LIBR 263-10
Materials for Children
Spring, 2015 Greensheet

Elizabeth (Beth) Wrenn-Estes, Lecturer
E-mail
Cell Phone: 510-410-1959
Office Hours: By Appointment

Canvas Information: Courses will be available beginning January 22nd, 12:01am PST unless you are taking an intensive or a one unit or two unit class that starts on a different day. In that case the class will open at 12:01am PST on the first day that the class meets.

You will be enrolled into the Canvas site automatically.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Survey of materials in a variety of formats including nonfiction, beginning chapter books, fictional genres, paperback series and electronic resources, and how they can help meet developmental needs. Collection development tools and techniques for this material will also be included.

Note: This course will also cover "toy" books, board books, picture books, and various media and technology appropriate for the age group 0-4 years, and how they can meet developmental needs.

Age range of 0-9 will be covered.

CANVAS SITE AND COURSE GREENSHEET/SYLLABUS

NOTE: The Instructor uses “I” or “me” throughout the document.

This course will be available on CANVAS by JANUARY 22, 2015. Dates of spring semester are January 22 to May 13, 2015.

I expect each student to check into the CANVAS 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 CANVAS course site as well as information included in the 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 or solution immediately.

Disclaimer: I make every effort to proofread the Greensheet/Syllabus and the CANVAS Course Site but errors still can occur. Please contact me with any errors, conflicts in information or areas that need clarification.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Instructor’s Instructional Philosophy
I want each student in the course to succeed and will do everything to help students do so but it is a partnership. Please make sure that communication and your engagement in class activities stays a top priority for you during the semester. Ask questions when you have them, seek clarifications when you need them, take responsibility for understanding all expectations, content and assignments for the course.

Why Group Work?
I am a believer in the value of working in groups in my classes. Every job in youth services will involve working with groups of people some of whom you will know well and others that you won’t know well at all.
How well you work in a group or a team is determined by your understanding of group dynamics compounded by the fact that you are working in a distance education program where staying connected to one another and to me as your instructor is critical to success.

Just as in real life when you work in a group or as I like to think of the experience as "being on a team” you will have weak members of the group/team and you will have strong group members (leaders) of the group/team. I expect each group member work to their fullest capacity on all of the group assignments.

I will ask from time to time throughout the semester how things are going in each group and I will require outlines on group work that show what each person has been assigned for project/assignment.

I expect that as librarians or librarians to be that you have high ethical standards and that you will participate fully in the group work process, including but not limited to, collaborating with your group mates, researching your given part of the assignment and completing evaluations when asked to.

I hold students to high standards of conduct and hope that the group work you do will be of value to you as you go out into the world of youth services.

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 – they are student voices 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.

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

E-mail Subject Lines/Naming of Assignment Files - Mandatory Format for subject line for all email correspondence:
LIBR 263_10_YOUR LAST NAME

Format the file name for all of your assignments:
LIBR 263_10_YOUR LAST NAME_KEYWORD OF ASSIGNMENT TITLE

E-mail Response Time
I answer email on a regular basis throughout the day and evenings however the official policy is: “Instructor will respond to student emails within 24-hours of receipt”. I will inform the class if a longer response time is needed (I’m out of town, illness, etc.). Students are expected to promptly answer emails.

Crisis or Emergency
Please call me if a situation prevents you from doing assignments or other class activities. You will receive a zero for any course work missed unless you have received permission from me for an extension. I reserve the right to deduct points (the number of points is determined by the me) for any work not submitted on time or lack of participation in Blackboard Collaborate session, group work or individual assignments and discussion threads.

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.

GRADING Grading Scale: 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. I do not round up to the next number.

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.

Timeframe for grading papers
Papers are graded within ten days from the date turned in. Turning in assignments late is not allowed except in the case of true extenuating circumstances and with prior approval of the instructor. The instructor requires a note from the student’s doctor to verify sickness that illness prevents assignment deadlines from being met. Extenuating circumstance discussions are facilitated on a one-to-one basis and the instructor will determine whether consideration is granted and a time extension is granted for the assignment. Students should contact instructor as early as possible with potential problems or issues.

The instructor will always inform the student(s) if papers will take longer than 10 days to grade.

Grading Rubric/Individual Assignment Evaluation Forms
Rubrics have been worked into the grade book in Canvas and I will provide evaluation forms to you when needed for specific assignments.

