INFO 265-10
Materials for Young Adults
Fall 2015 Greensheet

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


Greensheet Links
Textbooks
CLOs
Competencies
Prerequisites
Weekly Outlines
Discussion Threads
Mandatory Collaborate Sessions
Points Allocation Chart
Resources
Canvas Login and Tutorials
iSchool eBookstore
 

THE CANVAS SITE AND COURSE GREENSHEET/SYLLABUS

Canvas Information: Courses will be available beginning August 20, 6 am PDT 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 on the first day that the class meets. Course sites will close on February 28, 2016.

You will be enrolled into the Canvas site automatically.

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 read both the Greensheet and the course site and understand the information contained in both. 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 Canvas 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 Requirements

Questions, Comments, Concerns- Discussion Thread
Please post all questions, concerns, and general comments on the discussion thread under Content/Discussion Threads 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).

It is your responsibility to ask questions and express concerns you have about assignments or other materials provided for the class. Please make sure to consult the Greensheet/Syllabus and the class Canvas site in tandem with each other during the semester.

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.

Instructor’s Instructional Philosophy
The instructor wants 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 stays a top priority 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.

The instructor encourages students to work hard and to come away with a love of young adult literature and it’s place in our society and library and non-library environments as well as knowledge about other materials available to young adults in our age group. Students are ultimately responsible for their learning experience during the class.

The Importance of SOTES
Students complete SOTES to evaluate the course and instructor at the end of each term. 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.

Lectures
All lectures and overviews are posted on the Weekly Modules on the CANVAS site. Lectures may have been recorded during an earlier semester but are still relevant for the present semester.

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

  • Format for subject line for all email correspondence:
    • INFO 265_10_YOUR LAST NAME
  • Format the file name for all of your assignments:
    • INFO 265_10_YOUR LAST NAME_KEYWORD OF ASSIGNMENT TITLE

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.

BLACKBOARD IM
Students must sign up for Blackboard IM (BbIM). The iSchool will send out information on how to sign up. Blackboard IM is an excellent way for the class to stay in touch with one another and with the Instructor.

Crisis or Emergency
Please call the instructor (in advance if at all 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 any class activities or assignment.

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.

COLLABORATE SESSIONS – Mandatory

WEEK 4 – Tuesday, October 13th (7 points)
K.E. Clark will be joining us for a discussion of her book Freakboy. Please make sure to have read Freakboy before the session.
6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific
Session is Mandatory

WEEK 6 – Tuesday, November 17th (7 points)
Guest Speakers – Beth Fehlbaum and Ann Jacobus
Please read Big Fat Disaster and Romancing the Dark in the City of Light
6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific
Session is Mandatory

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

GRADING - See scale at end of Greensheet
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 Canvas course site.

Grading Timeline
The instructor grades on a continuous basis throughout the semester. There is an update posted on the announcement page to keep students appraised about where in the grading cycling the instructor is. Keeping in mind that the instructor teaches 4 classes per semester the grading of an individual assignment can take up to two weeks before a student sees their assignment graded. 

WEEKLY OUTLINES - Modules
NOTE: Weekly outlines will have more content than indicated in the Greensheet. More articles, websites and readings along with additional details as needed on assignments, etc when the Canvas Course website opens The Greensheet comes out quite awhile in advance of the first day of class while the Canvas site is opened and more current because it is created closer to the opening day of the semester. The Greensheet is the foundation document but there will be additions to it that you find on the course website in Canvas. Once the semester starts please check the website for the most up-to-date information.

READINGS
There will be other readings provided to you through the Canvas site in PDF format or  web links. Below are the required books you need to purchase, rent, get free or borrow from your library to read this summer. Be aware that your database assignment will have you choosing more books to read on you own for that individual assignment. The expectation is that you can get almost all of what you chose from your public library.

POINT ALLOCATION BY ASSIGNMENT/DUE DATES

Digital Resources
Paper

12 September 18th (Week 5)

Blackboard Collaborate
Author Visit–Please read Freakboy    

Students will write a one-page reflection on the session.

7 October 13th (Week 9)

Blackboard Collaborate
Author Visits
Please read Big Fat Disaster
Romancing the Dark in the City of Light 

Students will write a one-page reflection on the session.  

