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!”

Mrs. Gooslin, Thank you for sharing cake with us and making learning fun!