LIBR 265-10
Materials for Young Adults
Spring 2014 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 January 23, 2014. You will be automatically enrolled into the d2L site.

The instructor expects each student to check into the d2L course site at least once, if not twice, per day to see 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 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. Be specific about where the instructor should look to find the place(s) you are referring to.

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 Requirements

DISCUSSION THREADS - MANDATORY

NOTE: All discussion threads will be posted on the d2L site and available when the semester starts. Each discussion thread will be outlined in detail and will include content expectations and number of posts required, etc. The instructor acts 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.

Participation in Discussions

The instructor will penalize students for not posting by the stated deadlines or after the thread closes. Remember that additional posts are welcomed and encouraged and participation is an important part of making distance learning environments effective. Additional posts beyond the minimum are always welcomed and more posts create a much richer exchange of ideas and insights between classmates. Posting more than the minimum of times exhibits student behavior that goes beyond just the required participation level and into the “Exceptional” level of effort.

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

WEEKLY OUTLINES

Each weekly outline will contain all of the readings, websites, assignments and Collaborate sessions the Instructor has assigned. Weekly outlines will include description and link to discussion thread if one is assigned and any lectures that you will be required to watch/listen to during that week.

The d2L site may have additional information regarding each week so please refer to both the syllabus/Greensheet and the site in tandem to get all the information you need.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENTS

Available when d2L course site opens January 23rd.

There will be a section under Content that will have all the assignments for the semester laid out in full detail. When available the instructor will post examples from previous semesters.

It is absolutely necessary that students review all of the assignments and ask any questions as soon as possible. There is a discussion thread provided for students to ask questions or make comments under the Discussion tab. Please use this thread to post your question to as it allows the entire class to see both the question and the answer.

Competency and Student Learning Objectives for each of the assignments will be posted at the bottom of each assignment.

BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE SESSIONS – Mandatory

Week 8 – Tuesday, March 11 (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 ^{March 1st}

Week 13 – Tuesday, April 22 (7 points)
Discussion of Luna (Peters)
6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific
Session is Mandatory
Discussion Questions will be sent out to class by April 14th

Week 15 – Tuesday, May 6 (10 points)
Group Presentations (Genre-Author Studies)
6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific
Session is Mandatory
Group Presentation Outlines due May 2nd

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.

ASSIGNMENTS, DUE DATES AND POINTS

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 answers email on a regular basis throughout the day and evenings.
(Policy-Instructor will respond to student emails within 24-hours of receipt). The instructor will inform the class if a longer response time is needed (instructor out of town, illness, etc.)

Students are expected to promptly answer emails from the instructor and fellow students.

Crisis or Emergency
Please call the instructor (in advance if possible) if a situation will prevent you from doing assignments or other class activities. 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 points is determined by the instructor) for any work not submitted on time or lack of participation in Blackboard Collaborate session, group work or 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.

The Importance of SOTES
Students evaluate the course and instructor at the end of each term. This evaluation is known as the SOTES. An announcement will go out from the administration letting students/faculty know when the SOTES are available to complete. The importance of SOTES is very easy to describe – it is the student voice to the administration and the instructor giving feedback on the positives and negatives of the student’s experience in the class. Completing the SOTES is so very important to improving courses and instruction.

Grading
The standard SJSU SLIS Grading Scale is utilized for all SLIS courses:
Grades not rounded up to the next grade level. For example if at semester’s end you have a 90.7%/100 you will get a B (90%) in the class.

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.

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
Instructor may not read your entire blog for spelling and grammar mistakes; if, in the instructor's opinion, your blog contains too many errors the instruction will reduce your points substantially and stop grading your blog for mechanics and will go on for content and other elements that are required in the assignment.

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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

• Cormier, R. (2004). The chocolate war. Dell Laurel-Leaf. Available through Amazon: 0375829873

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

• 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

• Johnson, A. (2010). The first part last. Simon & Schuster. Available through Amazon: 1442403438

• McElmeel, S. L., Loertscher, D. V., & Wrenn-Estes, B. (2014). Young adult literature and multimedia: A quick guide (9th ed.) . Learning Commons Press/Hi Willow Research and Publishing. Available through Publisher

• Meyer, M. (2013). Cinder. Feiwel and Friends. Available through Amazon: 1250007208

• Peters, J. A. (2004). Luna. Little Brown. Available through Amazon: 0316011274.

• Plum-Ucci, C. (2008). The body of Christopher Creed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Available through Amazon: 0152063862

Recommended Textbooks:

• Herald, D. T. (2003). Teen genreflecting: a guide to reading interests (2nd ed.). Libraries Unlimited. Available through Amazon: 1563089963.

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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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