LIBR 265-01
LIBR 265-10
Materials for Young Adults
Summer 2013 Greensheet

Professor Beth Wrenn-Estes, Lecturer
E-mail
Cell Phone – 510-410-1959
Office Hours: By Appointment

THE D2L SITE AND COURSE GREENSHEET/SYLLABUS

This course will be available on d2L by June 4, 2013. You will be automatically enrolled into the site. I will send more information about course access through MySJSU as we approach the first day of class.

Visit the d2L class site often for course updates, resources, announcements, and other relevant information. Students are responsible to know the content on the d2L course site and Greensheet/Syllabus. It is also the student’s responsibility to ask questions and express concerns as quickly so that the instructor can provide an answer/response immediately.

DISCLAIMER

The instructor makes every effort to proofread the Greensheet/Syllabus and the d2L Course Site but errors can occur. Please contact the instructor with any errors you see or any questions or may have.

Course Description

This course will allow students to take an in depth look at materials in a variety of formats for teens ages 15-18, including fiction, popular nonfiction, graphic novels, movies, computer games, websites, other media, and determine how they can meet developmental needs.

Course Requirement

d2L Course Site
You are expected to check into the d2L course site at least once, if not twice, per day. The instructor expects that you will promptly answer emails and keep up with additional postings and information put on the site.

Questions, Comments, Concerns- Discussion Thread
Please post all questions, concerns, and general comments on the discussion thread under Content/Discussion Threads on the d2L class site. If the question or concern is of a personal nature send directly to the instructor’s email address (bwestes@mac.com).

It is your responsibility to ask questions and express concerns you have about assignments or other materials provided for the class. The Greensheet/Syllabus and the class site in tandem provide you with as much information as possible but if you need clarification please do not hesitate to ask.

Disclaimer:
The instructor reserves the right to assign additional readings on the weekly outlines. Additional readings will be assigned no less than 10 days out from the week the readings are to be read.

Lectures
All lectures are posted under Weekly Outlines/Lectures and include the URL to access the lecture. Lectures may have been recorded during an earlier semester but are still relevant for the present semester.

BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE SESSIONS – Mandatory

• Week 4 – Wednesday, June 26^th (7 points)
  Discussion of The Fault In Our Stars (Green)
  6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific
  Session is Mandatory
  Discussion Questions will be sent out to class by June 17th.
• Week 6 – Wednesday, July 10th (7 points)
  Hope In Patience (Beth Fehlbaum, author, will be joining us)
  6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific
  Session is Mandatory
  Questions for the author will be due to the instructor by July 7^th.
• Week 9– Wednesday, July 31st (15 points)
  GROUP PRESENTATIONS (Genre-Author Studies)
  6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific
  Session is Mandatory

SLIS Competencies: A,F,I,M
Course Objectives: 1, 4, 5, 6

BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE SESSIONS – Optional
The instructor may schedule additional Blackboard Collaborate sessions but these, if held, will be optional and available through the Blackboard Collaborate archives or as lectures on the SLIS server. The instructor will let you know if and when scheduled and how to access.

GRADING
Rounding – The instructor does not round points to the next whole number. If you receive an 89.6 you will get the grade equivalent for those points.

Grading Rubric/Individual Assignment Evaluation Forms
The rubric for written assignments and the instructor individual assignment/student evaluation forms are located under Contents on the d2L course site.

POINT ALLOCATION BY ASSIGNMENT

NOTE: The instructor reserves the right to deduct points for any work not done on time for example missing a Blackboard Collaborate session and/or not participating in discussion threads,etc.

E-mail Subject Lines/Naming of Assignment Files - MANDATORY

• Format for subject line for all email correspondence:
  LIBR 265_YOUR LAST NAME (Example LIBR 265_WrennEstes)
• Format the file name for all of your assignments:
  LIBR 265_YOUR LAST NAME_KEYWORD OF ASSIGNMENT TITLE (Ex: LIBR265_WrennEstes_GenreAuthor)

E-mail Response Time
Instructor normally answers email on a regular basis throughout the day and evenings.
The “policy” for responding to email is: 24-hours from receipt of the email by the instructor.
The instructor will inform the class if a longer response time is needed (instructor out of town, illness, etc.)

Crisis or Emergency
Please call the instructor if a situation will prevent you from doing assignments, Blackboard Collaborate sessions and discussion threads. You will receive a zero for any course work missed unless you have received permission from the instructor for an extension. The instructor reserves the right to deduct points (the number of which is determined by the instructor) for any work not done on time, missed Blackboard Collaborate sessions or non-participation in discussion threads. Instructor’s cell phone number is 510-410-1959 (pacific time zone).

