Developmental Reading Midterm Spotlight (11th Grade)
At Bellefonte Area High School, students in Mrs. Sharon Kolivoski’s 11th grade Developmental Reading Class showcased their learning through a creative midterm project that combined choice, creativity, and peer engagement. According to Mrs. Kolivoski, she states, “I knew I did not want to administer another traditional test; instead, I wanted a hands-on, engaging project that allowed students to create meaningful work and share it with their peers.” Some of Mrs. Kolivoski’s students have anxiety about sharing in front of a larger group, so this was a great opportunity for them to share something they created in a small group setting and to gain confidence with those presentation skills.
Each student selected an independent reading book from the second quarter and chose their favorite book to highlight through a Google Slides presentation and a handmade poster. Emphasizing student choice, this project allowed learners to explore books that matched their interests while expressing their understanding in creative ways. This project also combined both digital and literal “hands-on” learning experiences that made the creation process even more engaging for the students.
Students proudly presented their work to the class, sharing summaries, themes, and personal connections—often inspiring classmates to add new titles to their own reading lists. “I shared an example of the Google Slides I made as an example for the latest book I read and the project I created. The students were interested in reading the book I read, so it was then that I knew this could be very powerful” reflected Mrs. Kolivoski.
Mrs. Kolvisoki continued her thought, “I’m learning in my Masters of Literacy classes that provide student-led activities allow students to develop their ideas independently and share their learning with peers is a powerful way to build engagement, confidence, and a genuine interest in reading.” In this day in age, project based learning is key to every student’s learning style. Gone are the days of endless note taking and test taking. Students need to be directly involved in their learning and mastery to comprehend and apply the topics of knowledge being taught. This midterm project did just that and celebrated students' reading motivation, creativity, and the power of peer recommendations.
These high school students were given the chance to explore reading; utilize Google Productivity Tools (Google Slides); draw, cut, and paste to create a poster; and then practice their presentation skills in a smaller group setting - all in one project. This project gave the students an opportunity to grow both cognitively and creatively. Great job to Mrs. Koliviski and her students on the completion of an excellent midterm project.
