TAB Colorado Conference Part Two!

What a great conference!  It was two VERY full days exploring and expanding TAB teaching.  There seemed to be a heavy focus of assessment, which I was very happy about.  I have been investigating assessment in my own practice and really reevaluating how and what I assess in my art classroom.  I promise I will write a new post on that topic soon.

One funny part was during the Assessment panel.  There was a panel of art education professors and representatives from the Colorado Department of Education discussing student and teacher assessment (got to love SB 10-191).  There were a lot of great comments about developing student portfolios and measuring student process vs. product.  Anne Thulson (Art Ed prof at Metropolitan State University of Denver, my alma mater) even mentioned some of the assessment techniques I am using in my class and gave me props in front of the whole conference.  That's right, I'm a big deal.  A little later I interrupted the whole discussion!  I raised my hand and asked how we transfer all the wonderful qualitative data we collect on our students and produce a quantitative score to input to our districts for report cards.  The discussion mediator seemed quite flustered with my interruption.  he he.  There were some good responses, but I loved Anne's the most.  She said, "Adam, you can put a number on anything.  Just put a grade in and stop worrying about it.  Spend your energy on more important things." Yes!

I lead a breakout group for middle school teachers and got to have some great conversations with people at all different levels in their TAB teaching.  I also presented at the conference about Digital Portfolios and seemed to have very good response from everyone.
It was a fun, but tiring, weekend.

Now on to less fun things.  Both my wife and 2 year old daughter have the flu. 

Who is chugging Airborne like it is going out of style?  This guy!