What’s required in the journals?
There are four components in each journal and responses can be documented by writing, drawing, sketching, or audio recording.
1. Background and contextual information for your project.
2. Frequent journal reflections using one or more of these questions:
-
What are you thinking about and working on today?
-
How did your work move forward today?
-
What challenges are you facing?
-
How will you solve the challenges? Are there options?
-
What’s next? Who might you ask for help? What research can you do on your own?
-
What do you plan to work on next/tomorrow?
3. Weekly reflection on Competencies of Practice:
-
Creative Practice
-
Individual Practice
-
Thinking Practice
-
Relational Practice
4. An artist’s statement or program notes.
A culminating reflection brings together experiences and growth over all four products (and two years) of working on the MRAA.
Why? What’s in it for students?
-
Recognition for their unique learning in the arts.
-
The opportunity to deepen skills that transfer to college and career including goal setting, persistence, envisioning, reflecting, communicating, analyzing, evaluating, problem solving, considering various points of view, initiative, and/or working independently.
-
Engaging deeply in practices of the artistic field.
-
Better understanding of themselves as an artist, musician, dancer, actor, director, and more!
What’s in it for teachers?
-
The opportunity to deepen skills students are developing through their work in the arts.
-
A point of advocacy for continued participation in the arts through high school.
-
Recognition of student achievement in the arts at the state level.
-
Support for framing teaching and learning through the 2018 Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in the Arts.
What is a teacher’s role in the MRAA?
-
To serve as an advisor to students working on the MRAA with regular check-ins.
MRAA Timeline
-
Semester 1 / Fall 2024 – By December 20, submit* the Letter of Intent with one product + journal for feedback
-
Semester 2 / Spring 2025 – Add one product + journal to your portfolio
-
Semester 3 / Fall 2025 – Add one product + journal to your portfolio
-
Semester 4 / Spring 2026 – Add one product + journal to your portfolio. By March 17, submit* all 4 products + journals and culminating reflection
* See the Handbook for detailed submission guidelines.
MRAA Scoring Rubric
-
Detailed rubrics are included in the Handbook.
-
Portfolios are adjudicated by a panel arts education specialists from Perpich Center.
INTRODUCING! the Minnesota Reflective Artist Award for High School Students. The Minnesota Reflective Artist Award (MRAA) is an opportunity to recognize accomplished student work in the arts; work that is also supported by reflective thinking.