7 November 17th (Week 14)

Group Presentations – ASYNCRONOUS Blackboard Collaborate session

Genre/Author Study

15

10 pts presentation/5pts
evaluations 

November 24th (Week 15)

Group Outline due November 18th (Week 14)

Evaluations Due December 1st (Week 16)

YA Mini-Collection Project/Blog

30

December 4th (Week 16)

Sample Blog entries due October 1st (Week 7)

Discussion Threads (8 total)

(Wk 1) Discussion #1 - Intro  (1 pt)

(Wk 3) Discussion #2 - The Fault in Our Stars (4 pts)

(Wk 4) Discussion #3 - Adolescent Brain (4 pts)

(Wk 7) Book Discussion #4 – The first part last (4 pts)

(Wk 10) Book Discussion #5 – Luna (4 pts)

(Wk 12) Book Discussion #6 – The Body of Christopher Creed (4 pts)

(Wk 13) Book Discussion #7 – All The Truth That’s In Me  (4 pts)

(Wk 14) Discussion # 8 - IF/Censorship (4 pts)

29 

See schedule below 

TOTAL POINTS 

100  

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:
    INFO 265_YOUR LAST NAME (Example INFO 265_WrennEstes)
  • Format the file name for all of your assignments:
    INFO 265_YOUR LAST NAME_KEYWORD OF ASSIGNMENT TITLE (Ex: INFO265_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.

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.

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 discussions are student driven.

WEEK 1 - Discussion #1 - 1 pt
August 20 – August 23

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. PST on August 23rd)

WEEK 2 - Discussion #2 - 4 pts
August 31  - September 6

The Fault in Our Stars will be discussed viat the discussion thread. The instructor will provide discussion thread questions (s) in advance of the thread start date. (5 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. The 1st substantial post must be on the thread by 11:59 p.m. PST Tuesday (September 1st). The 2nd substantial post must be on the site by 11:59 p.m. PST, Thursday (September 3rd). You are required to post three additional posts commenting/answering/questioning classmate’s posts by Sunday, September 6th 5:00 p.m. PST. Please post more than the minimum – keep the discussion going. 

WEEK 4 - Discussion #3 - 4 pts
September 7 to September 13

Adolescent Development

Discuss the brain articles and other 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 11:59 p.m. PST Tuesday (September 8th). The 2nd substantial post must be on the site by 11:59 p.m. PST, Thursday (September 10th). You are required to post three additional posts commenting/answering/questioning classmate’s posts by Sunday, September 13th 5:00 p.m. PST. Please post more than the minimum – keep the discussion going.

WEEK 7 - Discussion #4 - 4 pts
September 28 to October 4

The first part last 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)

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 11:59 p.m. PST Tuesday (September 29th). The 2nd substantial post must be on the site by 11:59 p.m. PST, Thursday (October 1st). You are required to post three additional posts commenting/answering/questioning classmate’s posts by Sunday, October 4th 5:00 p.m. PST. Please post more than the minimum – keep the discussion going.

WEEK 10 - Discussion #5 - 4 pts           
October 19 to October 25

Luna 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)

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 11:59 p.m. PST Tuesday (October 20th). The 2nd substantial post must be on the site by 11:59 p.m. PST, Thursday (October 22nd). You are required to post three additional posts commenting/answering/questioning classmate’s posts by Sunday, October 25th 5:00 p.m. PST. Please post more than the minimum – keep the discussion going.

WEEK 12 - Discussion #6 - 4 pts           
November 2 to November 8

The Body of Christopher Creed 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)

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 11:59 p.m. PST Tuesday (November 3rd). The 2nd substantial post must be on the site by 11:59 p.m. PST, Thursday (November 5th). You are required to post three additional posts commenting/answering/questioning classmate’s posts by Sunday, November 8th 5:00 p.m. PST. Please post more than the minimum – keep the discussion going. 

WEEK 13 - Discussion #7- 4 pts              
November 9 to November 15

All The Truth That’s In Me will be discussed via the discussion thread (5 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 11:59 p.m. PST Tuesday (November 10th). The 2nd substantial post must be on the site by 11:59 p.m. PST, Thursday (November 12th). You are required to post three additional posts commenting/answering/questioning classmate’s posts by Sunday, November 15th 5:00 p.m. PST. Please post more than the minimum – keep the discussion going. 