COLLABORATE SESSIONS – Mandatory

Week 8
Wednesday, March 4^th (8th pts)
Guest Speaker(s)
6:30 – 9:00 p.m. PST

Week 13
Wednesday, April 29^th (20 pts)
Group Presentations- Topics TBD
6:30 – 9:00 p.m. PST

Competencies: D,I,M,N
Course Outcomes: 1,5,7,8

WEEKLY OUTLINES
I will provide instruction and details on every week in the semester. Those Weekly Outlines appear under Modules on the Canvas course website which opens January 22, 2015. These outlines will include the information in the chart below but will also have additional details including Discussion Threads, Lectures to listen to, Readings, Collaborate Session Information, Assignment Due Date Reminders and anything else of importance to that week.

DETAILED ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTIONS
I will post additional details for each assignment along with any resources that will aid you in successfully completing the assignment including examples (when possible) on January 22,2015 when the Canvas course website opens.

DISCUSSION THREAD SCHEDULE

Week 1 - Discussion #1 January 22 – January 25^th

Introductions
Introduce yourself to the class. This is your opportunity to tell us a few things about you. One of the things I’d like to know if where each of you is in the iSchool program and what are you doing in your professional life right now. Feel free to tell us other things about you but only if you are comfortable doing so - post pictures (we love to see and hear about dogs, cats, children, hobbies - 1 point/1 post)

Post/Deadlines: 1 post by 5 p.m. PST, Sunday, January 25th (11:59 p.m. PST).^.

Week 4 Discussion #2 February 9 – February 15th

Common Core and the Library collection
Pick three of the links provided below. Read and then summarize and give your opinion of the ideas/concepts included in each of them. Be sure to properly cite your sources - 5 points/4 posts

Post/Deadlines: You must post two substantial posts and two responses to others. One substantial post on Tuesday, February 10th 11:59 p.m. PST, one substantial post on Thursday, February 12th 11:59 p.m. PST and two responses to classmates by Sunday at 5 p.m. February 15th 5:00 p.m. PST.

Links to chose from:

• Common Core in the Public Library. Kiera Parrott. ALSC blog
  http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2012/09/common-core-in-the-public-library/
• The Public Library Connection: The new standards require that public and school librarians pull together | On Common Core. Olga Nei. School Library Journal, December 1, 2012
  http://www.slj.com/2012/12/opinion/on-common-core/the-public-library-connection-the-new-standards-require-that-public-and-school-librarians-pull-together-on-common-core/
• Common Core Standards and the School Librarian. Hack Library School blog
  http://hacklibschool.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/common-core-state-standards-and-the-school-librarian/
• On Common Core: Cultivating Collaboration. Mary Ann Cappiello, Myra Zarnowski, and Marc Aronson. School Library Journal, September 4, 2012
  http://www.slj.com/2012/09/standards/common-core/on-common-core-cultivating-collaboration/
• Nonfiction Programming. Abby Johnson. American Libraries, May 28, 2013.
  Practical tips on including non-fiction with an eye to CCSS in programming for youth of all ages.
  http://www.americanlibrariesmagazine.org/article/nonfiction-programming
• Common Core Resources for Public Libraries. Connecticut State Library
  Brief outlines of some ideas to incorporate CC into public libraries along with a list of resource links at the bottom.
  http://www.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/pages/common-core-resources-pub
• For Libraries, the Common Core Presents Extraordinary Opportunity. Publisher’s Weekly
  School and public libraries can collaborate to incorporate Common Core; based on discussions from the 2013 ALA Midwinter meeting.
  http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/55831-for-libraries-the-common-core-presents-extraordinary-opportunity.html
• Common Core Questions and Answers. Interview with Kristin Fontichiaro at ALA’s @ your library^® advocacy site
  http://www.atyourlibrary.org/common-core-questions-and-answers
• Don't Fear the Reaper - Demystifying Common Core. Marge Loch-Wouters. Tiny Tips for Library Fun blog
  Practical tips on thinking about CCSS in the public library
  http://tinytipsforlibraryfun.blogspot.com/2013/05/dont-fear-reaper-demystifying-common.h

Week 7 – Discussion #3 March 2 – March 8

Digital Technology
There is a debate happening in professional communities about screen time and computer use for children. Do a bit of research and see if you can find relevant articles (in addition to the ones the instructor is having you read) to share during this discussion representing opinions, insights and research focusing on children and technology. Keep in mind that storytimes are using iPads, libraries/schools are providing digital devices to children as part of programming and curriculum and more and more parents are purchasing apps that help babies and toddlers learn to read and develop literary skills in preparation for school. What did you find? What are your personal feelings for how e-books and other apps for children fit into our study of children’s materials? It is important for you as children’s services professional to understand where digital technology fits into the acquisition of materials? 5 points/4 posts

Post/Deadlines: You must post two substantial posts and two response to another classmate. One substantial post on Tuesday, March 4^th 11:59 p.m. PST, one substantial post on Thursday, March 6 11:59 p.m. PST and two responses to a classmate by Sunday at 5 p.m. March 8th 5:00 p.m. PST.