Course Calendar
Subject to change with fair notice.

Technology Requirements
You will need a high-speed connection (DSL, cable, etc.) to successfully participate in this class. Please see the Technology Requirements and Instructions for Success handout.

SOTES
Students evaluate the course and instructor at the end of each term. An announcement will go out from the administration to let students/faculty know when they open for input. Those completing the SOTES, and informing me of doing so, will receive 1 point. The importance of SOTES are very easy to describe – it is the student’s voice to the administration and the instructor and it is so very important to improving courses and instruction.

DISCUSSION THREADS - MANDATORY
NOTE: The instructor will act as a facilitator for the forum. Students are expected to contribute to the forum and to keep the discussion moving throughout the designated time frame. The instructor may comment from time-to-time but the expectation is that the discussion is student driven.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU CHECK THE NUMBER OF TIMES YOU MUST POST TO EACH DISCUSSION THREAD – THE NUMBER OF POSTS DIFFERS FROM ONE TO THE OTHER.

• Discussion 1 - Week 1 (0 pts)
  June 4-9
  Introductions – Introduce yourself – tell us a little about yourself including how far into the program you are. (1 post per student due by 5 p.m. on June 9^th)
• Discussion 2 - Week 4 (4 pts)
  June 24 - 30
  Discuss the brain articles and readings assigned. 5 points (4 posts per student)
  
  The first post addresses the topic of the thread and includes your insights and opinions on the topic and references to your readings and our discussions. You need to create a short bib indicating what resources you are using in your post. The 1st substantial post must be on the thread by midnight Tuesday (June 25). The 2nd substantial post must be on the site by midnight, Thursday (June 27). You are required to post two additional posts commenting/answering/questioning classmate’s posts. These two posts must be done by midnight, Saturday, June 29^th. The thread will officially close on Sunday, June 30^th at 5 p.m. PST. Please post more than the minimum – keep the discussion going.
• Discussion 3 - Week 5 (7 pts)
  July 1 to July 7
  Pink will be discussed via the discussion thread. The instructor will provide discussion thread question(s) in advance of the thread start date. (5 posts per student)
  
  Class will be divided into discussion groups by the instructor and will only post to the group you are assigned to. Posts are required M, T, W, TH and Friday of the discussion thread by midnight. You are encouraged to post more than the maximum. The thread will officially close on Sunday, July 7^th at 5 p.m. PST.
• Discussion 4 - Week 7 (4 pts)
  July 15 – July 21
  Discuss the value of controversial literature for young adults. The instructor will post a question to get the discussion going in advance of the thread start.  (3 posts per student)
  
  The first post addresses the topic of the thread and includes your insights and opinions on the topic and references to your readings and our discussions. You need to create a short bib indicating what resources you are using in your post. The substantial post must be on the thread by midnight (Tuesday, July 16). The second post must be a response to one of you classmates and this post must be on the thread by Thursday, July 18^th and the final post to one of your classmates must be posted by 5 p.m. – Sunday, July 21st.
• Discussion 5- Week 8 (7 pts)
  July 22 to July 28
  Little Brother will be discussed via the discussion thread. The instructor will provide discussion thread question(s) in advance of the thread start date. (5 posts per student) COPY OF LITTLE BROTHER IS FREE FROM craphound.com
  
  Class will be divided into discussion groups by the instructor and will only post to the group you are assigned to. Posts are required M, T, W, TH and Friday of the discussion thread by midnight. You are encouraged to post more than the maximum. The thread will officially close on Sunday, July 28^th at 5 p.m. PST.
• Discussion 6- Week 10 (4 pts)
  August 5  - August 10
  Intellectual Freedom (IF)/Censorship
  
  Base your posts on your feelings and observations from the readings (both print and web based) and the LaRue lecture. Discuss the different Intellectual Freedom/Censorship issues in school libraries versus those found in the public library setting. Focus your comments on adolescent materials you’ve read and experiences with youth this semester. (3 posts per student)
  
  The first post addresses the topic of the thread and includes your insights and opinions on the topic and references to your readings and our discussions. You need to create a short bib indicating what resources you are using in your post. The first substantial post must be on the thread by midnight Monday, August 5th. The second substantial post must be on the thread by midnight, Wednesday, August 7th and two posts responding to classmate’s posts must be on the thread by FRIDAY, August 9^th, 5 p.m.

