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Teaching Students About Cultural Appropriation

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Teaching Students About Cultural Appropriation

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Everywhere we look, examples of cultural appropriation abound; on television, in advertising, across the internet. Celebrities take aspects of cultures and societies and embrace them in the name of fashion on their latest Instagram posts.

But what does cultural appropriation mean? And how do we balance learning from other cultures against exploitation?

In my middle school, I teach a class called World Art. The description of the course is as follows.
Students create a portfolio of original artwork based on techniques from diverse locations around the world. They learn about global culture while gaining a wide variety of art skills and exploring the ways in which they can express their own experiences, memories, and stories through art. Projects may include media such as henna, paper cutting, various types of painting, Celtic knotwork, and sand art. The course emphasizes both the artistic techniques and the cultural significance of each project as it relates to students' own lives and cultures.
When students select this course, they often don't have a handle on what it is we're going to be doing. They're just looking for another chance to create and make art. But I see World Art as a chance for them to engage with and discover the world around them through artistic culture. However, I want to be cautious so they don't come away thinking an entire culture can be boiled down to a single art form or concept.

Defining Cultural Appropriation

I work with my students to address these questions and concepts at the very start of the class. We spend a full day talking about examples of cultural appropriation they find in the media, on the internet, and even in their own daily lives.

I define Cultural Appropriation with my students in this way.
Cultural appropriation is the adoption or use of elements of one culture by members of another culture. It may be perceived as controversial or even harmful, notably, when the cultural property of a minority group is used by members of the dominant culture without consent art forms are seen as misappropriation and a violation of intellectual property rights.
With cultural appropriation, the original meaning of these cultural elements is often lost or distorted. Such displays are seen as disrespectful or as a desecration by members of the originating culture. For example, cultural elements which may have deep meaning to the original culture may be reduced to "exotic" fashion by those from the dominant culture.

Then, I share some examples.

I follow this conversation by pointing out some of the more egregious examples of cultural appropriation students may encounter. For example, in many classrooms, cultural art forms are only addressed as holiday celebrations. This devalues the way artistic traditions are infused throughout a culture. Halloween is another example of a time when appropriation takes place in an insensitive and offensive matter; cultures are not costumes.

Creating simplified and stereotyped caricatures of a culture only perpetuates misunderstandings and biases. It further "others" people who have different backgrounds from ourselves. We discuss how appropriation does not equal appreciation. We also discuss that without an understanding of history, context, and meaning, the usage of other cultural art forms and images can be insulting and offensive.

So, how do we teach about other cultures?

All of this doesn't mean we shouldn't be studying or learning techniques from other cultures. Learning the technical skills to create work in specific styles, while telling our own stories and narratives, can be a very powerful way of honoring and passing along artistic traditions. Gaining background in the culture and history allows students to understand the context. It also allows them appropriate ways to display or use imagery from other countries.

Project Examples

In my room, students explore various cultures and cultural art forms but use what they learn to tell their own stories. You can read about two examples below.

Chinese Paper Cutting

For this project, students learn about the history and cultural significance of Chinese paper cutting. Then, I ask students to use the art form to identify spiritual connections for themselves through symbols.

Aboriginal Dot Paintings

In the same way, students learn the history and cultural significance of Aboriginal dot paintings. We also study the processes and color palettes these artists use to tell stories and narratives. After that, students use the techniques to tell their own stories about spaces and places that are important to them.
Does cultural appropriation come up as a topic in your classrooms? How do you teach about other cultures beyond the "holiday" model?
Engaging with the cultures in a deep and meaningful way encourages connection and learning. It begins the conversation and can help to break down the ignorance that so often divides us.

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How to Avoid Cultural Appropriation in Your Lessons - The Art of Education University

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Everywhere we look, examples of cultural appropriation abound; on television, in advertising, across the internet. Celebrities take aspects of cultures and societies and embrace them in the name of fashion on their latest Instagram posts. But what does cultural appropriation mean? And how do we balance learning from other cultures against exploitation?