Week 15 Discussion #4 April 27 - May 3

Reflection
Reflect back on the semester. What will you take into your professional life, from what you learned taking this class? Discuss what your favorite tween materials were from your readings for the semester and why you liked them the best. You can add anything you’d like to reflect on as well – 2 points/2 posts.

Post/Deadlines: You must post one substantial post and one response to another student. One substantial post on Thursday, April 29th 11:59 p.m. PST and one response to another student by Sunday, May 3^rd 5:00 p.m. PST.

Writing-Research 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 writer’s 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 rubric under Modules on the Canvas site for the breakdown of elements and grading criteria.

Spelling and Grammar
I may not read entire paper for spelling and grammar mistakes; if, in my opinion, the assignment contains too many errors a reduction in points in that section of the rubric will occur.

Paper Composition/Blog Banner and general formatting information

• Prepare all assignments in MS Word. Blogs do not have this requirement.
• May not exceed the number of pages specified by the instructor
• Must have a title page with the following information: Title of paper, Class number and title, Name of Student, Name of Instructor, University and Date of Assignment. This applies to banner/homepages on blogs
• Must have a title page with the following information: Title of paper, Class number and title, Name of Student, Name of Instructor, University and Date of Assignment. This applies to banner/homepages on blogs.
• Papers must be doubled spaced – this does not apply to the Blog formatted assignments.
• Reference page must be included and meet APA guidelines. Please check with instructor on how you do this if you chose a blog format.
• Citations within the paper itself must be done according to APA guidelines
• Page numbers and the name of the assignment must appear on all pages except the title page – does not apply to blogs.
• All papers are to be written in formal style unless otherwise noted on the assignment description.
• Students and faculty are bound by the U.S. copyright regulations and need to cite the sources of the intellectual property of others, including information, images, or ideas that do not belong to us. Follow the regulations located in the Fair Use of Copyrighted Materials policy at http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/copypol2.htm
• Because this is an online class, students must pay particular attention to the Distance Learning (iSchool/SJSU), Copyright, and Fair Use, and Plagiarism Guidelines at http://www.sjlibrary.org/services/distance/fac_copyright.htm. Students need to pay special attention to the third bullet item at the website: Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia; If you submit work with words, images, or ideas that are not their original ideas, words, or images, you must cite the sources of those words, images, or ideas. It is important for students in library science courses to develop a respect for the work of others and to be responsible users of the work of others. Although the work of students does have some fair-use protection, you are never safe in using words, images, or ideas of others in a course in which we share our work with one another. Not only will you need to remember this when you are posting to the discussion forums, you must also practice responsible use of resources in your projects that you will be sharing with your colleagues.

Presentations
Tips on how to create effective PowerPoint presentations are included in the Modules.

Plagiarism
I have a zero tolerance policy in regards to plagiarism and will inform the University of any incidences of plagiarism for disciplinary action. All assignment documents are run through Turnitin through the Canvas site.

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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 children's choices of recreational and informational sources and materials.
2. Evaluate selection tools, and demonstrate the ability to use appropriate resources to develop a collection of materials for the preschool and elementary school-aged children (ages 0-9), including all appropriate formats.
3. Critically examine representative materials designed for the pre-school and elementary school-aged child (ages 0-9), including but not limited to books, television, movies, and the Internet, and apply criteria to evaluate them in relation to child development, multicultural concerns, and creating a collection that meets the informational and recreational needs of this age group.
4. Evaluate children's digital resources to determine the most developmentally appropriate ones to recommend to parents, and identify ones that are less appropriate or useful.
5. Assist parents and caregivers with questions about appropriate materials for their children 0-9 years old.

Core Competencies (Program Learning Outcomes)

LIBR 263 supports the following core competencies:

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Textbooks

Required Textbooks:

• Horning, K. T. (2010). From cover to cover: Evaluating and reviewing children's books (Rev. ed.). HarperCollins. Available through Amazon: 0060777575

• Tunnell, M. 0., Jacobs, J. S., Young, T.A., & Bryan, G. (2012). Children's literature briefly (5th ed.). Pearson. Available through Amazon: 0132480565

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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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