Students Gain Powerful Presentation Skills in Semester-End POLs

For Da Vinci Communications senior Sophia Alexander, Presentations of Learning (POLs) are a reminder of the skills she has acquired since she started at Da Vinci as a 9th grader.  

“Every student, including me, can feel nervous or shy when presenting. Not only from freshman year but through continued practice, I’ve become extremely proud at how articulate and confident I am when presenting. It not only feels rewarding after finishing a semester of masterful work, but also tapping into a creative side of presenting,” Sophia shared. 

A signature practice at all Da Vinci schools across grades TK-12, POLs are timed presentations that take place at the end of each semester or academic year. POLs are designed for students to “show what they know” and are a cornerstone of Da Vinci’s educational philosophy. POLs encourage students to take ownership of their learning by reflecting publicly on their growth and presenting their work to their peers, teachers, families, and community members. This process not only enhances students’ presentation skills but also fosters self-reflection, critical thinking, and engagement with their community. Because these are formal presentations, students are required to dress in professional attire and maintain a cell phone free environment. 

“By articulating their learning journey and receiving authentic feedback during POLs, students develop deeper learning competencies essential for success beyond the classroom. Public presentations and providing students with authentic audiences are integral to our project-based learning (PBL) approach, emphasizing real-world applications and community engagement,” said Michelle Rainey, Da Vinci’s Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. 

Computer Science
At Da Vinci Communications, 9th grade students in teacher Andy Galbraith’s Computer Science pathway got hands-on with the software Scratch to create their own arcade-style games. This project tested their coding skills and emphasized teamwork, time management, and communication. To accompany their presentations, students created PowerPoints to share their learning and draw connections to real-world examples. 

Angie, Noelle, and Yulianna worked together to develop a game called A.N.Ygames. Inspired by Pac-Man, they created a game where players break into a bank and access a vault. The game incorporated computational thinking, with the players having to navigate through different doors using logical reasoning.

Reflecting on her POL presentation, Yuliana shared, “At first, I felt a little nervous during my presentation, but as time went on and we started talking, I began to feel more confident. POLs have helped me feel more comfortable with public speaking and expressing myself to an audience. I made sure my slides were ready in advance and rehearsed with my slides to feel prepared. Now, I enjoy participating in public speaking, sharing ideas with audiences, and I feel comfortable talking in front of people.”

English
In English 9 at DVS, students explored Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, which ends on a cliffhanger. The protagonist, Will, must decide whether to pursue revenge or break the cycle of violence. As the elevator reaches the ground floor, his brother Shawn asks, “You coming?” leaving readers in suspense, unsure if Will chooses revenge or a different path.

For their POL, students wrote their own interpretations of the book’s ending in the form of poems, incorporating poetic devices such as repetition, alliteration, and symbolism. 9th grader Dahlia Bain highlights key examples from the text, such as the symbolic significance of cigarette smoke representing clouded judgment. By comparing the smoke to confusion and the difficulty of making decisions, Dahlia found a creative way to express weight of choice and consequence.

Marketing
Seniors in Angel Maxwell’s Marketing pathway at Da Vinci Communications showcased their innovative business ideas and marketing skills in a ‘Shark Tank’ competition earlier this month before a panel of Sharks (judges) from Sony, New Flight, Inc., Harbor Church, Da Vinci staff, and an independent Social Media Content Creator. 

For this final project of the semester, the marketing pathway students used design thinking and an entrepreneurial mindset to develop an innovative solution around the driving question: As entrepreneurs, how might we build powerful, thriving communities where everyone enjoys safety, wellness, and economic freedom? As part of this project, students created business plans, conducted market research, developed financial models, sales and marketing plans, and created a product prototype to showcase a life-changing idea. 

Sophia, a DVC senior, was one of three members of a team that created a new product called AromaYOU, customized aromatherapy patches to support mental health and wellness. She shared, “As a senior I now feel incredibly confident doing POLs and want to continue polishing my presentation skills into university. It was incredible to showcase my marketing knowledge to the experts (Sharks) and hear constructive feedback on how we could improve. Feedback on the improvement of our budget, the realistic aspects of finances, and further questions tested our mastery and allowed us to showcase quick thinking, too, through presentation. It’s pretty amazing how Da Vinci assures their students fully understand topics.”

POL Feedback & Grading
At the conclusion of the student’s presentation, their teachers ask questions and offer feedback and support for the next steps. POLs are graded by teachers using a mastery-based scoring system (4.0 is the highest) and can affect the student’s overall grade in the class. Teachers share POL overviews and expectations for each class in advance, and use rubrics to score POLs. Students will often receive more than one score (ex. one for content, one for presentation) in each class. Here is an example rubric from English 9. 

Student Feedback
Curious how students feel about POLs? Here are some thoughts they shared with us: 

Gabrielle, DV Design, 11th grade
“Public speaking is so important! If it wasn’t for Da Vinci and practicing POLs, I would’ve still been in my shell and not comfortable talking to people. POLs are preparing students for life after high school, like job interviews. It’s important to feel comfortable with speaking in public and working with other people. This semester, we worked in groups and presented our POLs together. Collaboration is key when working in group projects and I’ve learned a lot about communication and time management. My advice to future students is to remember that everyone is doing them. I would tell them that they’re not alone and everyone feels nervous in the beginning but that it gets easier with time.”

Orien, DV Communications, 11th grade
“At first it felt nerve-wracking to speak in front of my teachers and peers, but after reviewing my presentation, I felt confident with what I had to share. During my freshman year, I didn’t know what to expect, but over the last three years, the presentations have become easier to do. I’m not as nervous, and I feel more confident to present in public. POLs have also really helped me to develop a better sense of time management.”

Noelle, DV Communications, 9th grade
“When I first started this class, I was scared because I didn’t have any computer science experience. Making my own game was a lot of fun and introduced me to something new that I never would have tried on my own. Working with my partners was great because we combined our strengths to achieve a common goal.”