DETERMINING AN AREA OF CONCENTRATION FOR INDEPENDENT STUDIES STUDENTS IN THE VISUAL ARTS
Rationale
A concentration is a body of related works describing an in-depth exploration of a
particular artistic concern. It should reflect a process of investigation of a specific
visual idea. It is not a selection of a variety of works produced as solutions to class
projects or a collection of works with differing intents. Students should be encouraged
to explore a personal, central interest as intensively as possible; they are free to work
with any idea in any medium that addresses two-dimensional design issues. The
concentration should grow out of the student’s idea and demonstrate growth and
discovery through a number of conceptually related works.
Requirements:
The works should be unified by an underlying idea that has visual and/or conceptual coherence. The choices of technique, medium, style, form, subject, and content are made by the student, in consultation with the teacher.
Writing a proposal:
1. What is the central idea of your concentration?
2. How does the work in your concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea?
You may refer to specific slides of your work as examples.
The responses themselves are NOT graded as pieces of writing, but they provide critical
information for evaluating the artwork.
Examples of Concentrations
A concentration should consist of a group of works that share a single theme—for
example, an in-depth study of a particular visual problem or a variety of ways of
handling an interesting subject. Some concentrations involve sequential works, such
as a series of studies that lead to, and are followed by, more finished works. If a
student uses subject matter as the basis of a concentration, the work should show the
development of a visual language appropriate for that subject.
The investigation of a medium in and of itself, without a strong underlying visual idea, generally does not constitute a successful concentration.
Requirements:
A. Students will produce more than 10 works and select from among them the works that best represent the process of investigation. If a student has works that are not as well
resolved as others, but that help show the evolution of thinking and of the work, the
student should consider including them.
B. Write at least five reports of artists who may represent an area of interest in your concentration. There is an artist report form. Include images.
C. Keep a journal with your ideas of concentration, research of materials, studios you have visited, galleries etc. Turn it in every two weeks on Mondays.
D. Create an off campus show the first week in December/May at a local coffee house, bookstore, or public place.
BVHS Guidelines for Independent Study
Definition: Independent study applies to a contract between a student and staff members to accomplish a specific project. Since credit will be given for successful completion of the project this does not apply to students assigned to a class in which credit is granted. Students working on special projects within a scheduled course will coordinate this activity with the designated staff member. All other requests for independent study credit will be submitted to the coordinator of curriculum no later than the conclusion of the second week of the semester in which the independent study is to occur. Ideally, the contract should be completed prior to the beginning of the semester in which it is to occur.
Independent study affords students the opportunity to pursue a program that would not otherwise be available to them. Individuals must work with a teacher in designing the independent study program. The contract for this program must be drawn up within the first two weeks of the semester. Students who wish to take advantage of this opportunity need to take the following steps:
1. Talk to the cooperating teacher.
2.Complete the contract included in this handbook on the following page listing statements about what the project will be, how and why it will be completed, and how it will be evaluated.
3.Obtain the necessary signatures on the contract--student, parent, counselor and the participating teacher.
4.Return the completed contract for teacher approval and subsequent approval by the assistant principal for curriculum. Once a student's contract has been completed and approved, the student needs to keep a log of the time devoted to the project and to fulfill all terms of the contract.
Students on independent study must be scheduled with an instructor for a specific period of the school day for the purposes of attendance, instruction and evaluation. Printed rosters and attendance sheets will be provided to the instructor.
Since the instructor is directly responsible for the student during the independent study period, the student must be assigned to a specific location; movement to a different location must be cleared through the instructor ahead of time and will require a hall pass. The area to which the student is assigned must be within the departmental area to enable the instructor to supervise the student's activities. Students are not to be assigned to the library on a permanent basis, nor are they to be sent to the library without specific tasks.
If at any time the student violates the agreements of the contract, he/she will be placed in a study hall for the duration of the semester and will not receive credit.
Independent Study Procedures
1.Students should contact the instructor, express a desire to participate in the independent study program and set up an appointment to discuss the project.
2.The contract should be completed during the appointment so that both the instructor and the student may achieve a mutual agreement.
3.Since the student and the teacher are constructing a course description that both parties must adhere to, the contract should be completed in detail providing as many specifics as possible. Special emphasis should be placed on the units to be completed, the date for completion of each unit, and specific method of evaluation for each unit.
4.The student and the teacher should both sign the contract indicating mutual agreement.
5.The student must present the contract to the teacher, with official signatures of parents and counselor, who will take the form to the Assistant Principal for Curriculum & Instruction.
6. The assistant principal for curriculum will act upon the contract and refer it to the appropriate counselor who will then send for the student to make the necessary schedule change.
Instructions for Completing Independent Study Contract
The independent study contract should follow this format:
- Student name
- Title of independent study
3.Amount of credit of independent study
4. Faculty supervisor's name
5.Description of independent study, including purpose, rationale and materials to be used
6.Timeline with deadlines for completion of tasks, including any penalties or consequences for failure to meet timelines, appointment schedules or frequency, grade checkpoints at which parents are contacted for progress reports
7.Method of evaluation, including grading procedures
8.Signatures of student, sponsor, parent/guardian, assistant principal, counselor
BVHS INDEPENDENT STUDY
STUDENT AGREEMENT
Please provide the following information as thoroughly as possible
Student:Sponsoring Teacher:
Credit:
Topic/Project:
Rationale:
Outline of content to be covered
Method of Evaluation
Specific Timeline
Attendance Guidelines
After completing the form, the following signatures are required:
Student Signature / Coordinating Teacher Signature
Parent Signature / Asst Principal for Curriculum & Instruction Signature
Counselor Signature / Date