LIBR 265-01
Materials for Young Adults
Fall 2010 Greensheet

Jonathan Hunt
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Greensheet Links
Textbooks and Readings
Course Requirements
Resources
ANGEL
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ANGEL Information: The enrollment code for this course will be distributed to all students the first day of the semester via MySJSU messaging.

Course Description

This course will allow students to take an in depth look at materials in a variety of formats for teens, including fiction, popular nonfiction, graphic novels, movies, computer games, websites, other media, and determine how they can meet developmental needs.

Course Prerequisites: LIBR 200 required.

Course Objectives

Student Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the external (societal) and internal (developmental) forces which influence teens' choices of recreational and informational sources and materials,
  • Evaluate selection tools, and use appropriate resources to develop a collection of materials for older teens, including all appropriate formats, print, nonprint, computer software, music, etc.
  • Critically examine representative materials designed for older teens, including print and nonprint formats, books, graphic novels, television, movies, music, and a wide variety of computer software, including social networking software, and apply criteria to evaluate them in relation to developmental needs, multicultural concerns, and meeting the informational and recreational needs of this age group,
  • Create an appropriate materials collection for older teens, including print and nonprint materials and a variety of the digital resources currently available for this age group,
  • Exhibit knowledge of published resources about print and nonprint materials for older teens, such as reference materials, selection tools, and web sites,
  • Assist parents and caregivers with questions about appropriate materials for their older teen children.List student learning outcomes for this course.

LIBR 265 supports the following MLIS Core Competencies:

  • articulate the ethics, values and foundational principles of library and information professionals and their role in the promotion of intellectual freedom;
  • compare the environments and organizational settings in which library and information professionals practice;
  • recognize the social, cultural and economic dimensions of information use;
  • use the basic concepts and principles related to the creation, evaluation, selection, acquisition, preservation and organization of specific items or collections of information;
  • describe the fundamental concepts of information-seeking behaviors.

Course Requirements

Course Discussions
Students will respond to questions about the weekly readings in discussion forums on the Angel website. Class participation points are based on these responses and account for 30% of the grade. Responses must be posted in a timely fashion (i.e. within the week of the discussion) and must contain a thoughtful, articulate response to both the readings and the contribution of other class members.

Course Lectures
Occasional lectures are intended to enhance the discussion topics and/or preview upcoming assignments. They will be previously recorded in Elluminate and archived for the viewing convenience of students.

Assignments

  • Assignment 1: Selection Tool Reviews
    Peruse the following selections tools--Booklist, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Horn Book, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and Voice of Youth Advocates--and write a one page summary of your opinion of the strengths and weaknesses of several of these publications. Then choose five books to read, and write a 200-word review for each one that addresses both its literary elements.
  • Assignment 2: Readalike Bibliography
    Choose a popular young adult material (book, film, music, game) and create an annotated bibliography of ten items that will serve as a reader's advisory tool. For example, if you chose Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, then you would want to recommend ten books (or some combination of media--film, music, game, etc.) that might appeal to the same audience. Preface the bibliography with an introduction that explains several ways you might use the bibliography in a practical situation (e.g. bookmark, booktalks, display, etc.).
  • Assignment 3: Digital Resources
    Select at least three items from each of these categories (for a total of ten): websites, databases, and video games. Evaluate them and write 200-word reviews for each. Visit a school or public library to observe teenagers using some of these digital resources (talk with them, if possible), and write a one page summary of your observations.
  • Assignment 4: Thematic Bibliography
    Choose a topic (e.g. World War II, the Holocaust, the Civil Rights Movement) and then create an annotated bibliography of ten books (fiction, nonfiction), recordings (book or music), databases, or films to complement it.
  • Assignment 5: Reading Journal
    Select and read 50 print items (not websites or databases), video recordings (DVDs), audio recordings (CDs), video games, or television shows.  These items should be spread out among the various genres that are discussed in class. Your entry for each item should include a bibliographic citation, a brief description, notable awards and honors, your personal opinion, and programming/lesson ideas. These items should be different from the books included in previous assignments, and should be items you have not read before, either for your own pleasure or for other classes. This is a survey class and the intention of this assignment is to expose you to a wide variety of materials. The Angel website will have tips and strategies for managing this large reading load.

Course Calendar

  • Assignment 1: Due Thursday, September 16 by 11:59 pm.
  • Assignment 2: Due Thursday, October 7 by 11:59 pm.
  • Assignment 3: Due Thursday, October 28 by 11:59 pm.
  • Assignment 4: Due Thursday, November 18 by 11:59 pm.
  • Assignment 5: Due Thursday, December 9 by 11:59 pm.

