Contact Information: email: ccassel@northmontschools.net. voice mail: 937.832.6733

Class Information & Policies

Supplies needed for in-person instruction:

• Box of tissues or bar of soap (one time)

For use on a daily basis:

• 2-pocket, 3 fastener folder

• pencils (EVERYDAY)

• 10 sheets of loose leaf notebook paper

• Earbuds or headphones (used to watch instructional videos without disturbing others)

• Apron (optional)

• Students should bring back their art kits to use in person.

Eighth-grade Art is a "Survey Class".

My class is a "survey class" meaning we create a wide variety of art pieces using several major art media. We paint, make prints, build sculptures, draw, take photos and create digital art using our iPads.

My class is also a Flipped Classroom and I emphasize the Studio Habits of Mind.

A flipped classroom is one in which my lessons are on video and students watch the video as many times as they need in order to understand the content or technique. This frees me to be able to work with students who are struggling with the technique or concept and provide more direct support to all students.

A flipped classroom demands more of the student as well. Students must be more self-directed and willing to read brief instructions on the Learning Guide for each project.

The thing I like best about having a flipped classroom is that I get the chance to interact more with my students than I did with a traditional classroom because we are working together.

Most projects are graded in class. I sit down with students and we talk about his or her project and agree on the grade. I get the chance to hear what the student thinks about his or her work and I get to tell each student what I think they have done really well and what I think about it as a piece of art. Many times a project may not have received the best grade, but as a work of art it is really beautiful. I love telling my students that their work is beautiful and why I find it beautiful!

Studio Habits of Mind are eight areas or domains in artistic thinking that were identified by Project Zero at Harvard University led by Lois Hetland through research in High School art classrooms throughout the country.

We use the Studio Habits to focus the students on what they are really doing when they are working in the art room and to help them understand the scope of what artists really do. While making art can be enjoyable there is a wide variety of thinking tasks that happen around the art making activity.

The Studio Habits of Mind are: Develop Craft, Engage and Persist, Envision, Express, Observe, Reflect, Stretch and Explore, and Understanding the Art World.

My Classroom Rules for 2020-21

1. Come prepared every day with a pencil, iPad, headphones and a positive attitude.

2. Follow all directions daily to complete each assignment.

3. Respect others and their property.

4. Respect school equipment and supplies.

5. Respect yourself and respectfully advocate for yourself.

6. Be willing to experiment and take artistic risks.

7. Use appropriate and respectful language to everyone.

8. Phone use during class is unacceptable. Phones are out of sight and out of mind.

9. Be on time.

10. Do not put anything into the air.... this includes but is not limited to: catapulting, chucking, flicking, flinging, flipping, flying, heaving, hurling, launching, lobbing, pitching, slinging, splattering, spraying, strewing, throwing, tossing, volleying, wafting, or letting fly.

11. Do not record or take videos or photos that are not assigned as a part of class.

12. Obey all other NMS and Northmont City School Rules.

Phone Policy

Phones will not be used in the room. Phone use will be disciplined. Phones are not permitted to be used as a substitute for a dead iPad.

Put your phones in your assigned phone pocket.

Class disruptions due to phones ringing, text alerts, or other alarms will be disciplined.

Grading Policy

1. I never compare a student to other students when grading work.

2. All work turned in on time will be graded first.

3. Late work goes to the bottom of the pile.

4. Starting September 21, a 10% per day penalty will be applied to late work. After 5 days, the grade will automatically go to zero.

   1. Work assigned before September 21 will not be subject to the penalty in my class.

   2. All assignments assigned after September 21 will be subject to late penalties.

5. I will update Progressbook at least once a week as time allows. The day of the week that updates occur may vary.

There seems to be a lag between when a teacher updates grades and when they are available for parents and students to view. Northmont has no control over this.

Electronic Assignments:

1. I only accept assignments turned in using the format asked for in the assignment.

For example, if I provide a Google Doc to the students to complete, only Google Docs will be accepted.

2. I never accept PDFs, Word documents, Notability documents or screenshots of Sketchbook App drawings.

Writing

Assignments requiring writing will be graded based on Art Content and the NMS Rules for Writing.

Art content is using art vocabulary correctly, expressing art concepts accurately, and answering the question that is asked.

NMS Rules for Writing:

1. Appropriate punctuation will be used.

2. Capitalize the beginning of sentences, proper nouns and the pronoun “I.”

3. Write sentences that make sense.

4. Indent paragraphs. (We seldom write that much, but if a student chooses to write a paragraph it should be indented.)

5. Correctly spell No Excuse Words.

Class Policies: Directions

It is expected that students read or listen to directions for all assignments.

It is expected that students follow those directions.

I will provide written, downloadable instructions and a video with me telling you the instructions with the instructions on the screen so you can follow along.

If you have listened to and read the directions and still do not understand, CONTACT ME!

My contact information is available blelow, on the Home Page in Canvas and the Syllabus in Canvas. You can also use the inbox in Canvas, but Northmont Gmail is probably the best way to contact me.

If you do not ask, and do not follow directions, your assignment will lose points and/or you may have to do it again.

So please, follow directions.

Class Policies: Plagiarism

Plagiarism is stealing another person’s intellectual property. It is illegal. It is considered cheating in Northmont. Another artist’s work is considered his or her intellectual property. Taking an image from the internet and turning it in as your own is plagiarism.

I had several students turn in work during the quarantine last spring that was taken directly from the internet and turned in as a student’s work. It is surprisingly easy to catch students in plagiarism like this.

The student code of conduct states, on page 9 of your agenda, under Student Technology Acceptable Use and Safety, paragraph 3:

Users are required to refrain from [don’t do] actions that are illegal (such as libel, slander, vandalism, harassment, theft, plagiarism, inappropriate access, and the like) or unkind (such as personal attacks, invasion of privacy, injurious comment, and the like).

On page 26 what is considered cheating and the consequences of cheating are outlined as follows:

Cheating: Students shall not cheat. Cheating shall include but not be limited to plagiarism, copying homework, copying computer disks, using cheat sheets, obtaining answers from another student on a test or quiz, allowing other students to use your materials with the intent to cheat, and any attempt to alter grading procedures.

1st violation: students involved will be given zero on the test, quiz, or assignment and parents will be notified by the teacher.

2nd violation: Consequences for first violation plus students will be assigned one (1) WASP.

3rd violation: two (2) WASP’s

4th violation: One (2) day out of school suspension.

5th violation: Reclassified as Category “E” Repeated Violations of School Rules.

The students who turned in plagiarized images, I am sure, felt overwhelmed and just wanted to be done with the assignment. They made a very unfortunate mistake. Don’t do what they did.

If you feel overwhelmed, there is absolutely no shame in that. I feel overwhelmed too sometimes. Please ask for help! Contact me! If you let me know you are having a hard time, I can help. If you don’t say anything, I can’t help you.