Elements of Effective Assessment

There are three forms of assessment that all important to include, which are assessment for, as, and of learning. Assessment for learning is assessment that informs your plans and direction as an educator. Assessment as learning is when the assessment itself is used as a learning tool and is often in the form of self-assessment. Lastly, assessment of learning is an assessment that evaluates how well the student understands the lesson and is often in the form of a summative assessment. In class, we broke off into groups and shared specific examples of what assessment for, as, and of learning can look like in the drama classroom. The following are the examples shared in class: 

	Assessment for Learning	Assessment as learning	Assessment of learning
Activity	Connection web to see students’ initial thoughts and understandings	Position mapping to see how students understand a concept during/after a lesson with a written reflective piece	Writing in role
Assessment Tool	Checklist for concepts, video recording, and anecdotal notes	Anecdotal notes and photos of class	Rubric

Elements of Movement

Although the following elements are technically considered the "elements of dance" in the Arts curriculum, movement is also an important element of drama, thus these elements of movement are also important considerations in the drama classroom as well.

Body: body awareness, use of body parts, body shapes, locomotor and non-locomotor movements, body bases, symmetry versus asymmetry, geometric versus organic shape, angular versus curved shape
Space: Levels, pathways, directions, pattern, positive versus negative space, various group formations, proximity of dancers to one another
Time: Tempo, rhythm (e.g., regular, irregular), pause, stillness, with music, without music, duration
Energy: Effort, force, quality (e.g., slash, press, shrink, open)
Relationship: Meet/part, follow/lead, emotional connections between dancers, groupings

ELEMENT	EXAMPLES
BODY (PARTS OF BODY/SHAPES/SYMMETRY)	Upper	Lower	Torso
ENERGY (QUALITY/FORCE)	Sustained	Pause	Sudden
RELATIONSHIP (TO OTHERS/TO PROP/TO SELF)	Solo	Small Group	Ensemble
SPACE (PATHWAYS, SIZE, LEVLES, DIRECTION)	High	Medium	Slow
TIME (ACCENT/TEMPO/DURATION/PAUSES)	Fast	Medium	Slow

Ontario Ministry of Education (2009). Ontario Arts Curriculum. P. 110.

Critical Analysis Process

In class this week we discussed the critical analysis process which is outlines in the Ontario Arts curriculum. This is a process for students to follow in order to respond in an intelligent and informed way to drama and other art forms. The process involves four core steps: initial reflection,  description, analysis and interpretation, and expression of aesthetic judgement and then there is the stage of considering cultural context which is ongoing throughout the process. In class we did a jigsaw activity to define each of the processes and our definitions were as follows:

Initial Reaction: A person's first impression (there are no right/wrong answers)

Description: Simply describing what they see or hear without any further analysis

Analysis and Interpretation: Includes analyzing and interpreting the work and reflecting on the work. In order to make connections to other works, strategies, and themselves.

Expression: Students reflect on their analysis, compare it to their own lives and other works and consider whether they have learned anything that they can apply to their own works.

Consideration of Cultural Context: Considering how a person's worldview and contextual perspective affects their interpretation and creation in the arts.

The Ontario Ministry of Education (2009). The Critical Analysis Process (Diagram). Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/arts18b09curr.pdf

Elements of Choral Work

This week, when discussing curriculum, we discussed the elements of choral work. The Ontario Arts Curriculum (2009) defines choral work as "The reading or reciting of a text by a group. Preparation for a performance may involve interpretation of the text; experimentation with language, rhythm, volume, pace, and different numbers of voices; and rehearsal" (p. 166). The elements of choral work, that we discussed in class are pitch, volume, pace, and timbre. Pitch refers to the highness or lowness of the speakers' voices, whether it is high or deep/low. Volume refers to how loud or soft the speakers' voices are. Pace refers to the speed of which the speakers speak. Lastly, timbre refers to the quality of sound, which can refer to the texture of the speakers' voices or it can also refer to the amount of voices that are being heard at once. The following chart shares some examples of each of the elements of choral work.

ELEMENTS OF CHORAL WORK	Examples
Pitch	High	Neutral	Low
Volume	Loud	Medium	Quiet
Pace	Fast	Medium	Slow
Timbre	Booming	Soft	Squealy

Elements of Tableaux

Regarding curriculum this week, we discussed the elements of tableaux, which are character, space, gestures, and level. In the Ontario Arts curriculum (2009), tableaux is defined as "A group of silent, motionless figures used to represent a scene, theme, or abstract idea (e.g., peace, joy), or an important moment in a narrative. Tableaux may be presented as stand-alone images to communicate one specific message or may be used to achieve particular effects in a longer drama work" (p. 172). In class, we separated into groups to define the features of tableaux and provide examples of each. The following chart describes various examples of each element. Character refers to the character being portrayed in the tableaux: their personality, feelings, thoughts, perspective, voice, and role. Space refers to the space your body takes up during tableaux, which can include the space above, around, between, in front, and behind you. Gestures refers to how you form your body in a tableaux to portray a theme, scene, or meaning and it refers to your use of body, hands, and face. Lastly, levels refers to the vertical space that is being used: whether you place yourself in a low, medium, or high position.

Elements of Tableaux	Examples
Character	Perspective	Voice	Feelings
Space	Above	In front	Behind
Gestures	Hands	Facial Expressions	Body
Level	High	Medium	Low