Course Grading
The final grade is weighted in the following manner.

  • 30% is based on Assignment 5 (Reading Journal).
  • 30% is based on Class Participation (Discussions and Lectures).
  • 10% is based on Assignment 1 (Selection Tool Reviews).
  • 10% is based on Assignment 2 (Readalike Bibliography).
  • 10% is based on Assignment 3 (Digital Resources).
  • 10% is based on Assignment 4 (Thematic Bibliography).
  • Late work is penalized one full letter grade and only accepted by prior consent of the instructor before the due date.
  • No extra credit is available.

Textbooks and Readings

Required Readings
Students will read several articles per week in lieu of textbook chapters. These articles will be available on the Angel website and through the King Library databases.  The schedule of these readings will be found on the Angel website.

Recommended Textbooks

  • Anderson, S. (2004). Serving Older Teens. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
  • Cole, P.B. (2009). Young Adult Literature in the 21st Century. New York: McGraw Hill/Higher Education.

No Textbooks For This Course



Grading Scale

The standard SJSU School of Information Grading Scale is utilized for all iSchool courses:

97 to 100 A
94 to 96 A minus
91 to 93 B plus
88 to 90 B
85 to 87 B minus
82 to 84 C plus
79 to 81 C
76 to 78 C minus
73 to 75 D plus
70 to 72 D
67 to 69 D minus
Below 67 F

 

In order to provide consistent guidelines for assessment for graduate level work in the School, these terms are applied to letter grades:

  • C represents Adequate work; a grade of "C" counts for credit for the course;
  • B represents Good work; a grade of "B" clearly meets the standards for graduate level work;
    For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA) — INFO 200, INFO 202, INFO 204 — the iSchool requires that students earn a B in the course. If the grade is less than B (B- or lower) after the first attempt you will be placed on administrative probation.  You must repeat the class the following semester. If -on the second attempt- you do not pass the class with a grade of B or better (not B- but B) you will be disqualified.
  • A represents Exceptional work; a grade of "A" will be assigned for outstanding work only.

Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).

University Policies

General Expectations, Rights and Responsibilities of the Student

As members of the academic community, students accept both the rights and responsibilities incumbent upon all members of the institution. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with SJSU's policies and practices pertaining to the procedures to follow if and when questions or concerns about a class arises. See University Policy S90-5 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S90-5.pdf. More detailed information on a variety of related topics is available in the SJSU catalog at http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/catalog/departments/LIS.html. In general, it is recommended that students begin by seeking clarification or discussing concerns with their instructor. If such conversation is not possible, or if it does not serve to address the issue, it is recommended that the student contact the Department Chair as a next step.

Dropping and Adding

Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop, grade forgiveness, etc. Refer to the current semester's Catalog Policies section at http://info.sjsu.edu/static/catalog/policies.html. Add/drop deadlines can be found on the current academic year calendars document on the Academic Calendars webpage at http://www.sjsu.edu/provost/services/academic_calendars/. The Late Drop Policy is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/policy/. Students should be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for dropping classes.

Information about the latest changes and news is available at the Advising Hub at http://www.sjsu.edu/advising/.

Consent for Recording of Class and Public Sharing of Instructor Material

University Policy S12-7, http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S12-7.pdf, requires students to obtain instructor's permission to record the course and the following items to be included in the syllabus:

  • "Common courtesy and professional behavior dictate that you notify someone when you are recording him/her. You must obtain the instructor's permission to make audio or video recordings in this class. Such permission allows the recordings to be used for your private, study purposes only. The recordings are the intellectual property of the instructor; you have not been given any rights to reproduce or distribute the material."
    • It is suggested that the syllabus include the instructor's process for granting permission, whether in writing or orally and whether for the whole semester or on a class by class basis.
    • In classes where active participation of students or guests may be on the recording, permission of those students or guests should be obtained as well.
  • "Course material developed by the instructor is the intellectual property of the instructor and cannot be shared publicly without his/her approval. You may not publicly share or upload instructor generated material for this course such as exam questions, lecture notes, or homework solutions without instructor consent."

Academic integrity

Your commitment, as a student, to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University. The University Academic Integrity Policy F15-7 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/F15-7.pdf requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The Student Conduct and Ethical Development website is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/studentconduct/.

Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 at http://www.sjsu.edu/president/docs/directives/PD_1997-03.pdf requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the Accessible Education Center (AEC) at http://www.sjsu.edu/aec to establish a record of their disability.

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