Purpose and Philosophy
| It is a goal of senior
exhibitions to provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate
“This is who I am, This is what I can do”. Riverdale High School is
founded on the Coalition of Essential Schools model, whose Common
Principles state that an exhibition should be a final demonstration of
mastery of the central skills and knowledge of the school’s program.
Riverdale High School's program centers around the five core subject
areas of Art, English, History/Social Science, Mathematics and Science,
and also emphasizes foreign language, technology, community service and
self reflection. The intent of RHS senior exhibitions is to encourage
strengths, honor achievements, hone prior skills, and strengthen
student weaknesses. In order to achieve this, the exhibition needs to
be flexible. Student goals must be individualized, and various learning
styles and unique circumstances must be considered when assessing
exhibitions. The process of developing exhibitions should model
student-as-worker, and should allow for student choice. The exhibition involves students in the habits of mind, work and heart. At the core of the exhibition are the relationships between product and process; purpose and form; authenticity and the “real world.” It is through this demonstration of knowledge that the internal learning process is made public. The exhibition should have clear guidelines and a reasonable time line. It should allow for practice or refinement and not be a one shot assessment. Students should compile many pieces, and not just one project. To that end, the exhibition includes written and oral elements, as well as technological products and artistic pieces. Students should feel successful upon completion of the exhibition. |
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Send your questions to Mr. Thompson