DISCUSSION PARTICIPATION
Remember that additional posts are welcomed and encouraged and participation is an important part of the distance learning environment and exhibits behavior that goes beyond just the required participation level and into the “Exceptional” level of effort.

WEEKLY OUTLINES

WEEK 1 – JUNE 4- JUNE 9

Discussion 1 (0 pts)
Introductions – Introduce yourself – tell us a little about yourself including how far into the program you are. (1 post per student due by 5 p.m. on June 9^th)

Lecture
Introduction to Class – Instructor Lecture (Listen by June 9^th)

Readings
Listed websites and articles – check Weekly Outline for Week 1 for links

In Textbooks

• Goodstein, Introduction and Chapter 1
• Cart, Part 1, Chapters 1,2,3

Tasks
Complete Google Doc indicating what genre/author group you want to be in. Link will be under Weekly Outline for Week 1. Deadline to sign up will be June 9th

Weekly Topics
Young Adult Materials/Literature, Adolescent Characteristics and explanation of the class assignment and expectations. 

WEEK 2 – JUNE 10 – JUNE 16

Discussion Thread - None

Readings
Listed websites and articles – check Weekly Outline for Week 2 for links

In Textbooks

• Goodstein, Chapter 2,3
• Cart, Part 1, Chapter 4,5

Lecture

• Genre Part 1 (URL)
• Written Transcript - Genre 1 (HTML)

Tasks
Each group decides on who facilitator is. Facilitator name and group # to instructor by Friday, June 14^th (email).

Weekly Topics
Teenage brain and emotional development, the young adult reader, trends and issues in young adult literature

WEEK 3 – JUNE 17 – JUNE 23

Discussion Thread - None

Readings
Listed websites and articles – check Weekly Outline for Week 3 for links

In Textbooks

• Young Adult and Multimedia - Introduction and Section I

Lectures

• Genre Part 2 (URL)
  Written Transcript - Genre 2 (HTML)
• Genre Part 3 (URL)
  Written Transcript - Genre 3 (HTML)
• Controversial Literature (URL) (mp3 only and will say "welcome to lecture 2" - ignore and continue to listen)
• YA Authors and Librarians as Trusted Adults for Disconnected Teens – part of the Spring 2011 SLIS Colloquia Series. Listen by June 23rd

Weekly Topics
Teenage brain and emotional development, YALSA site, more background on YA genres especially controversial lit.

WEEK 4 – JUNE 24 – JUNE 30

Discussion 2 - Week 4 (4 pts)
Discuss the brain articles and readings assigned. 5 points (4 posts per student)

The first post addresses the topic of the thread and includes your insights and opinions on the topic and references to your readings and our discussions. You need to create a short bib indicating what resources you are using in your post. The 1st substantial post must be on the thread by midnight Tuesday (June 25). The 2nd substantial post must be on the site by midnight, Thursday (June 27). You are required to post two additional posts commenting/answering/questioning classmate’s posts. These two posts must be done by midnight, Saturday, June 29^th. The thread will officially close on Sunday, June 30^th at 5 p.m. PST. Please post more than the minimum – keep the discussion going.

ELLUMINATE Session - Mandatory
Wednesday, June 26^th (7 points)
Discussion of The Fault In Our Stars (Green)
6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific
Session is Mandatory
Discussion Questions will be sent out to class by June 17th.

Readings
Listed websites and articles – check Weekly Outline for Week 4 for links

In Textbooks

• Goodstein, Chapters 4,5
• Cart, Part 2, Chapters 6,7

Lectures

• Selection Tools_ Collection Development_ Writing Reviews
• Reader's Advisory
• Rationales and Creating First Defense File

Weekly Topics
Serving Older Teens, Internet bullying, Parental controls and responsibilities, Intro to Selection Tools, Reader’s Advisory

WEEK 5 – JULY 1- JULY 7 (4^th is a holiday)

Discussion 3 - Week 5 (7 pts)
Pink will be discussed via the discussion thread. The instructor will provide discussion thread question(s) in advance of the thread start date. (5 posts per student)

Class will be divided into discussion groups by the instructor and will only post to the group you are assigned to. Posts are required M, T, W, TH and Friday of the discussion thread by midnight. You are encouraged to post more than the maximum. The thread will officially close on Sunday, July 7^th at 5 p.m. PST.

Readings
Listed websites and articles – check Weekly Outline for Week 5 for links

• Listen to Booktalks – Under Weekly Outline 5

In Textbooks

• Cart, Part 2, Chapters 8, 9
• Young Adult Literature and Multimedia – Section II, Part A

Lecture
Author Visit from Spring 2011 with Cynthia Leitich-Smith, author of Tantalize

Task
3 sample blog entries (WORD format) due to instructor by midnight, Saturday, July 6^th. Use dropbox.

