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=__Country Profile Assignment Worth 30 points__= To culminate the information we have been studying in class and to gain perspective on a larger world view, students will research artists and arts education practices in foreign countries and then compare and contrast their findings with other students.

• Individual research and presentation – 10 points • Group presentation – 8 points • Individual responses to others work – 12 points
 * This assignment is comprised of three parts:**

Organization of Presentations

 * Students will submit their top four choices of countries. From these, I will assign students their country of research. (You may only choose **one** European country in your top four.)
 * Students will work individually and collectively.
 * The presentations for this assignment will be created on line using a Wiki Space. See the tutorial information under the “tutorial” tab to the left of this page for how to make a Wiki Space.

Part 1: Individual Research and Presentation //**- This must be posted by Wednesday at midnight.**//
Students will research a foreign country’s creative and arts education practices and prepare an online presentation including the following.

• **Introduction** -Brief overview of selected country -How their general view of arts and education is reflective of their culture • **Profile of an accomplished artist.** -Brief biography of individual -Give specific examples of their work. • **Profile of a successful arts organization** -Give a brief history including their purpose -Give specific examples of programs offered in schools and in the community • **Description of school arts programs** -Describe how the arts are included or excluded from traditional K-12 schools -Give specific examples of offerings or describe the lack thereof and why you think they are absent from schools • **Conclusion** -How does this compare to your own personal experiences with arts education? -What surprised you in learning about this country’s practices?

**//Quotations and Citations//**
Outstanding work will include first hand quotes and material from primary sources. (Not Wikipedia.) Provide a list of sources at the conclusion of your presentation.

Part 2: Group Presentation //**- This must be posted by Wednesday at midnight.**//
• Work with others in your group to create a new wiki page comparing and contrasting your individual research findings. -What ideas, practices, and approaches do the country’s share? -Where are there differences? -What cultural aspects might impact creative expression? Why? -What surprised you about your comparisons? Think about how you can best share this information: texts, graphs, photos, video, something else?


 * Grading is based on the following:**
 * Following directions clearly to cover all points required
 * Depth of research and critical thought
 * Reference to prior work or ideas presented and discussed in the course
 * Finished product is well organized, free of errors and reflects a high degree of effort given to the work

Part 3: Discussion Forum //**- This must be posted by Friday at midnight.**//
Students are responsible for reviewing other presentations. In this discussion forum we will share comments on each others' research and presentation. Here are the guidelines:
 * comment on **six** pages, one from each group, other than yours
 * **one** of the six must be a group page (so choose five individual pages and one group page)
 * list clearly the student's name that created the page and the country name


 * Think about:**
 * How the country's schooling is reflective of the culture.
 * How public organizations are supporting schools in nurturing the creative process.
 * The creative strategies of individual artists and how this is seen in their work.
 * What things impressed or surprised you about the research.
 * What things you question or are skeptical about the research.
 * How the research compares or contrasts with your own.
 * How clearly and focused the research is presented.
 * How engaging the wiki page is overall.
 * Be sure to make references to past course material for your best work.

When commenting, take time to reflect upon our course work and experiences and think about the work that others have done in comparison to your own. Refer to past readings and in class discussions, make thoughtful comments, pose critical questions, quote course material directly, and point out interesting observations.
 * Grading**:

More thoughtful comments that are truly reflective of the work presented will score higher. Comments like, “I liked your photos.” Or “Cool!” do not reflect the substance of the work and will score very low, if at all.