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Kyle Webster is an artist for the New York Times and author. I love his style and these online drawing tutorials are amazing! It would be a great backup project for those students who finish projects early or an introduction to different artistic styles!

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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I recently finished up a long term sub position as an elementary art teacher. Wish I saw this idea earlier for my remote learners! This teacher used tempera paint to make tempera cakes, which behavior more like watercolors. Pretty clever idea for an art teacher on a budget!

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Getting paint to my remote learning students

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41 votes, 15 comments. 3.5k members in the ArtEd community. 🎨 A community for Art Teachers to share lessons, strategies, student artwork, seek ...

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It was pretty difficult to pick just one post from this amazing high school art teacher's instagram. This video is from a weeks long project where the collaborative piece was publicly displayed.
Mrs Moen also uses Padlet to have students review each others work.

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Trigger Warning: This blog isn't uplifting. 

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Trigger Warning: This blog isn't uplifting. 

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All my teaching fears in one blog.

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I haven't made art for myself since college.

For one, I just don't have the time. For two, I'm not blessed with a beautiful, spacious studio space. Or any studio space for that matter. Remember the studios in college? *Sigh* Now the only time I make art is when I'm making samples for my lessons. Pretty sure that paper lizard I made the other day isn't going to end up in a gallery any time soon.

I spend a lot of my own money. A lot.

I don't think a weekend goes by when I'm not at a store picking something up for my classroom. I don't think a week goes by when I'm not scrounging through my personal supplies, or recycling bin, for materials to use in my classroom. Regular classroom teachers spend a good amount of their own money on their students and their classrooms. I guarantee art teachers spend a lot more. I spend so much of my own money that I have a separate category for it when I track my expenses every month. I don't get reimbursed for it. That $250 educator's tax credit I get to claim? Maybe that will cover a quarter of what I spend every year.

I don't like teaching every medium.

Especially painting. And printmaking. And don't even get me started on chalk pastels. It has nothing to do with the mess. Okay, maybe it has a little to do with the mess, but I could teach ceramics all day long. Or sculpture. I've never had much interest in painting, not that I can't do it, it just doesn't do anything for me. I actually enjoy printmaking, but not the stuff we do in elementary school. Give me acid baths and etching any day. If I could equip my students with glue guns, packaging tape and box cutters, we'd be building cardboard structures every day. But Styrofoam prints and dry brush techniques? Ugh, no thanks. Yeah, I still teach it, but I'd prefer not to.

Teaching art isn't fun.

There. I said it, now can you please stop asking me that? It's not fun. Most of the time it is not fun. Sometimes it is fun. Mostly it is not fun. What with all the grading and the push for assessments and the CLT meetings and the professional development and the classes with 30+ students and the IEPs and the 504s and the parent emails and the SOLs and the PLCs and the lack of planning time and the extra duties and the SMARTR goals and the shrinking budgets and the teacher evaluations and the staff meetings and the need to be visible and the preparation for art shows and art displays and the behavior plans and the PBIS rewards and the pressure to make art fun. What? You didn't think art teachers had to deal with this shit too? We do.

Sometimes I daydream about teaching high school art.

Once upon a time, about ten years ago, I taught high school art for about 1.25 years. Sometimes I wish I could go back to that. I don't know if high school art teachers have to worry about SMARTR goals, or CLT meetings, or giving up their planning time to help out in the real classrooms during math, but I do know that at least I wouldn't have to teach someone how to use scissors, or glue sticks or crayons anymore. I wouldn't have to tie shoes or wipe noses or remind students to wash their hands after using the bathroom. I wouldn't have to answer the question, "how much longer is art?" seventeen times in an hour. I'm not naive enough to think that all of my students in high school would actually want to be in art class, but at least there would be some who did right? At least there would be some who thought for themselves and didn't actually copy my sample line for line, right? I don't know. Are you a high school art teacher? Do you get to collaborate with students and actually have intelligent discussions with them? Do you get to watch students' creativity develop and grow into unique points of view? Is it as glorious as we elementary art teachers imagine it to be? On second thought, don't answer that.

