Overall expectations are in the areas of Creating & Presenting, Reflecting, Responding & Analysing and Foundations. At the end of the course, students will:

In Creating & Presenting:

• The Creative Process: apply the creative process to create a variety of art works, individually and/or collaboratively;
• The Principles of Media Arts: design and produce media art works, applying the principles of media arts and using various elements from contributing arts (video, music, visual arts);
• Using Technologies, Tools, and Techniques: apply traditional and emerging technologies, tools, and techniques to produce and present media art works for a variety of audiences and purposes.

In Reflecting, Responding & Analying:

• The Critical Analysis Process: demonstrate an understanding of the critical analysis process by using it to monitor the creative process, and by examining, interpreting, assessing, and reflecting on media art works;
• The Critical Analysis Process: demonstrate an understanding of the critical analysis process by using it to monitor the creative process, and by examining, interpreting, assessing, and reflecting on media art works;
• Connections Beyond the Classroom: demonstrate an understanding of the types of knowledge and skills that are transferable beyond the media arts classroom.

In Foundations:

• Terminology: demonstrate an understanding of, and use correct terminology when referring to, elements, principles, and other concepts relating to media arts;
• Contexts and Influences: demonstrate an understanding of the sociocultural and historical contexts of media arts;
• Responsible Practices: demonstrate an understanding of responsible practices associated with producing, presenting, and experiencing media art works.

A variety of strategies are used to allow students many opportunities to attain the necessary skills for success in this course and at university. The teacher uses a variety of whole class, small group and individual activities to facilitate learning in ASM4M.

The primary purpose of assessment is to improve student learning. Assessment relates directly to the expectations for the course.
A variety of assessments for and as learning are conducted on a regular basis to allow ample opportunities for students to improve and ultimately demonstrate their full range of learning and in order for the teacher to gather information to provide feedback. Assessment tasks relate to the success criteria set out in lesson plans. Success criteria allow students to see what quality looks like. Evaluation is the process of judging the quality of student work in relation to the achievement chart categories and criteria, and assigning a percentage grade to represent that quality.

Evaluation is based on gathering evidence of student achievement through
• Products
• Observations
• Conversations

Assessments For and As learning will have a diagnostic and formative purpose; their role is to check for students’ understanding. Assessments that serve this purpose will usually manifest themselves in the form of practice questions in the form of assignments and/or quizzes in class, teacher checking of homework, and conversations/discussions about progress. The purpose these quizzes serve is to encourage students to review daily and to alert students when there is a specific expectation they have not yet achieved. Quizzes and assignments are effective simply because they provide immediate feedback for the student.

Assessments of learning have a summative purpose and are given at strategic instances- for example, after a critical body of information/set of overall or specific expectations has been covered. “This type of assessment collects evidence for evaluating the student’s achievement of the curriculum expectations and for reporting to students and parents/guardians” (Growing Success- assessment, evaluation, and reporting: improving student learning, pg. 1-ii). Assessments of learning consider product, observation, and conversation as sources of evidence.

Instructional Approaches

Teachers are expected to:

• Integrate language and content instruction so that students can develop academic knowledge and skills in specific content areas at the same time as they develop their English language skills
• Ensure that the teaching of English grammatical structures is integrated with context rather than being taught or practiced in isolation
• Pay attention to the uses and functions of language in their respective disciplines in order to help all students, and most especially English language learners
• Focus on communication first, responding to the content of what the student is trying to communicate, before rephrasing in order to provide a model for the student

Students have the opportunity to learn in a number of ways:

• Cooperatively
• Individually
• Through examples followed by practice
• Visually through representations of illustrations
• Through the use of their first language where students can use the opportunity to build bridges between concepts they already know in their home language and the English words for those concepts
• Through think-aloud strategy where the student gets a change to “get inside” the thought process behind the use of reading and writing strategies

Planning Arts Programs for Students with Special Education Needs

Classroom teachers are the key educators of students who have special education needs. They have a responsibility to keep all students learn, and they work collaboratively with special education teachers, where appropriate, to achieve this goal.

Program Considerations for English Language Learners

Teachers need to recognize the importance of the orientation process, understanding that every learner needs to adjust to the new social environment and language in a unique way and at an individual pace. In a supportive learning environment, students will develop oral language proficiency.

Teachers must adapt the instructional program in order to facilitate the success of students by:

• Modification of some or all of the subject expectations so that they are challenging but attainable for the learner at his or her present level of English proficiency, given the necessary support from the teacher
• Use of a variety of instructional strategies (e.g., extensive use of visual cues, graphic organizers, and scaffolding; previewing of textbooks; pre-teaching of key vocabulary; peer tutoring; strategic use of students’ first language)
• Use of a variety of learning resources (e.g., visual material, simplified text, bilingual dictionaries, and materials that reflect cultural diversity)
• Use of assessment accommodations (e.g., granting of extra time; use of oral interviews, demonstrations or visual representations, or tasks requiring completion of graphic organizers or cloze sentences instead of essay questions and other assessment tasks that depend heavily on proficiency in English)

Environmental Education and the Arts

The three goals outlined in Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow are organized around the themes of teaching and learning, student engagement and community connections, and environmental leadership.