Weekly Topics
BookTalking, Alternative Formats - Reading Interests of Older Teens

WEEK 6 – JULY 8 - JULY 14

Discussion Thread - None

Readings
Listed websites and articles – check Weekly Outline for Week 6 for links

In Textbooks

• Anderson, Chapters 3,5
• Cart, Part 2, Chapters 9, 10
• Young Adult Literature and Multimedia – Section II, Part B

ELLUMINATE SESSION – Mandatory
WEDNESDAY, JULY 10th
Discussion of Hope In Patience (Author Beth Fehlbaum will be joining us)
6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific
Session is Mandatory 

Weekly Topics
Genres – Realistic Fiction/Issues and Contemporary Life, Romance – Humor – Sports, Reader's Advisory 

WEEK 7 – JULY 15 – JULY 21 

Discussion 4 - Week 7 (4 pts)
Discuss the value of controversial literature for young adults. The instructor will post a question to get the discussion going in advance of the thread start.  (3 posts per student)

The first post addresses the topic of the thread and includes your insights and opinions on the topic and references to your readings and our discussions. You need to create a short bib indicating what resources you are using in your post. The substantial post must be on the thread by midnight (Tuesday, July 16). The second post must be a response to one of you classmates and this post must be on the thread by Thursday, July 18^th and the final post to one of your classmates must be posted by 5 p.m. – Sunday, July 21st.

Readings
Listed websites and articles – check Weekly Outline for Week 7 for links

In Textbooks

• Goodstein, Chapter 6,7
• Cart, Part 2, Chapter 11
• Young Adult Literature and Multimedia – Section II, Part C

Lecture

• Jack Baur lecture on Graphic Novels/Comics from spring semester 2011

Assignment Due:
Digital Resource Paper by midnight, Friday, July 19th
Dropbox

Critical Writing (Link)
Digital Resources Paper Evaluation Form

Weekly Topics
Selection Tools and Collection Development, Writing Reviews, Booktalking, Genres  

WEEK 8 – JULY 22 – JULY 28

Discussion 5- Week 8 (7 pts)
Little Brother will be discussed via the discussion thread. The instructor will provide discussion thread question(s) in advance of the thread start date. (5 posts per student)

Class will be divided into discussion groups by the instructor and will only post to the group you are assigned to. Posts are required M, T, W, TH and Friday of the discussion thread by midnight. You are encouraged to post more than the maximum. The thread will officially close on Sunday, July 28th at 5 p.m. PST.

Readings
Listed websites and articles – check Weekly Outline for Week 8 for links

In Textbooks

• Cart, Part 2, Chapters 11,12
• Young Adult Literature and Multimedia – Section III

Task
Outlines for group presentations are due to the instructor July 24th (midnight) via dropbox.

Weekly Topics
Genre - Fantasy/Science Fiction, Non-print collections, YA Lit-History

WEEK 9 – JULY 29 – AUGUST 4

Discussion Thread - None

Readings
Listed websites and articles – check Weekly Outline for Week 9 for links

In Textbooks

• Cart, Part 2, Chapters 13, 14

Lectures

• Interview with Jamie LaRue
  http://amazon.sjsu.edu/html-bwestes/JamiePart1-1.mp3Part 1 (mp3)
  http://amazon.sjsu.edu/html-bwestes/JamiePart2-2.mp3Part 2 (mp3)
• Censorship In Schools (mp3)
  http://amazon.sjsu.edu/html-bwestes/CensorshipinSchools.mp3

ELLUMINATE SESSION – Mandatory
WEDNESDAY, JULY 31st
Genre/Author Study – Group Presentations
6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific
Session is Mandatory

Weekly Topics
Genres - Graphic Novels/Manga, Short Stories, Poetry, Drama, Non-fiction, Autobiographies, Biographies, and adolescent alienation, the future of YA, Marketing and Fiction

WEEK 10 – AUGUST 5 – AUGUST 10th

Discussion 6- Week 10 (4 pts)
Base your posts on your feelings and observations from the readings (both print and web based) and the LaRue lecture. Discuss the different Intellectual Freedom/Censorship issues in school libraries versus those found in the public library setting. Focus your comments on adolescent materials you’ve read and experiences with youth this semester. (3 posts per student)

The first post addresses the topic of the thread and includes your insights and opinions on the topic and references to your readings and our discussions. You need to create a short bib indicating what resources you are using in your post. The first substantial post must be on the thread by midnight Monday, August 5th. The second substantial post must be on the thread by midnight, Wednesday, August 7th and two posts responding to classmate’s posts must be on the thread by FRIDAY, August 9^th, 5 p.m.