WEEK 14 - Discussion #8- 4 pts                
November 16 to November 22

Intellectual Freedom (IF)/Censorship (4 posts per student)

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. 

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 11:59 p.m. PST Tuesday (November 17th). The 2nd substantial post must be on the site by 11:59 p.m. PST, Thursday (November 19th). You are required to post two additional post commenting/answering/questioning classmate’s post by Sunday, November 22nd 5:00 p.m. PST. Please post more than the minimum – keep the discussion going.

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.

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

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF ASSIGNMENTS

DIGITAL RESOURCES PAPER with JOURNAL (Appendix)
DUE SEPTEMBER 18th
12 points

Assignment Description: In order to understand teen behavior it is necessary to observe and speak with them and also look at the research about how they are using and effected by digital resources. This assignment has several pieces to it. There is an interview piece, an observation piece and then a research/writing piece. You’ll tie all of these different parts together in one paper. While the instructor has given good resources to read it is important for additional research to be done beyond the resources provided.

FORMAT: WORD document required – Research Paper

Length of Paper: 10 to 14 page paper that includes title page, all narrative sections, reference page(s) and appendices. 

The research paper (BODY) must include:

Body

  • A Title Page (1 page)
  • An Introduction (1/2 to 1 page)
  • An Interview/Observation Overview summarizing your data collection and research findings – do not include your journal entries – include the entire journal in the appendices (1 to 2 pages)
  • One page Literature Review on digital technology and teens. Include 3-5 sources.
  • A Discussion about the trends you see in digital resources use by older teens garnered from both your literature review and your interview and observations. (1 to 2 pages)
  • A Conclusion (synthesis of all parts of your paper - this shouldn't be just a couple of paragraphs but a substantial narrative on your whole process bringing together the complete process from developing venue choice/questions to ask/observation/journal writing. (1/2 page)
  • Reference page(s) are in APA style. Suggest a minimum of 5 references for this paper. (1/2 to 1 page)
  • Appendices that include journal and interview questions.

Guidelines for Interview/Observation

  • Observe OLDER teens wherever you can find them (malls, coffee shops, your neighborhood, libraries, friends, etc).
  • It is necessary to observe and interview teens for a minimum an hour.
  • Students may observe their 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 goals of the assignment – getting an understanding of teens and their use of 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.

Appendices

·     You must include your interview questions as part of the appendices.

·     Journal – a detailed record of where, when and what you observed in journal format. Journal is single-spaced. Page lengths of journals are normally 3-4 pages. 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 Modules on the Canvas 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 instructors 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.

Paper Composition/Blog Banner and General formatting instructions:

  1. Prepare all assignments in MS Word 2003/Word 2007, either single or double-spaced. Blogs do not have this requirement.
  2. May not exceed the number of pages specified by the instructor. For a blog think about how many words you'd include in that number of pages and then include a similar amount in your blog.
  3. Must have a title page (or blog homepage/banner) with the following information:  Title of assignment, Class number and title, Name of Student, Name of Instructor, University and Date of Assignment. 
  4. Papers must be doubled spaced – this does not apply to the Blog formatted assignments.
  5. Reference page must be included and meet APA guidelines. References should be included in blog form as well.
  6. Citations within the paper/blog itself must be done according to APA guidelines
  7. Page numbers and the name of the assignment must appear on all pages except the title page. Does not apply to blogs.
  8. All papers and blogs are to be written in formal style unless otherwise noted on the assignment description.
  9. 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;
  10. Because this is an online class, students must pay particular attention to the Distance Learning (iSchool/SJSU), Copyright, and Fair Use, and Plagiarism Guidelines athttp://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;
  11. 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.

DISCLAIMER - EXAMPLES OF ASSIGNMENT
There are examples of the assignment under Modules on the Canvas class site but these are from previous semester’s work and the requirements or format for this assignment 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
ASYNCRONOUS RECORDING - Collaborate
 Presentation URL DUE NOVEMBER 24
Evaluations DUE DECEMBER 1
WORTH - 15 points(10 points for presentation and
5 points for completing evaluations)

FORMAT: Blackboard Collaborate Presentation (asynchronous)

GROUP ASSIGNMENTS

The Instructor will determine the topics/genres and authors and will post via a Google Doc. Students will have an opportunity to choose which group they want to join and must sign up by SEPTEMBER 4th Students will be allowed to sign up for the group they want on a first-come/first-served. If a student doesn’t sign up by the due date the instructor will place that student into a group.