I show up for the students.

The relationships I build with my students gets me out of bed every morning when that alarm goes off at 5:00 AM. I'm not in it for the fun of it. I'm not in it for the fame and fortune (because we all know that's never going to happen). I don't show up every day because I enjoy being micromanaged by the administration. I show up for the students who hug me on the way out of class. I show up for the students who tell me they love art class. I show up for the students who express excitement and pride when they've "drawn the best picture they've ever drawn!" And yeah, I show up for the students who can't sit still in their seats, can't refrain from blurting out, and who would rather be anywhere else but art class. I show up because sometimes teaching art is fun. I show up for the students. And that is the only reason I need.

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Confessions of An Elementary Art Teacher

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I haven't made art for myself since college. For one, I just don't have the time. For two, I'm not blessed with a beautiful, spacious studio space. Or any studio space for that matter. Remember the studios in college? *Sigh* Now the only time I make art is when I'm making samples for my lessons....

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An opinion piece by Jen McDonald.

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Advocacy is an important issue for any art educator. The truth is, many don't take notice of all of the great things happening in your art program. To get the word out, we host student art shows, hang displays in and outside of the school, and contact the local news to share special honors and activities. All of these traditional forms of advocacy shine a light on the finished work with student creations as the main event.

However, art educators know some of the most incredible learning happens long before the artwork is finished. Those aha-moments can come at the beginning of a project when a student is researching and brainstorming their idea. Students also often learn valuable skills when they problem-solve through a mistake. Social media allows you a platform to share all of the learning experiences from start to finish.

Here are 3 ways you can use social media as a powerful tool to advocate for your program:

1. Student Awards

How do you recognize student achievement in your art room? Some art educators present an Artist of the Month, Artist of the Quarter, or another specific recognition throughout the year. You can use social media to promote this kind of pre-established recognition.

Any type of recognition is a great way to reward your hard-working artists. You are showing the student you recognize their talent and hard work. You may send a note home, or invite the family to a special assembly, but chances are the number of people who get to celebrate this recognition are limited. Social media allows you a chance to really shine a light on that student for all to see.

Upload photos of the student's artwork and describe the reasons you selected them for this honor. Unlike an awards assembly, on social media, you can display any number of artwork examples. You can go on and on about how wonderful the student is in class. The student's family can share the post with their extended family who live out of town. This is a great way to recognize the student, but it's also a great form of advocacy. As likes, comments, and shares pop up on your post, people in the community are taking notice. They see an art educator who cares about their students. They see the fantastic work that reflects your teaching, and they begin to see the value in a strong art program.

2. Youth Art Month

Youth Art Month takes place in March and is administered by the Council for Art Education. Throughout the month, art shows, fundraisers, and school and community activities take place to celebrate visual art education for grades K-12.

This is a great time to advocate for your program! Amp up your social media presence during March to showcase all of the amazing things that happen in your classroom. You can upload daily photos or highlight student work each day and use the hashtag, #YouthArtMonth, to connect with other art educators celebrating their programs.

If you've already established a Youth Art Month show or event, use social media to promote it! If you're just starting your own social media presence, find out if your district has an official page. The district may have a social media manager who can share your post to a wider audience in the community.

This is a great opportunity not only to post what's happening currently in your classroom but also to share some highlights from throughout the school year. That impressive display you put up for an open house? Share it! The student work featured on the school yearbook cover? Post it! Every amazing thing your students do should be celebrated. Your program should shine and not confine those incredible experiences to your art room alone. Youth Art Month is a great opportunity to get the word out.

3. Behind-the-Scenes

Art shows and finished student work often only tell half of the story. The steps along the way are just as impressive, and often even more important. Social media allows you an opportunity to pull back the curtain and show those in your community what each step of the creative process looks like.

