Summary
Virginia Readers Choice is an annual award sponsored by the Virginia State Reading Association. Teachers and librarians from across the state nominate ten books, and students select the eventual winner. To be eligible to vote, students must read at least four books from the list. Voting occurs first at the school level, and then each school in the state is eligible to cast a vote in the final round to select the winning novel.
Before our school vote, students campaigned for their favorite book by collaborating on persuasive tv commercials, radio ads, and social networks.
TIPC Ratings
Students have the opportunity to develop their own questions to guide their product creation. They had to research examples of these products and develop their own plan for completing their project. As a teacher, I developed a scaffolding to support and assess this step in the project.
Students used technology, such as Google Drive, to communicate inside and outside the classroom. They had opportunities to reflect on their learning as well as their communication skills. They set personal goals for their next project using the KWL chart. As a teacher, I included this on the grading rubric and assisted students with communication as needed.
The Virginia Readers’ Choice award is a real award; it’s not something that was made-up for our classroom. To determine our vote, students needed to have informed opinions and a way to share their opinions with others outside the classroom. By using technology, they are able to reach an audience beyond our classroom walls. They used critical thinking skills throughout this entire project. They were constantly generating questions and problem solving different solutions. Their product was graded on how well they solved these problems.