• The first goal is to promote learning about environmental issues and solutions
• The second goal is to engage students in practicing and promoting environmental stewardship, both in the school and in the community
• The third goal stresses the importance of providing leadership by implementing and promoting responsible environmental practices throughout the education system so that staff, parents, community members, and students become dedicated to living more sustainably

Healthy Relationships and the Arts

Healthy relationships are based on respect, caring, empathy, trust, and dignity, and thrive in an environment in which diversity is honoured and accepted. Healthy relationships do not tolerate abusive, controlling, violent, harassing, or inappropriate behaviours. To experience themselves as valued and connected members of an inclusive social environment, students need to be involved in healthy relationships with their peer, teachers, and other members of the school community.

Teachers can promote this learning in a variety of ways:

• By giving students opportunities to apply critical thinking and problem-solving strategies to address issues through group discussions, role play, case study, analysis, and other means, they can help them develop and practice the skills they need for building healthy relationships
• Co-curricular activities such as clubs and intramural and inter-school sports provide additional opportunities for the kind of interaction that helps students build healthy relationships

Equity and Inclusive Education in the Arts Program

Teachers can give students a variety of opportunities to learn about diversity and diverse perspectives:

• By drawing attention to the contributions of women
• By drawing attention to the perspectives of various ethnocultural, religious, and racial communities
• By drawing attention to the beliefs and practices of First Nation, Metis, and Inuit people

A variety of strategies can be used to communicate with parents and community members:

• Family and community members should be invited to take part in teacher interviews, the school council, and the parent involvement committee, and to attend and support activities such as plays, concerts, co-curricular activities and events
• Schools may offer assistance with childcare or making alterative scheduling arrangements in order to help caregivers participate

Multiple Literacies in the Arts

There are many ways of knowing and of communicating what we know and understand and these include:

• The visual (e.g., still and animated images, layout, design, hypermedia, three-dimensional forms)
• Oral (e.g., timbre and tone of voice)
• Gestural (e.g., body language, kinesthetic movement)
• Aural (e.g., music, sound effects)

Literacy, Mathematical Literacy, and Inquiry/Research Skills

Many of the activities and tasks that students undertake in the arts curriculum involve the literacy skills relating to oral, written, and visual communication. The arts program also builds on, reinforces, and enhances mathematical literacy.

As students advance through the grades, they acquire the skills to locate relevant information from a variety of sources, such as:

• Books
• Periodicals
• Dictionaries
• Encyclopedias
• Interviews
• Video
• Internet

Critical Thinking and Critical Literacy in the Arts

Critical thinking includes skills such as questioning, predicting, analyzing, synthesizing, examining opinions, identifying values and issues, detecting bias, and distinguishing between alternatives. It involve an inquiry process of exploring questions about and solutions for issues that are not clearly defined and for which there are no clear-cut answers. Students use critical thinking skills in the arts when they assess, analyse, and/or evaluate the impact of something and when they form an opinion about something and support that opinion with a rationale.

The Ontario Skills Passport and Essential Skills

Teachers planning programs in ESL and ELD need to be aware of the purpose and benefits of the Ontario Skills Passport (OSP). The OSP is a bilingual, Web-based resource that enhances the relevance of classroom learning for students and strengthens school−work connections. The OSP provides clear descriptions of “Essential Skills”, such as Reading Text, Writing, Computer Use, Measurement and Calculation, and Problem Solving, and includes an extensive database of occupation-specific workplace tasks that illustrate how workers use these skills on the job.

The Role of Information and Communications Technology in the Arts Program

Information and communications technologies (ICT) tools used in many ways:

• Students use multimedia resources, databases, Internet websites, digital cameras, and word-processing program
  They use technology to collect, organize, and sort the data they gather and to write, edit, and present reports on their findings
• Students are encouraged to use ICT to support and communicate their learning. For example, students working individually or in groups can use computer technology and/or Internet websites to gain access to museums archives in Canada and around the world
• Students use digital cameras and projectors to design and present the results of their research to their classmates
• The school plans to use ICT to connect students to other schools and to bring the global community into the classroom
• Students are made aware of issues of Internet privacy, safety, and responsible use, as well as of the potential for abuse of this technology, particularly when it is used to promote hatred.

Career Education

Students are given opportunities to develop career-related skills by:

• Exploring the full range of educational and career opportunities available to them in their new country and/or educational setting
• Adapting education materials and providing students with career-related opportunities such as career research, job shadowing and field trips

Cooperative Education and Other Forms of Experiential Learning

Cooperative education and other workplace experiences, such as job shadowing, field trips, and world experience, enable students to apply the skills they have developed in the classroom to real-life experiences. Cooperative education and other workplace experiences also help broaden students’ knowledge of employment opportunities in a wide range of fields. In addition, students develop their understanding of workplace practices, certifications, and the nature of employer-employee relations.

Planning Program Pathways and Programs Leading to a Specialist High Skills Major

Art courses are well suited for inclusion in programs leading to a Specialist High-Skills Major (SHSM) or in programs designed to provide pathways to particular apprenticeship or workplace destinations. In an SHSM program, English courses can be bundled with other courses to provide the academic knowledge and skills important to particular industry sectors and required for success in the workplace and  postsecondary education, including apprenticeship.

Health and Safety in the Arts Program

Although health and safety issues are not usually associated with language education, they may be important when the learning involves fieldwork. Out-of-school fieldwork can provide an exciting and authentic dimension to students’ learning experiences. Teachers must preview and plan these activities carefully to protect students’ health and safety.

Ethics in the Arts Program

The arts provide students with real-life situations that require them to develop an understanding of ethical issues, such as intellectual ownership and use of copyright material. In a technological world in which it is very easy to copy and use various kinds of materials, students must become aware of the ethical issues concerning, for example, reproducing visual images, copying aspects of someone else’s style, and incorporating soundtracks in their own works.