Portrait of a Graduate and Presentations of Learning is not new to Cedar Lane, or FCPS.  It has been around since 2014.  This year, all FCPS schools have included POG POL in their SIIP (School Innovation and Improvement Plan).  Cedar began planning for this inclusion to the plan at the end of the previous school year.

The Portrait of a Graduate attributes are communicator, collaborator, ethical and global citizen, creative and critical thinker, and a goal-directed and resilient individual. For the 2022-2023 school year, Cedar Lane students will primarily focus on developing the Communicator attribute. The Communicator attribute has the following skills:

• Applies effective reading skills to acquire knowledge and broaden perspectives.
• Employs active listening strategies to advance understanding.
• Speaks in a purposeful manner to inform, influence, motivate, or entertain listeners.
• Incorporates effective writing skills for various purposes and audiences to convey understanding and concepts.
• Uses technological skills and contemporary digital tools to explore and exchange ideas.

Each department has chosen two skills within the POG Communicator attribute to focus on, and some classes may overlap on the skills they chose.  While these skills may not be new to the students, since they have already been learning skills to be good communicators in their classes, they will now be encouraged to make connections with the POG Communicator skills the class is focusing on and the content they are learning.  They will begin to see individual growth in their ability to be a good communicator in all aspects of their lives. Students will be encouraged to look outside of school as well for evidence of growth in becoming a successful communicator. For your information, listed below are the skills each department chose to target for this school year:

English:  

• I use different listening and comprehension strategies such as asking questions, paraphrasing ideas, or making connections that further my understanding.
• I plan, organize and revise my writing for intended purpose and audience by blending ideas and concepts.

Math:

• I use digital tools to research and share ideas.
• I read to understand, evaluate, and learn.

Social Studies:

• I use technological skills and contemporary digital tools to explore and exchange ideas.
• I incorporate effective writing skills for various purposes and audiences to convey understanding and concepts.

Science:

• I apply effective reading skills to acquire knowledge and broaden perspectives. 
• I use technological skills and contemporary digital tools to explore and exchange ideas.

Electives:

• I employ active listening strategies to advance understanding.
• I use technological skills and contemporary digital tools to explore and exchange ideas.

To show how students have practiced the various skills and grown as a communicator, students will be reflecting on related learning experiences in their English classes every two weeks. Each student has created their own portfolio website using Google Sites in English class and will be given time in class to add evidence of their learning experience, both from school and home, and reflect on how they are growing as a better communicator. This Google Sites portfolio will follow them throughout their time at Cedar Lane and each year they will have a chance to showcase their learning and growth by sharing their portfolio in a Presentation of Learning.

You will see POG POL in action on this web page.  There will be updates to include spotlights of various classroom experiences where students are making connections to what content they are learning and the POG skills each teacher is focusing on.