Assessing year 9 DVC

Assessment for DVC Year 9.

Found following issues:

- Kids were not using very good terminology in their descriptions of existing designs and of their own work. This is no change from the year before, as in, the kids are showing the same symptoms of low level literacy as last year. Kids are able to name and identify what the certain design features as (line, shape, text and colour). Then, a small group of kids are able to state why these features are used, and an even smaller group (this is excellence standard so I understand it is a high level thinking ability) are able to think what effect the uses of these traits have on the design.

- Line work is cool, but in general, the kids are getting muddled with the basics of 3D drawing. This is no big change, it is a process that happens through learning. I am interested in the kids who seem to not understand 3D at all. Some kids complain of not seeing lines, and some draw a triangle when asked to draw a square and they insist that they have drawn a square. These are not 'dumb' kids. I think there is something preventing them from seeing what others can - I would be interested in finding out what this is, and trying new ways to get around it. If I can offer more methods of learning how to draw, then maybe this will aid the clever kids as well.

- Becuase of the time we have spent on Illustrator (2 weeks), the kids have missed out on learning Orthographic. It is a shame, and becuase we only have 6 months with them at Year 9 (most schools have 5 weeks so I am lucky) we cannot fit everything in. I might try to do a week Orthographic stint at the end of the section. Basically, I am worried that the kids have not learnt what they need to learn in Year 9 - but, currently, to amend this, I am teaching them Orthographic in Year 10, as there is alot of time.

What I will do for the next Year 9 Module:

Spend a little more time on the terminology bit. Maybe a handout / or get them to copy down as I am writing so they a lil bit of sweet ol rote learning in there. Also, for the drawing issues, I will use the next group as my guinea pig group for practicing techniques for drawing. The drawing styles being sacrificed becuase of using Illustrator cannot be helped, but maybe I will get them to do less on the computer next time, and not go so in depth in the programme.

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