INFO 265-10
Materials for Young Adults
Summer 2020 Syllabus

Lisa Houde, Lecturer
E-mail
Mobile: Locate this in our Canvas course site
Office Hours: Contact through email, text, or mobile number 6 am to 6 pm Pacific

 Canvas Information: INFO 265-10 will be available beginning June 1, 2020, at 6 a.m. Pacific unless you are taking an intensive or a one-unit or two-unit class that starts on a different day. In that case, the course will be open on the first day that the class meets.

Week #1 for this class is Monday, June 1 to Friday, June 5. Weekly units end on Fridays at 11:59 p.m. Pacific when discussion posts and assignments will be due.

You will be enrolled in the Canvas site automatically.

Course Description

Prepare for a wondrous, delight-filled, and informative journey into young adult** materials! Students will survey fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, movies, TV series, and more. This course will engage students in multiple formats of self-selected young adult materials as they read, view, and listen to a variety of genres. By the end of the course, students will likely be fans of YA materials and will have an understanding of young adults' information-seeking behaviors and developmental needs and how those materials meet their needs. Assignments build to and culminate in a 40-item mini-library collection of young adult materials. As with any worthwhile endeavor, the effort students put into the course will directly impact the benefits. Please note that his course requires a lot of reading; there's no way around it in a materials course! As such, a carefully created schedule and strong discipline are required.

As part of the course, students will attend two synchronous Zoom sessions unless there are scheduling conflicts; in this case, students will be required to view the recordings. The first Zoom session will be held with a panel of YA librarians (Monday, June 15 @ 6:00 p.m. Pacific), and at the second, students will engage with a graphic novels/comics expert (Monday, July 6 @ 6:00 p.m. Pacific). Note: Dates are subject to change based on presenter schedule.

**The term young adult as used in this course refers to adolescents in grades 9-12; other terms used include teens, YA, adolescents, or older teens.

Course Requirements and Information

How to Reach Me

Please e-mail me as a first option. I will respond quite quickly - likely by the evening of the day you contact me, and certainly within 24 hours of your email unless I've otherwise noted the need to extend that timeframe. If you have an urgent situation, please text or call me; my mobile number will be available in our course site. Preferred contact times are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific.

Course Format

This course is offered on the iSchool Canvas site and all interactions for the class will be through that site and will include links to journal articles and other web-based offerings; most will be easily accessed in the San José State Library. Assignments will be uploaded in the Canvas site, and class discussions will take place using the Canvas discussion forum. Detailed assignment and discussion post information, formatting requirements, and rubrics will be available in Canvas.

Class Discussions, Weekly Topics & Due Dates, Assignments, and Time Management

Class Discussions

Due Dates: Seven discussion posts to be completed by 11:59 pm Pacific on Fridays / Weight = 28% 

Students will be expected to contribute to class discussions with substantive and thoughtful responses to seven topics. Discussion topics, weekly readings, and activities will cover a wide range of subjects pertinent to young adult development and materials - see the list of weekly topics below. In order to enhance discussions, students are required to create one unique substantive post and respond thoughtfully to at least two other students. CLOs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 / COMPS A, F, J, M

Weekly Topics & Assignment Due Dates (subject to change with fair notice)

Module 1: June 1 to June 5 – Getting to Know You: Introductions and Adolescent Psychology Part I: Defining Older Teens & Their Critical Issues (Discussion Post #1 due June 5)

Module 2: June 6 to June 12 – Adolescent Psychology Part II: What's Up with the Wired Brain? (Assignment #1 due June 12) 

Module 3: June 13 to June 19 – Materials Focus: Realistic and Historical Fiction, Romance, Mysteries, Thrillers and Horror (includes Zoom session with Young Adult Librarian Panel) (Discussion Post #2 due June 19)

Module 4: June 20 to June 26 – Defining Young Adult Literature (Assignment #2 due June 26)

Module 5: June 27 to June July 3 – Selection Development Resources, Award Winners, and How to Weed Your Garden: It's all about the Real Estate (Discussion Post #3 and mid-course feedback due July 3)

Module 6: July 5 to July 10 – Materials Focus: Graphic Novels - includes Zoom session with Robin Brenner of No Flying, No Tights blog (Discussion Post #4 - a Robin Brenner session reflection - and Assignment #3 due July 10)

Module 7: July 11 to July 17 – Burning, Banning, and Removal: Intellectual Freedom, Censorship, and Professional Ethics (Discussion Post #5 due July 17)