Your students will know the many steps along the way to completing a finished ceramic piece, but others in the community probably don't realize all the work that goes into it. Share images of students sketching, planning, kneading, rolling, hand-building, wheel-throwing, glazing, etc. A finished work of art can be impressive, but it may be even more appreciated when others know how it was created.

Beyond students' family and friends, social media can reach others in the community and those who have considerable influence on your program. Administrators and school board members aren't often in your classroom to witness every learning experience. By posting frequently to social media, you can provide a stronger representation of your curriculum, teaching, and classroom learning environment.
Final Thoughts
Traditional forms of advocacy are still useful to your art program. However, you can add social media as a tool to reach a larger audience more frequently. You probably already use social media in your personal life, so you already know how to access and use the different platforms with ease. Use it to your advantage! Get the word out that art is making a meaningful impact in the lives of your students. They are constantly learning new skills as they navigate through the creative process. With each post, you share another reason why your program is valuable to the school and community.

Social media can be a great tool to incorporate with your teaching for a variety of reasons. Advocacy is just one of the great ways you can utilize social media as an art educator! Check out last month's article, "3 Reasons Why You Should Share Your Art Curriculum," for more ideas on why and how you should utilize social media in your classroom.

How do you advocate for your art program?
Do you use social media to share student work?
How are you planning to celebrate Youth Art Month?

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Why You Should Use Social Media as an Advocacy Tool - The Art of Education University

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Advocacy is an important issue for any art educator. The truth is, many don't take notice of all of the great things happening in your art program. To get the word out, we host student art shows, hang displays in and outside of the school, and contact the local news to share special honors and [...]

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Free photo editing program for the artist on a budget!

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Free photo editing program for the artist on a budget!

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How I Record Myself Drawing | DIY  Easy & Affordable

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How I Record Instagram and YouTube Art Demo Videos

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Each banner pictured has a "Preview" link, a "Copy link, and a "Download" link. If you would like to view it in its original size, please click the "Preview" link. If you would like to slightly modify the banner, then you may create a copy of it. If you would like to use it in its original format, please click the "Download" link.

Once you click the "Download" link, there will be a .png image file that will appear in your downloads. Once you are in your Google Classroom class, you are presented with the option to "Upload Photo" below "About"" and "Select Theme" in the image header of your classroom. Clicking on the "Upload Photo" option will bring up a window that allows you to select a file from your computer. Locate the downloaded .png file, click upload, and the rest is done for you!

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Each banner pictured has a "Preview" link, a "Copy link, and a "Download" link. If you would like to view it in its original size, please click the "Preview" link. If you would like to slightly modify the banner, then you may create a copy of it.

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"Middle Schoolers are complicated creatures. Many need academic support, but are acutely aware of anything that "otherizes them". With Newsela, I can provide all students a high-interest article they can dive into and no one feels left out or that they are reading something "different" from every one else."

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Standards-aligned Content for ELA, Social Studies, SEL and More | Newsela

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"Middle Schoolers are complicated creatures. Many need academic support, but are acutely aware of anything that "otherizes them". With Newsela, I can provide all students a high-interest article they can dive into and no one feels left out or that they are reading something "different" from every one else."

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Free & Beautiful Google Slides and PowerPoint Templates!

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Free & Beautiful Google Slides and PowerPoint Templates!

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Free Google Slides themes and Powerpoint templates | Slidesgo

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Discover the best Google Slides themes and PowerPoint templates you can use in your presentations - 100% Free for any use.

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I hate teaching watercolor. I want to love it, but I just can't get there. My biggest frustration is that I feel like I just can't teach it as well as I want to. I don't love the medium enough to be excited about it, and I don't have the right ideas to make it exciting for my kids.

Everyone teaches the same exercises with watercolor. You divide your paper into little squares; you do the wash, the resist, the dry brush, and everything else that goes with it. But then what?

What comes after those exercises? How do we transfer what kids learn from those exercises into actual paintings? If we manage to do that right, how do we make those paintings personal and meaningful?

