2015 Literacy Explosion
Students from six schools, representing five of the eight regions of Virginia, participated in the fourth annual VATE Literacy Explosion competition held at Longwood University on March 14, 2015. Students, their teachers, and families traveled from one to three hours on a cold Saturday morning to share their talents. Dr. Jenny Martin, education professor at Bridgewater College, Megan Laprade, education student from Bridgewater College, and Dr. Carol Johnson from Virginia Wesleyan College were judges. Megan Almond and Elizabeth Stapula, preservice English teachers at Longwood University, operated the technology used to display students’ products.
The Literacy Explosion is a state-wide language arts festival designed to celebrate and promote the integration of literacy and 21st century learning skills by encouraging and rewarding students’ excellence in reading, writing, speaking, presenting, filming, drawing, and acting. Students show their understanding and appreciation of a text and expertise in their use of language, communication, and digital media in one of these formats: book covers, book trailers, digital posters, photo essays, podcasts, and videos. Both fiction and nonfiction texts may be used to create these projects. Texts may include, but are not limited to narratives, plays, poems, essays, informational texts, and students’ original writing. Students submit entries individually or as part of a collaborative team.
Each entry in the 2015 Literacy Explosion enticed viewers to enjoy reading the texts on their own. After each product was viewed by the audience, entrants participated in an interview about the decisions and process they used to create their digital products. As one member of the audience noted, “After seeing their projects, I have a whole list of books I want to read!”
BOOK COVERS
For this category, students design a book cover for a text of their choice using desktop publishing with the intent of enticing readers or marketing the text. Hunter Stern, a student at Amelia County Middle School, won a first place gold medal for his book cover created as a class project in Ms. Kelly Trump’s English class. LaDaisa Harrris, a student at George Wythe High School, Richmond, won a first place gold medal for her book cover created as a project in Ms. Angela Cannady’s English class.
BOOK TRAILERS
For this category, students create a video trailer between two – four minutes long with the intent of persuading the audience to read the their chosen text. They used video publishing software including original film footage and music not taken from the sound track. Da-Lan Pham, a student at Midlothian Middle School, Chesterfield County, won a first place gold medal for her book trailer created as a class project in Ms. Anne Pennypacker’s English class. Alexander Pawlica, a student at T. Benton Gayle Middle School, Stafford County, won a second place silver medal for his book trailer.
DIGITAL POSTERS
For this category, students design digital posters depicting essential components of their chosen text: theme/main idea, organizational structure, text features, viewpoint, and/or writer’s craft. Adrianna Scott and Sully Moorefield, students at John Kerr Elementary School, Winchester, won a first place gold medal for their digital poster created as a project in Ms. Kelly Carey’s class. Jashaun Hyde, a student at George Wythe High School, won a first place gold for a digital poster created as a project in Ms. Angela Cannady’s class.
PHOTO ESSAYS
For this category, students develop photo essays depicting themes, main ideas, scenes, and/or essential details from the chosen text, including at least six original photographs as well as quotes and phrases from the text. Dani Labrozzi, a student at John Kerr Elementary School, won a first place gold medal for her photo essay created as a class project in Ms. Kelly Carey’s class. Jesse Weiss and Vakirah Barbour, students at J. T. Henley Middle School, Charlottesville, won a first place gold medal for their photo essay created as a class project in Mr. Chuck Miller’s English class.
PODCASTS
For this category, students create a podcast that creatively interprets the text. Ideas include, but are not limited to having a radio interview of the author or a debate about an idea that is presented in the text. There were no entries for this category in the 2015 competition.
SCENE ITS
For this category, students record three – five minute digital videos that dramatize a pivotal scene in their chosen book or poem. Props, musical instruments, prerecorded music, and costumes are often used. Max Ware and Pierce Francis, students at John Kerr Elementary School, won a first place gold medal for their video created as a project in Ms. Kelly Carey’s class. Dajah Scott, a student at George Wythe High School, won a first place gold medal for her video created in Ms. Angela Cannady’s class.
Lindsay Pifer and Laura Posadas, students at John Kerr Elementary School, won a second place silver medal for their video created as a project in Ms. Kelly Carey’s class. Sarah Dunn and Kadan Jones, students at John Kerr Elementary School, won a third place bronze medal for their video created as a project in Ms. Kelly Carey’s class. Heaven Cannady, a student at G. H. Reid Elementary School, Richmond, won a third place bronze medal for her video.
John Kerr Elementary School also won the Participation Award plaque as the school with the most entries.
The location for the March 2016 Literacy Explosion has not been determined. For details on competing in the next year’s event, check out VATE’s website in October 2015: https://vate.org. All Virginia students in grades K-12 are invited to participate in this opportunity to share their language arts talents and abilities.