Module 8: July 18 to July 24 – Materials Focus: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Short Stories, and Verse Novels (Assignment #4 due July 24)

Module 9: July 25 to July 31 – Diversity in Young Adult Literature (Discussion Post #6 due July 31)

Module 10: August 1 to August 7: Teens and Technology & Materials Focus: Nonfiction (Discussion Post #7 [SOTES] and Assignment #5 due August 7)

Assignment Details

Assignments begin with an examination of young adults and the issues they face.  With that as a foundation, we’ll embark on a journey into young adult literature and other materials. In the second assignment, students will create the blog platform that forms the foundation of our course, and assignments will work towards building to that final project. The exception is assignment #4 which will provide students the opportunity to create a small, focused library collection utilizing collection development resources.

Students are expected to work independently on assignments and participate in group discussions. All materials submitted must be the sole work of the student and must not be copied from other sources. Student's final work will be in APA format and will be graded on content as well as writing quality, grammar, usage, and spelling; graduate-level writing is expected.

Students will complete five assignments that demonstrate the ability to research carefully, cite appropriately, and show the ability to connect these assignments to practical library applications. Assignments will be uploaded in the Canvas site as Word files or links to external work.

Assignment #1 - What's Up with Teens? Adolescent Behavior and a Timely Topic Facing Teens
Due Date: Friday, June 12, 2020, by 11:59 p.m. Pacific / Weight = 10%
Students will research a timely topic facing adolescents in grades 9 to 12 - examples include, but are not limited to, online bullying, puberty, peer pressure, digital connectedness, gangs, dating, or a related topic and will write a 3 to 5 page paper on adolescent development and well-researched information on the current issue facing teens. Students will be assigned foundational readings as a springboard to this assignment but will be required to conduct further research to complete this project. Completion of this assignment ensures student understanding of adolescent development and issues that teens face. CLOs 1, 3, 6 / COMPS A, J

Assignment #2 - Mirrors and Windows...Let's Look at Award-Winning Fiction & Mini-Library Platform Foundation
Due Date: Friday, June 26 by 11:59 p.m. Pacific / Weight = 12%
This assignment includes two parts. First, students will create their final project blog platform, (final project is Assignment #5) and will complete six entries as a start to populating the final 40 project entries. Five of those entries will be an examination of award-winning titles as outlined below, and the sixth will be a non-print item to demonstrate understanding of entry requirements for non-print materials.

For this assignment, students will select five award-winning titles by different authors and in different genres (for example, realistic fiction, romance, mystery, dystopian, etc.) Each title must have won one of the six YALSA awards (Alex, Edwards, Morris, Nonfiction, Odyssey, or Printz) or a Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Stonewall award for young adults. After reading each title, students will create blog entries utilizing the final mini-collection project requirements. Completion of this assignment ensures that students have the correct formatting and appropriate writing style for the culminating course assignment as well as providing evidence of student awareness of award-winning books being published for teens and the ability to assist caregivers or parents with reader's advisory. CLOs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 / COMPS A, F, J, M

Assignment #3 - Reel to Reel: Exploring Films, Audio, and Videogames
Due Date: Friday, July 10, 2020, by 11:59 p.m. Pacific / Weight = 10%
Students will select a total of nine media items intended for teens in high school, and, adding to their assignment #5 blog platform, will complete the requisite entries. A separate short writing assignment will be required to supplement blog entries; details will be available in Canvas. The nine items must include three movies (either DVD or streaming), three audio recordings (at least one audiobook, but may also include music or podcasts), and three videogames. Completion of this assignment provides students with an understanding of popular entertainment media for teens as well as the ability to develop a library collection in these formats to meet teens' non-print informational needs. CLOs 1, 3, 4 / COMPS F, J, M

Assignment #4 - Let's Get Real: Nonfiction/Informational Books & Media Collection Building
Due Date: Friday, July 24, 2020, by 11:59 p.m. Pacific / Weight = 10%
Students will select a Dewey Decimal subject area to create a mini-collection of ten items as a collection development exercise. The subject area should be narrowed significantly rather than being too broad. For example, rather than select philosophy and psychology (Dewey number 100) or music (Dewey number 700), students might focus their collection on astrology (Dewey number 133.5) or kinds of music (Dewey number 781.5). The ten items should be currently in publication and available for purchase; students are creating an updated, current nonfiction collection. The collection will include books and at least one DVD or other media and will be presented in a short paper which includes an introduction as well as the selection development process; in order to complete this assignment, students are not required to read each of the ten items but are creating a collection based on information found utilizing selection development criteria and resources. Completion of this assignment indicates the ability to curate a nonfiction collection for young adults. CLOs 2, 3, 4, 5 / COMPS F, M