And above all else: how do you get kids excited about working with a material you don't enjoy working with yourself?

Embracing the growth mindset we all love so much, I decided to find out what I was missing when it comes to working with watercolors. I reached out to Andrea Slusarski, awesome Colorado art teacher and plein air painter extraordinaire, to see if she could convince me to love this medium as much as she does. We had a great conversation on Art Ed Radio, and though I'm not all the way sold, she did have some tips that may have me looking at teaching watercolor in a new way.

Below are 5 ideas that can take your watercolor teaching to the next level.

1. Use watercolor to get kids out of their comfort zones.

"To paint and engage with watercolors - to me - is this immediate feeling of letting go and engaging," Slusarski said. "Especially with my sketchbooks, the medium brings me to the moment and present where I am creating." It may seem difficult for kids to let go, especially if they are always focused on creating their best end product. But it's an incredible way for them to approach artmaking; great things come when you step outside of where you're comfortable. If they can let go, and create watercolors without worrying about mistakes, you never know when they may stumble onto something spectacular.

If you're also feeling unsure about where to start with teaching watercolor, be sure to take a peek at the AOE course Studio: Painting - Watercolor. You'll gain a solid understanding of the media while trying out exciting techniques for yourself. You can see more, including a sample assignment, right here.

2. Show the kids you're learning, too.

Every year, I try to get better at a particular medium-it's always one of my summer goals. Andrea was on board with this goal and offered the following advice: "Connect [watercolor] to something you're best at. This way you can still feel confident as you explore new territory. Or take it easy and let your students know you're also learning. Learning alongside your students is a fun experience, and it models to them how learning never stops."

3. Allow kids to experiment and explore.

Some mediums just lend themselves to experimentation and exploration, and watercolor is undoubtedly one of those mediums. It sometimes seems to have a mind of its own; the more you work with it, however, the more comfortable you become with its tendencies and how you can use those to your advantage. For that reason, it can really help your kids to go through a lot of practice repetitions without a lot of pressure-the more experience they have, the more confident they will be. The best way to build confidence is by giving kids more chances to paint.

4. Bring In Smaller Projects (and More Opportunities)

Slusarski believes quantity, not quality, can help kids improve their skill with watercolors. She laid out her plan like this: "I cut a ton of 6 x 9-inch papers and tell students to have at it. Because I find students work at such different watercolor paces, I open this project up for kids to paint as many or as few paintings as they want in our time frame."

Throughout that time frame, she moves around the room to help her kids by critiquing, reteaching techniques, and emphasizing points of interest. Those opportunities to connect techniques and actual paintings are invaluable when it comes to improving their painting skills.

5. Do Something Special to Make it Enjoyable

This is maybe Andrea's best idea: "This year, I wanted to add more to my landscapes. I also wanted to spice them up a bit, so I created "Landscape Element" days. Each day I demonstrated and discussed how to create various elements of landscapes using watercolors; clouds, trees, plants, grasses, rocks, etc. I turned it into a contest of who could paint the truest to real life - Bob Ross painting using watercolors. Winners get their very own Bob Ross official socks, and the competition is hot in my classroom."

And here is where I think Andrea is on to something: Students already practiced those elements. They know what techniques to use, as well as how to mix the various colors and values-they have already practiced them individually. Their final work is being able to piece all of those elements and techniques together in one final painting.

Whether you struggle with watercolors, begrudgingly teach them, or love them like no other, hopefully, these ideas will help you improve how you use them in your classroom. Having the right mindset, encouraging students, and allowing them to explore the medium will lead to engagement and some exciting results!

If you liked Andrea's advice here, you will love learning even more from her in her two Art Ed PRO packs about watercolor.

(P.S. Don't forget you can ask your administrator to purchase PRO for your school!)
How do you feel about teaching watercolor? What is your favorite watercolor lesson?