Readings
Listed websites and articles – check Weekly Outline for Week 10 for links

Lecture – None

Assignment Due
Database/Blog Project (30 points)  AUGUST 10^th Saturday (midnight pacific). Please send instructor URL address as well as post URL on the proved discussion thread so your classmates may access your blog.

Weekly Topics: Intellectual Freedom and YA Materials ,Genres - Multicultural, Alternative, Christian Fiction, GLBT, Finish Database/Blog

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF ASSIGNMENTS

DIGITAL RESOURCES PAPER with JOURNAL Appendix
DUE JULY 19TH (by midnight)
WORTH 14 points

FORMAT: Electronic Document (Word preferred) – Research Paper

DESCRIPTION
The research paper (BODY) must include:

• An Introduction
• An Interview/Observation Overview (include the questions you asked (with a list of the specific questions), observation and conclusions – do not include your journal entries – you should be looking at overall impressions and synopsis of the interviews and observations you did/had).
• A Critical analysis and description of the technology you observed and the technology you discovered beyond your observations through additional research into the topic. You should spend a minimum of 2 hours researching and trying out digital resources used by older teens. See definitions of critical analysis under Content – Assignments on the d2L site
• A Discussion (in detail) about the trends you see in digital resource use by older teens.
• A Conclusion (synthesis of all parts of your paper)
• A Reference Page(s) (there are no excuses for not having references for this assignment).

APPENDICES

• The Journal required as an appendix at the end of your paper AFTER the reference page.

Interview/Observation

• Observe OLDER teens wherever you can find them (malls, coffee shops, your neighborhood, libraries, friends, etc).
• Observe/Interview for a minimum of 1-2 hours.
• Students may observe your own children if they are the age we are studying this semester or your children’s friends.
• Interview at least two teens as part of this assignment. The questions must elicit answers that will be relevant to the subject of the assignment – using digital resources. Teens must be in the age group we are studying (15-18 years of age).
• You may have to try more than one location to find teens to observe and interview.

Length of Paper (20 pages MAXIMUM, including title and reference pages and the appendices; normal paper length is around 15 pages)

1. Body of your paper (see the required elements listed above). 8-10 pages double-spaced – write clearly and concisely in academic/research style.
   
   Reference page must be APA style.
2. Journal – a detailed record of where, when and what you observed in journal format. Journal is single-spaced. Page lengths of journals are normally 3-5 pages. Include as an appendices.
   
   Example:  Date and Place of Observation
   
   Length of observation time
   
   What was observed (in full sentences and grammatically correct

WRITING STANDARDS
Students will produce assignments that meet writing and research standards appropriate for students in a Master’s program of study. It is critical to proofread your work before turning it in. Graduate level writing standards do not tolerate spelling or grammatical errors of any kind. Students are encouraged to refer to a writing handbook - Strunk and White’s Elements of Style for example. APA is mandated for citations included within the text of the paper and reference/bib page(s). See class rubric under Content on the d2L class site for description of criteria/expectations for each grade level.

SPELLING AND GRAMMAR ERRORS
I may not read your entire paper for spelling and grammar mistakes; if, in my opinion, your paper or database contains too many I will reduce your points substantially stop grading your paper for mechanics and will go on for content and other elements that are required in the assignment.

Digital Resources Research Paper MUST include:

• Cover/Title page (name, course name and section number, school name, date, instructor’s name. Title should be what the Instructor has named the assignment. The title you have created for the assignment may be used as a secondary title.
• Page Numbers (except on the Title Page).
• Name of assignment on each page (other than the cover page) and use the Instructor’s name for the assignment not any you have created.
• Reference Page/Works Cited in full accordance with APA formatting
• Citations/Quotes in the body of the paper need to be formatted according to APA rules.
• Journal must be written in complete sentences and no use of abbreviations or acronyms without clarification of what the letters stand for.
• Spelling, grammar, and syntactical errors are not tolerated.

Plagiarism
Zero Tolerance

DISCLAIMER - EXAMPLES OF ASSIGNMENT:  There are examples of the assignment under Content on the d2L class site but these are from previous semesters and the requirements or format of the assignment may have changed. The examples are provided as a guideline not necessarily what the present semester assignment requires.

