Article What Do I Say?
For the young theater student, a teacher鈥檚 feedback can inspire or crush in a matter of minutes. Learn how to responsibly assess your student鈥檚 work.
Although portfolios are often associated with visual art, like the art pictured here, they can be used to exhibit all types of art forms.
.
Portfolios: Assessment Across the Arts
An introduction for arts educators to portfolio assessment.
Lesson Content
Portfolios have long been a staple of visual arts assessment, but they also can be a valuable assessment tool in all the arts. Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, authors of the popular Understanding by Design, define a portfolio as a “representative collection of one’s work.” They note that a portfolio documents a student’s work and this documentation has three purposes. A portfolio:
- communicates what a student has learned;
- provides a platform for students to present their best work and their reflections on that work;
- and presents evidence of how a student’s work was developed over the learning process.
As Wiggins and McTighe describe it, the portfolio can be both summative and formative.
Summative Portfolios
When a portfolio is summative, it is an overview of what a student accomplished. A summative portfolio will typically feature the student artist’s finest work. However, not everything a student does in class ends up in the portfolio. Along with creating the work, an important part of the student's process is to curate the portfolio or to use judgment to decide exactly what to include. In the performing arts, a summative portfolio could include a video of a student’s best work from concerts presented during the school year.
Formative Portfolios
Formative portfolios are increasingly popular, recognizing that the artistic process is as valuable as the artistic product. When a portfolio is formative, it allows a student to present the development of their work. An example of a formative portfolio is the processfolio, developed by Arts PROPEL at Project Zero. A processfolio captures a “work in progress” by chronicling the development of both an artwork and the student artist. The many steps in the creation, including drafts, edits, and even wrong turns, as well as the final product, are all included in the processfolio. Student reflection is also a key component of this tool. In theater, a student actor’s processfolio might include a student’s annotated rehearsal script, a journal of notes received from the director, and a video of footage documenting work from both rehearsals and performances.
Portfolios Go High Tech
Portfolios are no longer limited to two-dimensional books and papers. Technology is an increasingly frequent tool in portfolio assessment. Portfolios are at work in digital or electronic formats in the performing arts as well. MP3s, videos, and online web tools allow students to create portfolios where they can represent their learning and achievement in music, dance, and theater. A series of podcasts can be created by music students recording their work on a piece.
An Arts Portfolio
There are three components that typically make up an arts portfolio:
Work samples. Depending on the purpose of the portfolio, this can be final products as well as drafts, early versions, or rehearsals. The work samples should demonstrate that the student is able to apply their arts skills and knowledge.
Reflective writing. Students should include reflective writing about their process as well as their product. This helps to illuminate both for the student and the teacher that the student understood how and what s/he learned.
Content knowledge. Portfolios can include a demonstration of formal content knowledge. For example, students may include an academic paper that traces the emergence of jazz in America or measures the impact of Martha Graham on 20th-century dance.
Assessing Portfolios
Portfolios are typically assessed with a rubric or checklist. Ideally, the student artist becomes an active part of the assessment process. And arts teachers can collaborate with students as well to identify criteria for the portfolio rubric.
Another thing to keep in mind is that a portfolio may very likely be viewed by more than one person. Portfolios are very often assessed by outside reviewers or other students. And finally, student self-assessment is another key component in the portfolio process.
Not just for visual arts anymore, portfolios can be deep assessment tools for arts teachers in every discipline.
-
Writer
Patti Saraniero
-
Producer
Joanna McKee
-
Updated
December 11, 2019
Article Art Critiques Made Easy
One-word answers and grunts don't count as student critiques of art. How to foster interesting and authentic discussion in the classroom.
Article Formal Visual Analysis: The Elements & Principles of Composition
Help students build techniques to interpret what they see into written words using art.
Article Supporting Artistically Gifted Students
Learn about artistically gifted students and how can others can help them reach their potential.
Lesson Joan Mir贸 and Surrealism
In this 9-12 lesson, students will be introduced to the history and concepts of the Surrealist movement to create original artwork. They will research and present findings of Joan Mir贸鈥檚 art and place within the Surrealist movement. Students will apply methods of Surrealism to create an original painting.聽
Lesson Exploring Weather
In this 3-5 lesson, students will analyze paintings depicting different types of weather to create an original landscape painting of a weather condition. They will analyze how weather influences culture, daily life, and mood. Students will use the elements of art criteria to discuss and critique paintings.
Lesson Painting: The Art of Self Expression
In this K-2 lesson, students will explore elements of art and different artists' techniques to create various styles of paintings. Students will interpret art and describe styles by using key vocabulary terms when discussing paintings.
Kennedy Center Education Digital Learning
Eric Friedman
Director, Digital Learning
Kenny Neal
Manager, Digital Education Resources
Tiffany A. Bryant
Manager, Operations and Audience Engagement
JoDee Scissors
Content Specialist, Digital Learning
Connect with us!
Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Bank of America; Capital One; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; The Ednah Root Foundation; Harman Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The Kiplinger Foundation; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; The Markow Totevy Foundation; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives;
Prince Charitable Trusts; Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Volkswagen Group of America; Jackie Washington; GRoW @ Annenberg and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family; Wells Fargo; and generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts..
The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.