December 28, 2011

SPI. 
This stands for "student performance indicator." An SPI is a statement that answers the question: "What will student know and be able to do at the conclusion of this lesson?" A sample SPI for third grade students in Tennessee who are studying social studies is: Social Studies Geography 3.3.spi.1.  Student will be able to identify the major physical components of the world (i.e., oceans, equator, continents, and hemispheres). A sample SPI for third grade students in Tennessee who are studying art is: Visual Art 2.2.1 Student will be able to use chosen elements of art in one’s own artwork. (You can access these on the TN Dept. of Educ. Curriculum Standards web site.) 


After several years of teaching art, it does not feel difficult to teach the Visual Art SPIs. That is not to say that I teach them perfectly, but that I do it reasonably well, and of course I continue to try to improve.


Teaching the Social Studies SPIs along with the art is a different ball game, one that I have to think about and plan for and really work at.


As mentioned the other day, I need to assess our progress thus far. In order to better explain my assessment process, I will do a "think aloud" as I do so. A "think aloud" is a way to model one's thinking to other people. It is a good way to explain one's thought process. So, here is what I say to myself as I assess  my third graders' progress.


"Ok, Val, you need to reflect on what you taught during the fall semester so you can plan what you will teach during the spring semester. So, do an overview of the Grade 3 Social Studies SPIs. Let's look them up...ok,  I count a total of 26.  I remember I had originally planned to teach only 15 of these social studies SPIs in art class because the other eleven SPIs did not seem to easily lend themselves to integration with an art activity. I remember that I purposely, and with some regret, set them aside. Of the 15 I intended to teach this school year, I see that I have already taught nine. Pretty good, that leaves only 6 of the original that I need to address. I feel happy with that because it is doable. 


Hmmm, I taught the SPIs, but I have to ask, did the students really learn the content? I know from tests I have given throughout the first semester that less than 100% of the students learned all the material. To be honest, I know from these class tests that the average score on the tests is around a 57% correct. That doesn't sound very high, but it matches up with what the third graders last year and the year before scored on the social studies TCAP. This indicates that this year's third graders are on track to achieve close to what last year's third graders achieved. 


That's not good enough.


How can we do better? 


1. I will re-teach the content that the fewest number of students mastered.
2. I will re-assess the learning of that content. Hopefully, the percent correct will increase.
3. I will teach more SPIs than last year."


I have now established two courses of action for myself: to re-teach to the third graders the more difficult social studies content and to teach more social studies content that is in addition to my originally planned art + social studies curriculum.


I am now ready to delve into the truly awesome and enjoyable creative process of connecting social studies to art, finding an art medium/process that will marry well with a social studies SPI, put the two in a lesson together, custom fit the lesson into the parameters of my particular students, our art room, art budget, length of art class, and size of art class.


Let the thinking and creating begin!