teams can be helpful for this purpose. Public exhibitions that invite the community to engage are also effective and should be accompanied by an opening to celebrate the exchange of ideas. Another tool that has proven to be effective is inviting student artists to create a presentation of their creative experience and in turn, walk their peers through the nuts and bolts of their project development.
This is Tenley's blog page on her website.
This is Mel's written reflections with documentation of the work she refers to. Note: multiple pictures of artworks helps to give the reader a better understanding of what is happening.
OUTCOMES & ASSESSING CREATIVITY
Student assessment is directly related to specific Avenues World Elements. Students are clear what these outcomes are from the beginning of the year and have multiple opportunities to practice these outcomes over the year. Emphasis may shift from certain elements to others depending on the course material and expectations may intensify depending on the element.
So how do you assess creativity?
If considered more of a muscle than a unique gift, then evaluating a student's creativity is a little easier to muster. In the course, assessment is based on approach to learning, quality of reflection/documentation, and presentation of work. Less emphasis is put on the final product itself.
Our job as ICP educators is to tone every artist's creative muscle so they can garner self-awareness and proceed with confidence into any project experience.