LIBR 265-01
Materials for Young Adults
Fall 2008 Greensheet
Beth Wrenn-Estes
E-mail
Phone (Cell): (303)349-8488 (emergencies only)
Office Hours: By Appointment
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Textbooks and Readings | Course Requirements
This course has a BlackBoard site. Instructor will enroll all students so that access to Bb site is automatic.
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 Objectives
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the external (societal) and internal (developmental) forces which influence teens’ choices of recreational and informational sources and materials
- 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.
- Critically examine representative materials designed for older teens, including print and non-print formats, books, graphic novels, television, movies, music, and a wide variety of computer software, including social networking software, and apply criteria to evaluate them in relation to developmental needs, multi-cultural concerns, and meeting the informational and recreational needs of this age group
- Create an appropriate materials collection for older teens, including print and non-print materials and a variety of the digital resources currently available for this age group
- Exhibit knowledge of published resources about print and non-print materials for older teens, such as reference materials, selection tools, and Web sites
- Assist parents and caregivers with questions about appropriate materials for their older teen children
This course supports the following SLIS Core Competencies:
- articulate the ethics, values and foundational principles of library and information professionals and their role in the promotion of intellectual freedom
- demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary for group work, collaborations and professional level presentations
- use the basic concepts and principles related to the creation, evaluation, selection, acquisition, preservation and organization of specific items or collections of information
- use service concepts, principles and techniques that facilitate information access, relevance, and accuracy for individuals or groups of users
- apply the fundamental principles of planning, management and marketing/advocacy
Textbooks and Readings
Required
- Anderson, Sheila (2004). Serving Older Teens. Publisher: Libraries Unlimited (ISBN: 0313317623) [Faculty: Beth Wrenn-Estes] Course(s): 265-01. Book is required.
- Herald, D. (2003). Teen genreflecting, 2nd edition. Publisher: St. Martin's Press (ISBN: 1563089963) [Faculty: Beth Wrenn-Estes] Course(s): 265-01. Book is required.
Recommended
- Harlan, M (2007). totally wired: What teens and tweens are really doing online. Publisher: St. Martin's Press (ISBN: 0312360126) [Faculty: Beth Wrenn-Estes] Course(s): 265-01. Book is recommended.
Go to SLIS eBookstore.
Course Requirements
The Importance of SOTES
Students evaluate the course and instructor at the end of each term. An announcement will go out from the administration letting students/faculty know when they are available to complete. Those completing the SOTES, and informing me of doing so, will receive 2 points towards their overall grade. 2 points can make the difference between a higher and a lower grade overall. The importance of SOTES is very easy to describe – it is the student voice to the administration and the instructor and it is so very important to improving courses and instruction.
The Course Blackboard Site and Email Communication
Become familiar with the course site. Know the content - this is absolutely critical to student success in the class. Students must keep up with any announcements, discussions, and assignments that are posted.
The instructor responds to student’s queries using the course site (internal email system on Blackboard). The system can accommodate group and individual emails from the instructor to the class.
The instructor will make every effort to reply to student emails within 24 hours of receiving them however weekend response time may not be as responsive.
All clarifications, other announcements are posted on a regular basis. It is the student’s responsibility to read and understand the information posted on the Bb site. If Students need clarifications please contact me via Bb email or to my personal account of bwestes@mac.com
Questions and/or Concerns
Ask Student questions or concerns need to be posted on the General Discussion Thread entitled Questions and Concerns OR if question or concern is considered private then emailing the instructor privately is allowed.
Course Assignments
This course requires a variety of assignments designed to introduce students to the concepts covered in class and in the text, as well as to practical applications of methods. Students will work individually and in groups. All students are expected to participate in the 2 Elluminate sessions and the 6 Discussion Forums.
Students accumulate 122 points to determine the course grade. See Grading below for details. Details for the assignments are included in abbreviated form on the Course Outline included in the Greensheet. A more detailed description will be posted under the Course Documents area on BlackBoard.
Summary of Assignment Point Values
| Selection Tools | 10 Points |
| Digital Resources | 20 Points |
| Annotated Bibliography | 10 Points |
| Group Presentation/Project (Elluminate) | 15 Points per student |
| Philosophy Essay | 10 Points |
| Database | 25 Points |
| Discussion Forums (5) | 25 Points |
| Elluminate Session 9/3 | 5 Points |
| SOTES Evaluation Completion | 2 Points |
| TOTAL POINTS | 122 Points |
Specific Assignment Descriptions
Please visit the Course Blackboard Site under Course Documents for more detailed assignment descriptions.
Grading Scale
The standard SJSU SLIS Grading Scale is utilized for all SLIS courses:
| 97-100 | A |
| 94-96 | A- |
| 91-93 | B+ |
| 88-90 | B |
| 85-87 | B- |
| 82-84 | C+ |
| 79-81 | C |
| 76-78 | C- |
| 73-75 | D+ |
| 70-72 | D |
| 67-69 | D- |
| 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;
- 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 Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0.
Timeframe for grading papers
Papers are graded within one week from the date they are turned in. Late work will not be accepted. The instructor will always inform the student(s) if papers will take longer than a week to grade.
Late or Missed Assignment Policy (including Elluminate Sessions and Discussion Forums)
Instructor will not accept work turned in late and the assignment will receive a grade of 0 points.
Extenuating serious circumstances will be handled on a one-to-one basis and the instructor will determine whether consideration is granted. Students should contact instructor as early as possible with potential problems or issues.
Instructor Philosophy
The instructor is serious about helping you to be successful in the class.
The instructor expects students to work hard and to come away with a love of YA literature, the ability to defend it, and an understanding of how to best serve teenage patrons/students. The expectations are that students are responsible for their learning experience. Understanding the contents and expectations explained in the Greensheet is critical for a student’s success in the class.
Writing expectations are that students will be able to write on a graduate level and will check papers for spelling and grammar, all transitions, APA style format, and content BEFORE turning the paper into the instructor.
The instructor wants Students to succeed and will do everything to help students do so but it is a partnership. Please remember that there isn’t a stupid question or a concern too small to voice.
Please make sure that communication stays one of the top priorities during the Semester.
Academic Integrity
Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at San José State University, and the University's Academic Integrity Policy 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 policy on academic integrity can be found at http://sa.sjsu.edu/student_conduct.
Reasonable Accommodation of Disabilities
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability,
please e-mail me as soon as possible. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires
that students with disabilities register with the Disability Resource Center
(DRC) to establish record of their disability.
No matter where students reside, they should contact the SJSU DRC to register. The DRC Web site: http://www.drc.sjsu.edu/
One Washington Square - San José, California USA, 95192-0029
Phone: 408-924-2490
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