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5 Ideas to Improve How You Teach Watercolor - The Art of Education University

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I hate teaching watercolor. I want to love it, but I just can't get there. My biggest frustration is that I feel like I just can't teach it as well as I want to. I don't love the medium enough to be excited about it, and I don't have the right ideas to make it [...]

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Things I learned making low grade art tutorials 

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Things I learned making low grade art tutorials 

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President Trump and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos speak at a roundtable with family members of victims, state and local officials, and Cabinet members to discuss recommendations in the Federal Commission on School Safety Report in the White House on Dec. 18, 2018. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

It has been an annual tradition on The Answer Sheet for veteran teacher Larry Ferlazzo to assess what he sees as the best and worst education news of the year and then make predictions about the coming year. Here is his installment on the news of 2020 (and his predictions for 2021 will be coming soon).

Ferlazzo teaches English and social studies at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento. He has written or edited 12 books on education, writes a teacher advice blog for Education Week and has a popular resource-sharing blog. He has written pieces for The Answer Sheet over the years, including one on how teachers can help students motivate themselves and this one, one of my favorites, titled: "NEWS BREAK (not breaking news): Teacher asks students to grade him. One wrote: 'I give Mr. Ferlazzo an A at being annoying.' "

NOTE: As in the past, Ferlazzo says he does not presume to suggest that the following compilation is all-encompassing, and he hopes that you will take time to share your own choices in the comments. He starts this piece with what he thinks is the best education news of 2020 and then the worst - although the items in each category are not in any order of importance (except for the No. 1 event listed in both).

Ordinarily, Ferlazzo starts out with the best news, but this has been such a bad year, it seems more appropriate to recognize the worst first:

The worst education news of 2020

I doubt that there will be any dispute on this one: The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted education for tens of millions of students (along with the lives of their entire families). The deaths of educators, the 1.2 million child coronavirus cases, and the countless numbers of family members and friends affected by the disease covid-19 have contributed to a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. Although it's still not clear how this year's changes will affect most students academically, it is a safe bet that our most vulnerable populations, including students with learning challenges, English-language learners, and those who were experiencing academic challenges before the pandemic, are taking a significant "hit" to their learning and to their mental health. In addition, many of their families have suffered huge blows to their financial well-being, and research has documented how economic insecurity can affect learning. We will all be dealing with the consequences of these effects for years to come.

Although since March school districts have made huge dents in the numbers of students who did not have devices or Internet access, the numbers of students still without them (especially without stable Internet access) is still staggering. Schools, tech companies and the federal government have to do better.

The lack of attention to student privacy, and its abuse that has often targeted students of color, has been a shortcoming common to all too many districts and schools.

The Trump administration's insistence on forcing school districts to give students federally mandated standardized testing is unwise. In these circumstances, they will not help students or teachers. We can hope that the incoming Biden administration makes a better decision.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos's decision to ban college students who were registered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program, from receiving coronavirus aid was just another example of journalist Adam Sewer's Atlantic article explaining the purpose behind many Trump administration policies, "The Cruelty Is The Point."

Though some versions of hybrid instruction may be working in some places, it appears that most parents and many teachers have more negative opinions. Many districts in areas where the coronavirus infection rate has been at a consistently high level have made the strategic mistake of putting funds and other resources into face-to-face schooling plans that are likely to never see the light of day. These efforts have often been at the expense of leaving teachers on their own to improve remote instruction and of not providing needed social service support to the substantial numbers of students who are not participating at all in remote classes and whom schools might lose forever.

I have mixed feelings about putting this next one under the "worst" category. President Trump's attack on how slavery is taught in schools and, specifically, Nikole Hannah-Jones's 1619 Project in the New York Times, was inaccurate and wrongheaded. However, that same attack can now be used by history teachers everywhere to generate interest in examining slavery's role in America's founding; there's nothing like sharing irrational criticism of something to get students more interested in it! As we said in my previous community-organizing career, "Sometimes your opponent does your best organizing for you."