SLIS Competencies: F,I,M
Course Objectives: 1, 3, 5

GROUP PRESENTATION – GENRE/AUTHOR STUDY
BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE SESSION - JULY 31st
WORTH - 15 pts.

FORMAT: Blackboard Collaborate Presentation

BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE PRESENTATION DATE
Wednesday, July 31st
GROUP PRESENTATIONS (Genre-Author Studies)
6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific

GROUP ASSIGNMENTS (Clarification – once the semester starts and the instructor knows the final student count in the class the length of the presentation will be determined and announced).  

The instructor will choose the Genres that groups may choose from. Students will be allowed to sign up for the group they want to first-come/first-served. You must sign up via the Google Doc by the end of Week 1. The instructor will ask each group to designate a “group contact person”. The group contact person will be the point of contact with the instructor for the group. The “group contact person” also communicates with the Blackboard Collaborate assistant. Having one person designated as the contact helps eliminate multiple emails and allows a smoother communication process throughout the assignment. This person is not responsible to organize the group – each member of the group has to take the responsibility on to work (communicate) with the group on a regular basis. Group facilitator name is due to the instructor by the end of Week 2.

Each group will have a discussion thread created for their group to use on the class d2L site for communication between members of the group. Groups may use other means to communicate, organize other than the d2L discussion thread.

PARTICIPATION IN GROUP
Each group member must participate fully in the research for the presentation and the presentation itself. The group leader will provide the instructor with an outline of the presentation content and what member is assigned to each of those content areas.

Groups will present their findings to the class during the Blackboard Collaborate session scheduled for the presentations.(see below). The group will be graded as a whole not as individual members. It is critical that the group produce a team effort on the assignment. The instructor may reduce points on an individual who is found not participating on the same level as the other group members.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF PRESENTATION
Each group must use presentation software compatible with Blackboard Collaborate to create an informative and creative look at the genre. Elements in past presentations have included Powerpoint slides, desktop sharing, video links including videotaping individual group member presentations; music and many past presentations included all of these elements.

The Presentation must include the following: All information should be submitted together not separately. In other words if the group creates a PowerPoint everything in the presentation is included in the PowerPoint even if at the end as additional resources or information. The intent is not to have documents for the presentation in multiple formats and places.

• What is the genre’s history in young adult literature
• YA authors best known in the genre and some bibliographic information about each of those authors – choose only those that are best known due to time limitations for presentations.
• Examples of titles within the genre – a list of top titles and brief synopsis about each of them – again watch the number due time restrictions. You can include a bibliography as part of your presentation that includes more titles but that you don’t cover during the actual presentation time.
• Summary – a synthesis of what conclusions the group’s research has brought forward about the genre.

The technical elements for what will be used to create the presentation must be discussed with our Blackboard Collaborate Assistant to insure that what the group is planning will work on Blackboard Collaborate. Each group is encouraged to practice their presentations in advance so that no technical issues arise on presentation night.

OUTLINE
The group will create an outline of the presentation in skeletal format. The outline needs to include the name of the person researching the different topics and/or presenting the topic during the presentation. This outline is intended to allow the instructor to see how research work was allocated and indicate who is responsible to present each area of content during the presentation. Outlines (brief or skeletal in nature) are due to the instructor July 24th (midnight) to dropbox.

Getting full-points for the assignment:
Make sure that your presentation includes all of the required content areas. Full points will only be awarded to “exceptional” work. Exceptional work goes above the stated requirements and pays strict attention to all details of the assignment meeting and exceeding the elements of “good” presentations and pushes the group’s effort into the realm of exceptional presentations.

SLIS Competencies: A,F,M
Course Objectives: 2, 3, 4, 5

YOUNG ADULT MATERIALS RESEARCH/BLOG PROJECT
DUE AUGUST 10th (by midnight)
WORTH 30 POINTS 

FORMAT: Blog (Academic Style – replaces paper but uses the Blog format to allow more creativity with embedded links, photos, etc. – Writing style must be in the academic style not the informal tone that most blogs take.)

DESCRIPTION
You must create a blog for this assignment. Choose the blog creation software carefully. Start the blog creation early in the semester (first weeks). Warning: START EARLY on this assignment. Poor planning on your part does not necessitate an extension beyond the due date on mine. This assignment is worth 30% of your grade.

Students in past classes have used the following (there may be others):

• Live Journal (livejournal.com)
• Blogger (blogger.com
• Blogspot (blogspot.com)
• Weebly (weebly.com)
• Word Press (wordpress.com)

Please review criteria for this assignment described in the list below and make sure you follow the directions and understand the assignment. This research project must include all types of materials for teens aged 15-18.