Assignment #5 - If You Build it, They Will Read! Create a Carefully Curated Mini Young Adult Library Collection
Due Date: Friday, August 7, 2020, by 11:59 p.m. Pacific / Weight = 30%
Students will create a mini young adult library collection blog of 40 diverse materials and formats; students will complete the semester-long building of this project. Students will select only materials they have not previously read or viewed; thank you in advance for adhering to this requirement. Materials will include books, movies, audiobooks, music, and other materials that are currently available for a library to purchase, and should be relatively recently published. Each material's entry will include bibliographic information, student assessment, a creative use for a library program, and a speed-round book talk, but more information and specific details on this will be available in our Canvas site. Completion of this assignment provides evidence that students have explored and understand the wide range of genres and formats of young adult materials available, and are able to assess each item as well as assist parents or caregivers concerning the appropriateness of the materials. They will also show the ability to connect materials to library programming. CLOs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 / COMPS F, M

Time Management

It is critical that students create a reading schedule for this course. As mentioned above, the final assignment entails reading/viewing, annotating, and creating a speed-round book talk (or DVD talk, etc.) on 40 materials for young adults; there are other entry requirements detailed in Canvas. By steadily progressing through the semester using self-imposed benchmarks, students will ensure successful assignment completion. In addition to reading towards the final assignment, other reading will include weekly topic articles and assigned readings in Cart's Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism, 3rd, ed., and Brock's Young Adult Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide, 3rd ed.

Writing Standards

Writing assignments created in Word will be double-spaced using 12-point Arial or Calibri font.

Document Guidelines:

• Title Page - Assignment title (use instructor's title), course title/number, instructor name, university name, assignment due date
• Headers with page numbers, your last name and first initial (no numbering on title page)
• File names as follows: YOURLASTNAME_FIRSTINITIAL_KEYWORD FOR ASSIGNMENT

 All assignments should be carefully proofread (consider reading your work aloud; you'll be surprised how much more you catch!), are the sole product of the student, include others' images and ideas which are properly referenced in text and on the reference page, meet APA standards for citations, etc., and are within the page limit established by the instructor.

Blog Home Page Guidelines include:

Student name

• Assignment title (use instructor title)
• Course title and number
• Instructor name
• University name
• Assignment due date

Within the blog, students must utilize the writing guidelines for Word documents. Academic presentation and writing are essential; blogs created in this course are not intended as journal assignments. Consider a moderate academic writing approach that would appeal to peers, colleagues, parents or caregivers, and teens. The blog content should have a professional appearance utilizing creativity in color, theme, and images. It will contain user-friendly site navigation and will include a separate APA reference page.

Extra Credit

There is no extra credit available in this course.

Late Work Policy / Other Course Guidelines

Please be sure to back up your work as a preventative measure, and retain copies of all assignments until the end of the semester.

Assignment due dates are easily viewed in this syllabus and in Canvas. Assignments submitted past the 11:59 p.m. deadline on the date due will be reduced by 20% of point value for that assignment; 10% will be deducted per day thereafter. Late discussion posts are not accepted.

Assignment #5 and any late assignments must be turned in by 11:59 p.m. Friday, August 7 to enable the instructor to meet the faculty grade submission deadline.

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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:

• Brock, R. (2019). Young adult literature in action: A librarian's guide (3rd ed.). Libraries Unlimited. Available through Amazon: 1440866937

• Cart, M. (2016). Young adult literature: From romance to realism (3rd ed.). Neal-Schuman. Available through Amazon: 0838914624

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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 or undergraduate (for BS-ISDA);
  For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA, Informatics, BS-ISDA) — 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 if you wish to stay in the program. 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.

Graduate Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA). Undergraduates must maintain a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).

University Policies

Per University Policy S16-9, university-wide policy information relevant to all courses, such as academic integrity, accommodations, etc. will be available on Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Programs' Syllabus Information web page at: https://www.sjsu.edu/curriculum/courses/syllabus-info.php. Make sure to visit this page, review and be familiar with these university policies and resources.

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