Wow, creating a new class is a lot of work! Have any of you done that?
Well, I am in the process of creating an AP Studio Art Class, for the art enthusiast students. A couple of goals for this are:
1. Offer a high level art course
2. Meet the needs of high potential students
3. Offer the opportunity for college level art class, and college credit
4. Create a class around developing a portfolio
Here are some of the steps that have been taken:
1. Meet with Judi Tomczik (high potential coordinator), to discuss the possibility and need of a course like this.
2. Create student surveys to collect data (what is the interest level? what the class might look like? other feedback.)
3. Present the idea to administration
4. Sign up for AP training class at Augsburg in June
5 Apply for MDE grant to pay for the class
Basically, that is where we are at in the process. This class will not be offered until the 2012-2013 school year, because it is board required that I be an AP certified teacher before I can teach the class. I will be taking this training for a week in June (which I am so excited for). What I envision for this class is that it is a small class (15-20 students), who are all working on their own portfolios (meeting the AP requirements), but also offering the class to students who are choosing not to receive the college credit. Each student would be responsible for designing their portfolio, reporting to me their plans and materials that need to be ordered. Every student will be working on something different, whether photography, 3D or 2D or all of the above.
Several questions and concerns I have:
1. How will the students be monitored if they are in different places?
2. How will space work - available classrooms?
3. Will the board accept our request for adding the class out of cycle and the smaller class size?
4. Will we get enough students to register for the class?
My question for you (especially art folk), did you ever take an AP art course in high school? If so, what did it look like? If not, what do you envision the class like? What questions & concerns would you have? I am open to lots of feeback on this topic as I have no idea what to expect.
Wow! That sounds great! Good for you!
ReplyDeleteWe did have Advanced Studio Art (the year after I graduated they made them worth college credit!).
Anyway, it was something that you had to write up a proposal for before being accepted into the course. That helped to eliminate students that just wanted freedom to do whatever they wanted. Also we had to be in class when the bell rang and before the end of class. A lot of responsibilty was put on us- if we abused it we lost it and had to stay in the room. We had passes to roam the building....
It was taught like a college course- you were given deadlines (and weren't reminded to turn things in), and you were to propose a project and get permission before starting it.
Do the students have an art fee? The tricky part is materials- what will you order? How much?
Good Luck!! It sounds like it will be really great for students who are looking for a bigger challenge.