LINK TO GOOGLE DOC: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NbVtvN43lHGeZIVVtc4wjQsU-AekBke-ChI2Cu0lU2Q/edit?usp=sharing

The instructor will ask each group to designate a “group representative”. This person will be the point of contact for the group with the instructor. The “group contact liaison” 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.

Submit representative’s name to instructor via email by September 11th.

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.

Each group will record their presentation and the instructor and the class will watch and evaluate. 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.

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

TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF PRESENTATION
Each group must use presentation software compatible with Blackboard Collaborate to create an informative and creative look at the author/genre that they have chosen to research. 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.

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.

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.

PRESENTATIONS MUST INCLUDE:

  • What is the genres’ history in young adult literature?
  • Who are the YA author’s 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. Remember to look beyond the Best Reads lists to other sources to make sure you are not missing a title that may be getting rave reviews but not necessarily in the top review sources.
  • 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.

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 are due to the instructor by Wednesday, November 18th 11:59 p.m. Pacific. One outline per group submitted by the group representative to the instructor.

EVALUATIONS
Students evaluate all groups except their own. The instructor will provide students with the evaluation form to use on the Canvas site. You will evaluate all groups except your own.

TIP
How to get 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 MINI-COLLECTION PROJECT
DUE DECEMBER 4th
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 remains formal - academic)

DESCRIPTION:

Choose the blog creation software carefully. Start the blog creation early in the semester (first weeks). Poor planning on your part does not necessitate an extension beyond the due date on my part. This assignment is worth 30% of your grade so please make sure you are working on it throughout the semester not just during the final weeks.

Students in past classes have used the following to create their blogs. This is certainly not an exhaustive list. 

  • Word Press (wordpress.com)
  • Live Journal (livejournal.com)
  • Blogger (blogger.com
  • Blogspot (blogspot.com)
  • Weebly (weebly.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 DUE OCTOBER 1st– 2 complete blog book entries must be sent to the instructor by October 1st (word format please). The instructor wants to make sure that each student is writing in the correct style and tone as well as providing the correct content. This hopefully will avoid losing points when final blog is turned on December 4th.

COMPOSITION: 35 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

DIVERSITY OF MATERIAL FORMATS IS THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL COLLECTION - include as many material types as possible.

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

These are the maximums allowed for different types of materials in your blog/database project.

  • Adult Titles - "cross-overs" for teens aged 15-18 – Up to 3
  • Series - Instructor defines two-three titles from a series as a series entry. You may only have 3 different entries in your blog. If you only select one title from a series it counts as a single entry NOT a series entry.
  • Individual Author – Maximum of two titles per author - 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 good representation of what materials are available.
  • Books/Audiobooks are considered in the book count – 20 books/audiobooks but you cannot do this entire category as audio books. Use common sense.
  • Non-Fiction- you may include Non-Fiction titles in your book selections.
  • Games - Up to 3 games may be included. Games that are found free on the Internet are not supplied by the Library and do not count as games in the definition of this assignment. 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 and other social media sites, etc. are not “provided/purchased” by the Library. They are available free on the Internet) – Up to 3 databases
  • Magazines that are marketing primarily to teens – Up to 3
  • Music CD’s – Up to 3
  • Movies – Must be primarily focused on teen audience (Clueless, Twilight, etc.) – Up to 3; 1 of which can be a TV show or series. CLARIFICATION – you may include both the movie and the book only if you can provide a very thorough and detailed explanation in your justification section of the entries. You may do this only twice in your blog/database.

