Electronic Portfolios
in the Choice Curriculum
Clyde Gaw
Today I observe my fourth
graders working at six activity centers throughout the
artroom. Earlier, during
group instruction time, I demonstrated stencil printing and introduced examples of early American
stencil designs. Once the presentation was over, students selected
activities from several studio centers. Each center contains examples,
materials, and instructions and
allows students to work independently in their chosen activity.
Five students who opted for the
sculpture center are creating spaceships with paper, glue, and cut cardboard. A handful of their classmates
are assembling cut paper, fabric, and
yarn to create shadow puppets at
the textile center. Nearby, architects
and builders construct miniature
neighborhoods with hundreds of
blocks.
At the drawing center, students
interested in cartoon figures inspect
diagrams from how-to-draw books,
while four students assigned
to the computer
center access
their electronic
portfolios and
write reflective
statements based
on images and video of themselves
engaged in art activities. Seven of
the twenty-six students in the class
have chosen to cut and stipple their
own stencils.
experience to interests, passions and
expertise—allows
students to think
and feel like real
artists on their own
terms. The choice-based art curriculum
is intentionally flexible so intellectual
and creative growth
occur from within
the individual’s unique cognitive
structure. Motivation is facilitated
from the inside out.
Three Curricula
Within this approach, there are
three curricula going on simultaneously. One is the teacher-centered
curriculum—a series of lessons
similar to the stencil presentation that tie into state standards or
essential learning. The student-cen-tered curriculum, facilitated by the
teacher for the student through the
studio center concept, often leads
to the unwritten
In choice-based art third curriculum in
programs, the major which experimen-
learning goal is artistic tation is afforded,
risks are taken, and
self-expression manifested surprise discoveries
through personal context. are made.
The Choice-Based Art Curriculum
Curricula can be defined as the
activities teachers employ for whatever it is students are expected to
learn. In choice-based art programs,
the major learning goal is artistic
self-expression manifested through
personal context. Empowering students with choices—connecting art
Electronic Portfolios
The dynamic learning processes
within the choice art program are
further enhanced through assessment with electronic portfolios.
Facilitated by teachers and created
by students, the electronic portfolio
may contain images, text, audio,
video, and other digital media to
provide evidence of learning from a
diversity of art experiences. Reflective writing is a central component
of the portfolio, and because learning is situated within the personal
context of the student, the writing
is often quite profound.
An Example
It’s time to begin digitizing.
Two students volunteer to take
digital photos and a video crew is
assembled to film art and interview artists. Their first stop is the
construction center. One of the
architects has created a large house.
Cameras click away while the
interview takes place. The architect
explains his ideas to the video crew.
It is a “maze house” complete with
a labyrinth of rooms and passageways. The videographers finish the
interview and work their way across
the room looking for other artists to
visit.
At the end of class, camera equipment is returned and all students
begin cleanup. Jpeg and mpg files
are downloaded onto the teacher’s
computer. Students examine video
and pictures from a display monitor.
I remind students these media files
will be accessible in a class folder if
they choose to include them in their
electronic portfolio the next time
they are assigned to self-assessment
activities at the computer center.
Choice-based art education augmented with electronic portfolios,
integrates creative thinking, and
visual, linguistic, and digital literacy
into the art curriculum at a personally dynamic level providing multiple opportunities for meaningful,
self-directed art learning.
Clyde Gaw is a member of the Teaching
for Artistic Behavior Partnership, and
teaches at New Palestine Elementary
School, New Palestine, Indiana. cgaw@
newpal.k12.in.us
