INFO 265-10
Materials for Young Adults
Summer, 2016 Syllabus

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

THE CANVAS SITE AND COURSE GREENSHEET/SYLLABUS

Canvas Information: Courses will be available beginning June 6th, 6 am PT 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.

You will be enrolled into the Canvas site automatically.

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

• Students are responsible to review the Greensheet and the Canvas course site
• These two important information sources work together to give students directions, requirements and information needed to be successful Materials for Young Adults.
• Each student is expected to check the CANVAS site at least once per day for course updates, additional resources, announcements, and other new information that may be posted.
• The first place you should go it the Discussion Thread for Questions and Concerns and read through any new posts that are there.
• It is also the student’s responsibility to ask questions and express concerns quickly so instructor can respond to any issues quickly.

Questions and Concerns
Please use the Questions and Concerns Discussion Thread to ask questions and express concerns. I will answer and make comments as quickly as I can.

Please make sure to use the Greensheet and the class Canvas site in tandem during the semester to get all of the information you need to succeed in the course.

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.

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

• Format for subject line for all email correspondence:
  LIBR 265_10_YOUR LAST NAME
• Format the file name for all of your assignments:
  LIBR 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.

Official iSchool 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). No calls after 8 p.m. pacific please.

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.

GRADING – see scale later in Greensheet

INSTRUCTOR NOTE: 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.

POINT ALLOCATION BY ASSIGNMENT/DUE DATES

NOTE:

• The instructor reserves the right to deduct points for any assignments not completed or turned in past the stated due date. Points deducted are up to the instructor to determine.
• Exception to this rule - Instructor grants extenuating circumstances and gives student alternate due date for specific assignment.
• Students must contact the instructor immediately should be extenuating circumstances cause an assignment to not be attended or to not be turned in on time.
• Collaborate sessions are mandatory to attend.

DETAILED ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTIONS
All assignments will be described both in writing and by Panopto recordings. Look for these during the first 2 weeks of class. The instructor will post weekly overviews and suggests listening to them for clarifications and additional information.

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 discussions are student driven.

POSTS

• Do not post before the opening date of the thread.
• Except for the Introduction post (week 1) which is worth 1 point all other posts are worth 4 points.
• Check the Assignment Chart (above) to see the dates for each discussion thread. All threads begin on Mondays at 1 a.m. pacific and end on Sundays at 5 p.m. pacific.
• You must post one substantial post on Tuesday and one substantial post on Thursday of each week and two posts to classmates before Sunday at 11 p.m. pacific. All students are asked to check the site and read any new posts by 5 p.m. pacific.
• Full points will be awarded to students who write in-depth insights and opinions about the book or topic.
• If students do not post the required number of posts or do not include the level of detail in the substantial posts points will be lost. Substantial posts are worth 1.75 points each and the responses to classmates are worth .25 each.
• The instructor will include questions with each book discussion thread to get the conversation going but students are charged with keeping the discussion going throughout the week.
• Doing more than the minimum number of posts is encouraged and helps keep the conversation going.

WEEKLY OUTLINES – Modules

• Weekly outlines will have more descriptive content than indicated on the Greensheet including but not limited to links for discussion threads, assignments and overviews/lectures, different articles, websites, readings, detailed descriptions of assignments and lectures will be on the Canvas Course.
• Please read through the entire site when it opens June 6th.

General Writing Standards
Students must 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 and then proofread again before turning it in.Graduate level writing standards do not tolerate grammatical errors of any kind. You will lose points so please make sure you pay attention to sentence construction and other grammar.

Students are encouraged to refer to a style 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). Write clearly!

Spelling and Grammar Guidelines
Instructor may not read your entire assignment for spelling and grammar mistakes; if, in the instructors opinion, your assignment contains too many errors the instructor will reduce your points and stop grading the assignment for grammar and spelling and will go on to content and research, etc.

BLOG FORMAT GUIDELINES

• Blogs must have a banner or homepage that includes all of the information you would include on a paper’s title page. The following are mandatory: Title of assignment, Class number and title, Name of Student, Name of Instructor, University Name and Date of Assignment.
• If you want to make up a name for your blog you can do so but the Assignment Name I have given must appear first and then your title next.
• You may use an existing blog that you have for assignments from other classes but I must have a clear path to the blog and not have to go through multiple links to reach it.
• Blogs must look professional and have color themes, font choice, and navigation (live links to all sections of blog for instance from the homepage) picked to enhance the assignment. Use the many features that the blog has and thoroughly review the blog you have chosen so that you know it will accommodate the requirements of the assignment. Remember pictures create visual breaks for the reader and helps clarify points. Books covers are especially important to include when appropriate. Use of illustrations, pictures or embedded video is encouraged.
• Pictures should enhance text/narrative but images do not replace written content narratives.
• Blogs do not have a specific ”page” length but must be of sufficient length to adequately cover the assignment.
• Blogs are written in formal style unless otherwise noted on the assignment description. Remember this isn’t a blog you are keeping for day-to-day use. The blog is a creative way to present an assignment instead of creating an electronic document.
• References and citations within narratives must be in APA format. Blogs need to include a section for references. References can be done as one blog posting at the end of the blog or you can put the references at the bottom of each section of your blog. All images must have a credit for where it was obtained and that credit can be in under the specific image or at the end of the blog section.
• Any other questions not answered in the points above please contact the instructor.

PAPER FORMATTING GUIDELINES

• Prepare all assignments in MS Word.
• Do not exceed the number of pages specified by the instructor.

Title Page MUST have:

• Name of Student
• Title of Assignment
• Class number and title
• Name of Instructor
• Name of University
• Date of Assignment

Other points

• Papers must be doubled spaced and the font to use is 12 point Arial or Cambria
• Page numbers and the name of the assignment must appear on all pages except the title page
• Reference page(s) must be included and meet APA guidelines - Single Spaced
• Citations within the text must be in accordance with APA guidelines
• All papers are to be written in formal style unless otherwise noted on the assignment description.
• Remember pictures within the document adds visual breaks for the reader and helps clarify points that you are making. Books covers are especially important to include when appropriate.

Any other questions not answered in the information above please contact the instructor.

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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

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:

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Textbooks

Required Textbooks:

• Boyd, D. (2014). It's complicated. Yale University Press. Available through Amazon: 0300166311

• Chance, R. (2014). Young adult literature in action: A librarian's guide (2nd ed.). Libraries Unlimited. Available through Amazon: 1610692446

• Clark, K. E. (2013). Freakboy. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Available through Amazon: 0374324727

• Fehlbaum, Beth (2016). Hope in patience (2nd ed.). Steady On Books. Available through Amazon: 0997387122

• McElmeel, S. L., Wrenn-Estes, B., & Loertscher, D.V. (2015). Young adult literature and multimedia: A quick guide (10th ed.). Learning Commons Press. Available from publisher: LMC Source

• Medina, M. (2013). Yaqui Delgado wants to kick your ass. Candlewick Press. Available through Amazon: 0763671649

• Reynolds, J., & Kiely, B. (2015). All American boys. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books. Available through Amazon: 1481463330

• Yancy, R. (2015). The 5th wave, book 1. Speak. Available through Amazon: 0142425834

• Yang, G. L. (2006). American Born Chinese. Square Fish. Available through Amazon: 0312384483

Recommended Textbooks:

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

• Herald, D. T. (2010). Teen genreflecting 3. Libraries Unlimited. Available through Amazon: 1591587298

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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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