The loss of Proposition 15 in California, and the billions of dollars it would have brought to education, was a blow to schools in our state. That loss, coupled with the defeat of Proposition 16, which supported the use of affirmative action, indicates that education advocates need to rethink organizing strategies to support our students.

The best education news of 2020

Vaccine distribution is probably set to begin this month! Though it will take many months - if not longer - for most Americans to get the shots, it appears that those who are most at risk, including many in communities of color who have been hit the hardest by covid-19, may be near the front of the line. There will certainly be huge logistical problems, and it's still not clear when a vaccine for children will be available. Teachers will probably be in the second tier. But the bottom line is that the presence of a vaccine does offer us educators, our students and their families hope that the terrible effects of the pandemic might begin to reach an end.

The tremendous efforts by educators to retool their instruction to teach in full-time distance-learning mode or in hybrid models is a tribute to their resilience and flexibility. Also deserving praise are the many administrators who supported them and recognized that, especially in these circumstances, "good teaching" and not necessarily "successful teaching" was the priority. And a special shout-out is warranted to the thousands of teachers who stepped up on their own to connect with their students and families immediately after school closures in the spring, when so many districts were frozen in indecision. This doesn't mean, however, as I discussed in the "worst news" section, that we did "effective" teaching (that produced desired learning outcomes) and reached all of our students - many have disappeared or have not been successful due to pandemic circumstances beyond our control. But the vast majority of educators did exceptionally "good" teaching this year (used the best teaching practices we knew and applied them in ethical ways) and have been working long hours doing it.

Though the work of teachers needs to be highlighted, the work of parents who have had to double as teachers during this pandemic deserves kudos this year (and, of course, many teachers are also parents with children at home and I have no idea how they are managing).

Students deserve applause too for trying to do schoolwork in miserable conditions. Many have had to take on close to full-time jobs to help families economically survive the recession and/or take care of younger siblings or relatives - all while taking a full class load at school. Students, though suffering, have shown extraordinary grit and courage.

Trump's electoral defeat - and the departure, soon, of DeVos - brought a huge sigh of relief to many teachers. His incompetence in combating the pandemic and his unwillingness to support economic aid to states and schools resulted in thousands of additional deaths and also in the closure of many more schools than would have been necessary under capable leadership. President-elect Joe Biden's victory relieved many teachers, who believe they will get more support during the pandemic. Anticipation of having a teacher in the White House - soon-to-be first lady Jill Biden - was a boost to educators too.

Two important education-related ballot initiatives were successful: Arizona voters approved additional education funding, and a very ambitious preschool program was funded in the Portland, Ore., area.

The Trump administration did allow states to forgo annual standardized testing last spring, and now some educational researchers are looking at other ways to evaluate school effectiveness. (It's about time!)

At long last, more attention was finally paid to the disproportionate punishments meted out to Black girls at school. Though it's unclear who was the originator of the comment, "The first step in solving a problem is to recognize that it does exist," I hope it applies in this case and that steps will be taken by many schools to make major changes.

It's unfortunate that it took a pandemic to finally wake up policymakers and others to the terrible state of ventilation systems in our classrooms, and its impact on students and teachers, but that should be one big change this year that will impact schools for years to come.

The University of California began a move to end use of the SAT and ACT in its admission requirements. This change should benefit many low-income and vulnerable students, especially English-language learners.

You might also be interested in previous editions of this list:

The best and worst education news of 2019 - and one item hard to categorize

The best - and worst - education news of 2018

The best - and worst - education News of 2017

The good - and very, very bad - education news of 2016

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Perspective | The positively worst and best education news of 2020 - as viewed by a teacher

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It has been an annual tradition on The Answer Sheet for veteran teacher Larry Ferlazzo to assess what he sees as the best and worst education news of the year and then make predictions about the coming year. Here is his installment on the news of 2020 (and his predictions for 2021 will be coming soon).

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A simple trick for a simple drawing that young students enjoy. 

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A simple trick for a simple drawing that young students enjoy. 

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Distance learning has forced many educators to take a closer look at traditional grading and contemplate better methods of assessment.