SAMPLE BLOG ENTRIES
In order to make sure that you are all on the right track turn in three blog entries for a look-see to the instructor. The three entries must be in Word format and turned into the dropbox by no later than midnight, Saturday, July 6^th. Please do not send link to your blog. This is not a graded assignment.

COMPOSITION: 50 items/entries are required (mandatory) for your project (the instructor assumes students will read, watch, play, or listen to each of the titles/material selected for inclusion in the project). These materials are directly tied to the library collection and should be considered “acquired” by the library. An example – if you include games that are provided free on the Internet the library is supplying the computer and the Internet access not the game. You would not include games that are free on the library computers. If the library provides games for checkout-loaded to computers in the library-related to a program then the library is providing that material. Ask if you need further clarification on any “materials”.

MAXIMUMS/CLARIFICATIONS

YOU MAY NOT BUILD A DATABASE MADE UP ENTIRELY OF BOOKS

DIVERSITY OF MATERIALS IS THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL COLLECTION

These are just a few of the materials that have needed clarification in the past. The list below does not include all material types that you may want to include. If you have other questions please post to the discussion thread provided for questions and/or concerns.

These are the maximums of materials that you can include in your blog/database project:

MATERIALS – must be appropriately focused on 15-18 (older teens) and materials that you would see in a library setting (public or school).

• Adult Titles - "cross-overs" for teens aged 15-18 – Up to 5
• Single Series (Example Harry Potter) – No more than 2 books in an individual series. You can have more than one series in the database but remember that you want to include a diverse collection so don’t include more than 3-4 series (2 titles from each series is allowed).
• Individual Author – Up to 3 titles by an author is suggested – again you are to provide a diverse look at materials not just materials by one or two specific authors.
• Individual Genre –  Be careful to include as many genres/sub-genres as you can. The database is to be representative of what materials are available to older teens.
• Games  - Up to 3 games (Games that are found free on the Internet are not supplied by the Library. Games purchased by the library are the types of games you should consider for inclusion in your database).
• Subscription databases like Proquest or Britannica Online, etc. to teens aged 15-18 (Facebook, MySpace, etc. are not “provided” by the Library. They are available free on the Internet) – Up to 4 databases
• Magazines that are marketing primarily to teens – Up to 4
• Music CD’s – Up to 3
• Movies – Must be primarily focused on teen audience (Clueless, Twilight, etc.) – Up to 5
• Audiobooks are considered in the book count – Up to 35 books/audiobooks but you cannot do this entire category as audio books. Use common sense.
• You must include all types of materials available to teens 15-18.

The project MUST include the following elements however more elements of the student’s choice may be included: Use the names of the individual parts of the assignment as the headers throughout your blog.

• All of the same components included on regular paper’s title page must be included at the top of the homepage of the blog.
• Cover Art
• Create a list in alphabetical order of the material titles you included. This list must either appear on the side margin of the blog or if you chose a blog software that does not allow alphabetical listings create the list as your last blog entry thus placing it at the top of the blog. The instructor must be able to see what titles you are including easily.  You can create a blog entry as your last entry putting it first in the blog chronology and simply type an alpha list of the titles in the blog. Most software will allow you to create an index but the individual blog entry is a work around that has worked for students in the past.
• Each element must be a separate entry and not combined with another element. For example do not combine Plot Summary and Critical Evaluation. They are two separate required elements. Please do not include fields within an entry on separate blog pages – this makes it a nightmare to read and creates an un-necessarily long blog. Keep the elements with the title in one entry.
• Bibliographic information (at a minimum Title, Author, ISBN/any other identifying numbers present on DVD's, Publisher, Copyright Date. Bib information will be specific to type of material so check out an entry from your local library catalog to see what is included for non-print materials.
• Plot Summary (compose in your own words). READ the definition given under Content on the d2L class site.
• Critical Evaluation (compose in your own words).  READ the definition given under Content on the d2L class site.
• Reader’s Annotation (compose in your own words). READ the definition given under Content on the d2L class site.
• Information about the author (at least two paragraphs of text)
• Genre
• Curriculum Ties, if any – if there aren’t any then put N/A by the header. This is to be kept simple. You can look up the curriculum standards in your state and cut and past into this field or you can put down topics like Political Science/Civics, Diversity of Cultures, etc. You do not need to include examples from materials.
• Booktalking Ideas (compose in your own words). DO NOT WRITE BOOKTALKS; give ideas for booktalks only. One or two ideas are fine.
• Reading Level/Interest Age (these may be two different ages – look at respected review sources)
• Challenge Issues, if any and brief idea of how you would prepare, as the librarian, if the material were to be challenged. How would you prepare and what would you have on hand if approached by a patron/parent concerned about material in your library? See Instructor’s lecture on creating a defense file.
• Why did you include this book in you’re the titles you selected?
  (Compose in your own words) and indicate the selection tool (journal, website, etc.), if appropriate.
• A reference page is optional with this assignment unless you are directly citing material. You should either include the citation within the appropriate entry or create a blog page that you can include all of the citations on.

