Essential Skills
THE FOLLOWING SKILLS ARE EVIDENT IN MANY OF THE ASSIGNMENTS YOU WILL COMPLETE IN CAP. EACH PORTFOLIO COMPETENCY WILL HAVE A VARIETY OF SKILLS THAT YOU CAN APPLY TO THEM.
Research Skills:
Research requires students to ask questions, argue and support a thesis, find a variety of credible sources, and critically review and organize research findings.
Creative Skills:
Creative thinking requires the student to engage the right side of the brain. Activities often include acting (stage or film), singing, dancing, drawing and other art, creative writing, photography, and film making
Social and Ethical Awareness:
Students value and acknowledge cultures, genders, religions, and sexual orientations other than their own with open-mindedness. They are informed on global issues and become globally conscious and socially responsible to affect change for the immediate community and society and large.
Media Literacy Skills
Students should be able to identify and understand how media- internet, radio, newspapers, TV, books, billboards, etc. - shape their beliefs, their culture and the world. They will use various forms of technology to access, analyze and evaluate information as both consumers and creators themselves. They will be able to use verbal, visual and/or auditory elements to persuade others.
Knowledge of Great Literature:
Students will study rhetorical devices, the use of language, themes, and characters to glean meaning and explore new perspectives. They will consider the power of storytelling to better understand the human condition and the world we live in - past, present, and future. Skills include reading, annotating, synthesizing, comparing, contrasting, and analysing various forms of literature.
Public Performance Skills:
Students will learn public speaking techniques such as appropriate rate, pitch, volume, gestures, and eye contact in order to persuade, inform, debate, and present valuable findings from research. These skills may be fostered in speeches, debates, presentations, and dramatic or musical performances. PLEASE NOTE: Any sort of oral presentation must include documentation such as video, an outline or other tangible proof of the performance.
Writing Skills:
Students not only demonstrate sound writing mechanics such as grammar, punctuation, and spelling but revise and reflect on data throughout the writing process. Scholarly writing is directed at an appropriate audience, uses sophisticated rhetoric, and is supported with reputable citations. Creative writing includes well developed story arcs and characters.
Critical Thinking Skills:
Students develop fundamental critical thinking skills such as inferencing, explaining, evaluating, interpreting, and applying. Critical thinking is a deliberate thought process that prompts students to check the validity of a claim or source, consider multiple perspectives, provide support to back a claim, understand the implications of a thought or action, and re-evaluate previously held opinions in light of newly acquired information.
Group Dynamic Skills:
Working in a group requires students to consider other perspectives, contribute time and knowledge, respectfully collaborate to accomplish a goal, and practice being both leader and follower. Group members learn to communicate efficiently and effectively, manage their time, and strategize for the best possible learning outcomes. Often, problem solving is better done in groups than alone and the CAP provides a safe framework for collaboration.