The Woodford County Public Schools Portrait of a Learner is the heartbeat of how we educate and equip our students. Throughout June and July, dedicated members of the WCPS team shared with other educators and educational organizations, both locally and nationally, about how this important initiative has positively impacted our students, families, and staff members. The Portrait of a Learner took a summer tour!

 

The first stop on the tour was Denver, Colorado!

Mr. Ryan Asher, shared Woodford’s Portrait of a Learner and Paths to the Portrait work at the Council of Chief State School Officers Collaboratives conferences. Mr. Asher says, "It was a great experience to share the great things happening in Woodford County. I was among state education leaders from across the country and they were all thoroughly impressed with our Portrait of a Learner. I was beyond proud to represent WCPS!"

 

The next stop on the tour is San Antonio, Texas!

Dr. Josh Rayburn, Chief Information Officer, Ms. Sandy Adams, District Digital Learning Coach & District NBCT Coordinator, and Mrs. Erica Snow, District Digital Learning Coach & District STLP Coordinator, presented the WCPS Technology & Innovation Academy at the International Society for Technology in Education and Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development conference. This WCPS Technology & Innovation Academy is a professional development opportunity for teachers that was developed through Woodford’s work with the Portrait of a Learner. Both the Portrait of a Learner and the Paths to the Portrait ensure that we are providing our students with vibrant learning experiences that prepare and equip them for their current and future endeavors.

Dr. Rayburn says, “With our intentional focus on student learning and teacher experiences, attendees were excited to learn what we were doing in Woodford County Public Schools. For two hours, attendees visited our booth, asked questions, and wanted to learn how the Technology and Innovation Academy was implemented and how Technology and Innovation was a Path to the Portrait. This presentation has allowed for further conversations and follow-ups. Our Portrait of a Learner was on spotlight in San Antonio!”

Mrs. Snow says, “I was so grateful for the experience and opportunity to attend ISTE. I am excited to share new ideas with our students and teachers. I was particularly proud to have the opportunity to share our Portrait of a Learner initiative and highlight all the incredible work our Technology and Innovation Academy accomplished this school year.”

 

The next stop on the tour is Central Kentucky!

At the Kentucky Department of Education Vibrant Learning Collaborative, Mrs. Rebekah Gooslin, teacher at Huntertown Elementary, demonstrated the Portrait of a Learner and deeper learning work she has honed into the annual Cake Wars event. In this event, students work together in small groups to brainstorm a theme and decorations for a cake and then bring their vision to life. The cake-making and decorating process is an analogy Mrs. Gooslin uses to teach her students the English and Language Arts lesson on synthesis. Synthesis is taking the background information one knows about a certain text or topic and using additional information to form a new, deeper thought. The cake is the synthesis, and the frosting on the cake is using textual evidence in the synthesis.

Mrs. Gooslin says, “What an incredible opportunity to share, learn, and create alongside passionate educators from across Kentucky, all united by a commitment to vibrant and deeper learning experiences that truly matters to students. I was so inspired by the meaningful connections teachers and administrators made during their defenses of learning and how beautifully they reflected the Portrait of a Learner. Their summer cake designs were just as incredible!”

 

The final stop on the tour is a national publication!

In April, the Aurora Institute, an educational organization, visited Kentucky to highlight the deeper learning work of three districts. Woodford County Public Schools was honored to be one of the three. The report was published in July and showcases the ways we are transforming and enriching the learning experiences we offer students.

Read the report here

All in all, we'd say the Portrait had a great summer tour! Thank you to everyone who represented WCPS in this way. We are so grateful for you!