Example: There are examples of past student’s blog(s) on the class D2L site. You may not copy or reproduce these blogs in any way. These examples are provided as just that - EXAMPLES and the assignment is from a previous semester so not all assignment criteria will be the same. The requirements may have changed for the assignment this semester so please follow the requirements listed for the summer, 2012 assignment.

Writing-Research Standards
Creation of this assignment in blog format does not change the writing and research standards for this assignment.

Students will produce writing and research that meet the standards for graduate level work. It is critical to proofread before turning the assignment in. Graduate level writing standards do not tolerate spelling or grammatical errors of any kind. Students are encouraged to refer to a writing handbook - Strunk and White’s Elements of Style for example. APA is mandated for citations included within the text of the paper and reference/bib page(s) only. See class rubric under Content on the D2L class site for description of criteria/expectations for each grade level.

SPELLING AND GRAMMAR ERRORS
I may not read your entire paper for spelling and grammar mistakes; if, in my opinion, your paper or database contains too many I will reduce your points substantially stop grading your paper for mechanics and will go on for content and other elements that are required in the assignment.

Plagiarism
Zero Tolerance

SUGGESTED LENGTH: Should be of sufficient length to cover the assignment.

SLIS Competencies: A,F,M
Course Objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

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Course Workload Expectations

Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of forty-five hours over the length of the course (normally 3 hours per unit per week with 1 of the hours used for lecture) for instruction or preparation/studying or course related activities including but not limited to internships, labs, clinical practica. Other course structures will have equivalent workload expectations as described in the syllabus.

Instructional time may include but is not limited to:
Working on posted modules or lessons prepared by the instructor; discussion forum interactions with the instructor and/or other students; making presentations and getting feedback from the instructor; attending office hours or other synchronous sessions with the instructor.

Student time outside of class:
In any seven-day period, a student is expected to be academically engaged through submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam or an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction; building websites, blogs, databases, social media presentations; attending a study group;contributing to an academic online discussion; writing papers; reading articles; conducting research; engaging in small group work.

Course Prerequisites

LIBR 200, LIBR 260A or LIBR 261A. 

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the external (societal) and internal (developmental) forces that influence teens' choices of recreational and informational sources and materials.
2. 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.).
3. 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; apply criteria to evaluate materials in relation to developmental needs, multicultural concerns, and meeting the informational and recreational needs of this age group.
4. 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.
5. Exhibit knowledge of published resources about print and nonprint materials for older teens, such as reference materials, selection tools, and Web sites.
6. Assist parents and caregivers with questions about appropriate materials for their older teen children.

Core Competencies (Program Learning Outcomes)

LIBR 265 supports the following core competencies:

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Textbooks

Required Textbooks:

• Cart, M. (2010). Young adult literature: From romance to realism. ALA. Available through Amazon: 0838910459

• Doctorow, C. (2008). Little Brother. Tom Doherty Associates, LLC. Available through Amazon: 0765319853.

• Fehlbaum, B. (2010). Hope In Patience. Lodi, NJ: WestSide Books. Available through Amazon: 1934813419.

• Goodstein, A. (2007). totally wired: What teens and tweens are really doing online. New. York: St. Martin's Press. Available through Amazon: 0312360126.

• Green, J. (2012). The Fault In Our Stars. Dutton Juvenile. Available through Amazon: 0525478817

• McElmeel, Sharron L., David V. Loertscher, & Beth Wrenn-Estes (2013). Young adult literature and multimedia: A quick guide, 2013. 8th ed. Learning Commons Press/Hi Willow Research and Publishing. Available through Amazon:

• Wilkinson, L. (2009). Pink. Harper Teen. Available through Amazon: 006192654

Recommended Textbooks:

• Anderson, S. (2004). Serving Older Teens. Libraries Unlimited. Available through Amazon: 0313317623.

• Bauerlein, M. (2011). The Digital Divide. Penguin. Available through Amazon: 1585428868

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Grading Scale

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

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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