Dirk Shadd / Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Wire / Alamy

Following the widespread closure of schools last spring, teachers grappled with the challenges of remote learning. Meeting students' needs became more difficult as teachers traded the predictability of in-person schooling for the unpredictable nature of learning by distance.

Many educators embraced greater flexibility and grace in measuring student progress. Broadly, schools encouraged a focus on learning and growth instead of a steadfast devotion to letter grading. Why has this not always been the case? The coronavirus pandemic has revealed many uncomfortable truths about the American educational system, and schools now have a chance to reimagine the fundamental nature of schooling in the United States.

Traditional grading practices are deeply flawed, and it's high time to replace them with more beneficial ways of measuring student progress. Over-relying on summative assessments does little to encourage the collection and use of formative data, and even the best teacher-created assessments still confront issues of reliability and validity. While the objectivity of attaching numbers to student proficiency may seem precise, this specificity rings hollow and only serves to lower student motivation.

I am not so naive to think that American education will broadly adopt standards-based grading practices or a fundamental uncoupling of the A-F grading system, but there are steps that teachers can take now that would make a big difference.

Improving How We Assess Learning

Provide students with multiple attempts at mastery: Whether they are in elementary, middle, or high school, students deserve more than one chance to demonstrate knowledge. Despite the popularity of promoting a growth mindset in students, too many schools continue ignoring the power of "yet." Instead of judging a student's performance at a discrete moment in time, we should offer students the chance to improve their skills until their proficiency matches their true ability. Few of us perform at our highest level the first time we demonstrate a skill, and our students are no different.

Similarly, teachers should protect students' agency and promote a culture of choice within assessments: While there will always be a place for end-of-unit assessments, relying on these for a complete portrait of student proficiency is an extremely limited view. Instead, students deserve the chance to demonstrate their proficiency in multiple ways across time.

Whether you call this differentiated instruction, authentic assessment, or some other concept isn't that important. What matters is giving students choices and emboldening their self-efficacy. Not only does this style of assessment provide a rich trove of formative data for teachers; it also invites much-needed relevance into the classroom.

Finally, adopting a more holistic view of assessment has the potential to harness motivation that far outpaces anything that simple letter grades can offer: For students-and people in general-to engage in goal-directed behavior, they must have self-efficacy, perceive their environment to be supportive, and see value in their work. When these forces are present, students work longer, harder, and with more joy. Prioritizing student success over time has direct, positive implications for each of these elements.

This view of assessment also empowers students to take control of their learning instead of being casual observers of their own ability. Compare the approach of cramming for a single test with knowing you have the option to learn more and try again in the future. The former promotes anxiety and a tendency to learn and dump material. The latter encourages curiosity, reflection, and perseverance, traits we want all students to possess.

Much of what happens or doesn't happen in a classroom occurs because of the lived experience of a teacher. As we seek to teach students, we unconsciously set limits on our students' success by what we think is possible for them to achieve. Thus, the largest inhibitor of student success in a classroom is a teacher's belief of what is possible for his or her students.

The pandemic has provided a generational moment for American schools to unlearn practices that hinder students' growth and adopt beliefs that propel students forward. Teachers should revisit outdated ways of measuring and communicating performance in favor of flexible grading practices. By encouraging multiple attempts at mastery, promoting choice within assessments, and harnessing students' true motivation, teachers have the potential to refashion the ways in which students understand performance. It won't be as easy or as neat as stamping a letter grade on an assignment and moving on, but it's more than worth it.

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Distance learning has forced many educators to take a closer look at traditional grading and contemplate better methods of assessment. Dirk Shadd / Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Wire / Alamy Following the widespread closure of schools last spring, teachers grappled with the challenges of remote learning.

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Behold the magic of the elementary art classroom. This blog is intended as a venue for parents and students to check out what is going on in the art room at Thomas Elementary. Also, possibly more importantly, it is a place for other educators to find free art lesson plans and share ideas.