The following are required elements necessary to include for the assignment:

  • 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.
  • Give 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. Some materials may not have the traditional bibliographical information you will find with books.
  • Write a Plot Summary (compose in your own words). READ the definition’s document located in the Modules of the Canvas class site.
  • Write a Critical Evaluation (compose in your own words). READ the definition’s document located in the Modules of the Canvas class site. 
  • A critical evaluation is necessary for all entries no matter the type. For musical CD's you can include how good you think the lyrics are and the production; for movies cinematography, actors, plot, etc. These non-print materials may not have the length of a regular print material but you can still do a decent length with non-print.
  • Write a Reader’s Annotation (compose in your own words). READ the definition’s document located in the Modules of the Canvas class site.
  • Give information about the author (at least two paragraphs of text). You may cut and paste from another source but you must give credit to the source in the entry text.
  • Indicate the Genre(s)
  • Indicate 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.
  • Give examples of Booktalking Ideas (compose in your own words). DO NOT WRITE BOOKTALKS; give only ideas for booktalks. List one or two ideas that you could use to write a booktalk around.
  • Indicate Reading Level/Interest Age (these may be two different ages – look at respected review sources)
  • Challenge Issues, describe 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? Look to instructor's lecture on creating a first defense file. Create an entry that you can cut and paste throughout the blog. Indicate the name of any selection tools (journal, website, etc.) you used or suggest, if appropriate.
  • Why did you include this in your mini-collection? 
  • 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.
  • Examples: There are examples of past student’s blog(s) under Modules on the class Canvas site. You may not copy or reproduce these blogs in any way. These examples are provided as GUIDELINES 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 fall, 2015 assignment.

 Paper Composition/Blog Banner and General formatting instructions:

  1. Prepare all assignments in MS Word 2003/Word 2007, either single or double-spaced. Blogs do not have this requirement.
  2. May not exceed the number of pages specified by the instructor. For a blog think about how many words you'd include in that number of pages and then include a similar amount in your blog.
  3. Must have a title page (or blog homepage/banner) with the following information:  Title of assignment, Class number and title, Name of Student, Name of Instructor, University and Date of Assignment.
  4. Papers must be doubled spaced – this does not apply to the Blog formatted assignments.
  5. Reference page must be included and meet APA guidelines. References should be included in blog form as well.
  6. Citations within the paper/blog itself must be done according to APA guidelines.
  7. Page numbers and the name of the assignment must appear on all pages except the title page. Does not apply to blogs.
  8. All papers and blogs are to be written in formal style unless otherwise noted on the assignment description.
  9. 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;
  10. Because this is an online class, students must pay particular attention to the Distance Learning (iSchool/SJSU), Copyright, and Fair Use, and Plagiarism Guidelines athttp://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;
  11. 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.

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 Modules on the Canvas class site

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.

SUGGESTED LENGTH: Should be of sufficient length to include all of the required elements of the assignment.

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

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

INFO 200, INFO 260A or INFO 261A

Course 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)

INFO 265 supports the following core competencies:

  1. A Demonstrate awareness of the ethics, values, and foundational principles of one of the information professions, and discuss the importance of intellectual freedom within that profession.
  2. F Use the basic concepts and principles related to the selection, evaluation, organization, and preservation of physical and digital information items.
  3. I Use service concepts, principles, and techniques to connect individuals or groups with accurate, relevant, and appropriate information.
  4. M Demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary for professional work including collaboration and presentations.

Textbooks

Required Textbooks:

  • Berry, J. (2014). All the truth that's in me. Viking. Available through Amazon: 0142427306arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain
  • Boyd, D. (2014). It's complicated. Yale University Press. Available through Amazon: 0300166311arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain
  • Chance, R. (2014). Young adult literature in action: A librarian's guide (2nd ed.). Libraries Unlimited. Available through Amazon: 1610692446arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain
  • Clark, K. E. (2013). Freakboy. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Available through Amazon: 0374324727arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain
  • Green, J. (2012). The Fault In Our Stars. Dutton Juvenile. Available through Amazon: 0525478817arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain
  • Jacobus, A. (2015). Romancing the dark in the city of light. St. Martin's Griffin. Available through Amazon: 1250064430arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain
  • Johnson, A. (2010). The first part last. Simon & Schuster. Available through Amazon: 1442403438arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain
  • 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 arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain
  • Plum-Ucci, C. (2008). The body of Christopher Creed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Available through Amazon: 0152063862arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain

Recommended Textbooks:

  • Herald, D. T. (2010). Teen genreflecting 3. Libraries Unlimited. Available through Amazon: 1591587298arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain

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.

icon showing link leads to the PDF file viewer known as Acrobat Reader Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to access PDF files.

More accessibility resources.