Library & Information Science,
Course 262: Resources for Young Adults.
Created by Dr.David Loertscher
Copyright, David V. Loertscher,
Summer, 2002
Begin reading, viewing and listening to a wide variety of materials as soon as possible. Keep a record of what you consume using the guidelines for #7 below. Students always ask if they can include materials they have previously read. The instructor allows materials read up to 6 months previously read to count, but they should be fresh enough in your mind to discuss intelligently.
Do you have to read every word of the book, sit through every minute of the movie/concert/music video hour, view every page and link of an Internet site, etc. to count the item? The answer is no, but you must be able to know the item well enough to intelligently discuss it and know how to introduce it to a teen.
The instructor recommends that you learn how to skim, scan, devour, enjoy, probe, peruse, and any other verb that helps you to know the contents of an item pretty well. While amount counts, there is no use breezing through hundreds of items you will not remember and in the process feel frustrated. The objective is to enjoy building a solid repertoire and to develop a skill in repertorie-building that will last a carreer. This is a fun class, so slow down a bit and smell the roses. In the library world, we want to spread enthusiasm about the content of materials to teens and the people who work with them. It is tough to recommend what you don't know.
Should you learn to speed read? No. But it helps. Here is how David Loertscher does it:
As a reader, viewer, listener, and netter, I skim sometimes and sometimes read or consume every delicious bit or byte. For books, I read carefully at the beginning getting the setting, characters, and author's writing style under control, and then if the item isn't really worth reading, I start skipping and scanning, slowly at first, and then faster until I get through the item and still preserve some sense of enjoyment. If suddenly I realize that the book is too good to ignore, I slow down and enjoy. I also try to sample many authors rather than read everthing an author writes. I always carry a book with me and am never without an audio book in the car. I have adults and teen confidants who feed me good things and I feed them in return. I look at all the lists that come out for recommendations. And, my personal reading habits cost me a fortune since I am not a very good library user. Amazon.com thank you. (No, Dave: thanks for being such a great customer! signed Amazon.com.) Publishers send me stuff too, and that helps.
For other materials, I sample, probe, hear others talk about, and if I like it, I spend solid time enjoying. I read all the movie reviews and go to the cheap showings. There are always 10-20 items/videos on my bed nightstand.
It's one of the most pleasing hobbies I have and I hope it will become your hobby too.
Now to the assignments:
Schedule.
First class period:
Complete the weekly assignments for week 1 before the first class meeting. Start sending YA Completed and start building your media file.
Second class period:
Complete the weekly assignments for weeks 2-6 before the second class meeting.
Submit Best Books Project Spreadsheet as assigned in the first class through the dropbox of Blackboard (due June 28)
Third Class period:
Complete the weekly assignments for weeks 6-12 before the third class meeting.
Media file dueJuly 22 along with the log of the class (everything you have done on each assignment). This is posted to Blackboard.
Assignment 1: Connecting. Enroll yourself in this course by going to Blackboard at http://tigris.sjsu.edu. Instructions are on the greensheet.
Assignment 2: Learn how to read the professional articles on electronic researve. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0, for PDF files if it is not already on your computer. This will gain you access to professional articles on electronic researve from the San Jose State University Library in the PDF format. PDF stands for Portable Document Format. Any document created by any software can be converted to a PDF file, preserving its original content, layout, and color. These files are viewable with the Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download Acrobat Reader free at Adobe's Web site. Be sure to take note of the name of the file you are downloading. After download, look again at the instructions on Adobe's download page. There are a few more steps for installation.
If you find that downloading professional articles takes an inordinate amount of time, you can do the following: Download a trial version of Webwhacker to your computer. If you like this program, you can purchase it. In the meantime, in the trial period, you can download the whole 262 site to your computer. (your will then have instant access but you also need at least 20 megs of hard disk space) Do this:
a. download the Webwhacker software at www.bluesquirrel.com/download.all.html Versions are available for Mac, Win 96/98/NT, and Win3.1b. Run the Webwhacker software so you see the toolbar at the top.
b. Without closing the Webwhacker software, open the 262 home page in your browser.
c. Click the grab button on the Webwhacker toolbar and a new window will open up.
d. On this new window is the security section which you will have to enter the user ID and password so you can capture the restricted readings.
e. Set the whack levels (choose all levels if you want the entire site) and set update frequency you desire.
f. Click on the whack button on the tool bar and it will whack the site. This may take all night so plan in advance.
g. When the download is complete, double click on the file name in the webwhacker list to view the downloaded version of the site. You will navigate through the site just as you would if you were online.
Assignment 3: Read one book for young adults as an ebook.(ebooks.html) rather than in print form. Put your annotation in the media file.
Assignment 4: Create a media file. Create a media file (w1u.html) of everything you read, view, listen, and compute. For each file entry include:
Heading: (Required; Personal; Mini-Expert) (For Summer 02 use: Required; Personal; Other)Topic: (use weekly topics: childrens literature, Trash; Teen Personal; History; Biography; Science; Sci-Fi/Fantasy; Culture; Multicultural; Adult; Reference; Professional)
Bibliographic Information
Notes (for yourself, not for the instructor)
Sample entry:
|
Required Trash Stine, R.L. Double Trouble. Publisher, Year. Notes... |
You should create a database or a spreadsheet to hold your media file. Excell or AppleWorks database or spreadsheet is fine. In those files, you can use the above categories or any others that make sense for you. At the end of the course, the instructor will ask you to send your entire media file to him via attachment.
Assignment 5: YAcompleted log. Each week, you should submit the YAcompleted record to the drop box of blackboard
JUNE 1, 2000 (week 1 and 2 assignments),
Required Titles
The Watsons Go to Birminham
Stine, R.L. Haunted (Fear Street Series)
Out of the Dust
The Chocolate War
Other Titles
The Killer's Cousing by Nancy Werlin
A Door Near Here by Heather Quarles
ALA website lists of the best
Note that only authors and titles are given. The full citation and annotation goes in the media file, NOT in the weekly record.
Assignment 6: Coversation of the Week. Also each week, you should participate in a conversation with approximately 7-10 other persons in the class about the assigned items you read for the week. No later than Friday midnight each week, post at least two comments to the conversation at different times. You can read what others have thought about an item and agree or disagree. This conversation will be in lieu of conversation about required items in class were we to be together. Get to know those in your group through this technology and have fun. Dr. Loertscher will be a member of each group. To begin, find your group in Blackboard.com and start talking. Answer and discuss the question of the week posed on the listserv.
Your group is found by clicking the Communication button in blackboard, then the group button, and then discussion.
For the last topic that is to be discussed throughout the semester, use the discussion board for the entire class rather than your group. Find this by clicking communication and then discussion board.
Week 2: (June 10 - 16) Hinton and Cormier got us started with realistic fiction for teens. Do you think teens really enjoy reading about other teens problems? Is a steady diet of teen problems actually contributing to the dysfunctional image of teens?
Week 3: (DO NOT USE) Many bookstores only stock series books for teens rather than more substantive titles. From your sampling of these types of titles, what is the appeal of these books and do you think they appeal to a wide variety of teens: rich, poor, cultural groups, etc.?
Week 4: (DO NOT USE) Do you feel that realistic fiction or nonfiction aimed at teens can have a theraputic affect on the reader? (this has often been called bibliotherapy in the professional literature, i.e., give a girl with anorexia a book about a girl who conquered the problem.)
Week 5: (June 17 - 23) Can books and film bring the past to life? Draw positives and negatives from what you have read and viewed. (For Spring, 2001, see Pearl Harbor or 13 Days if you can for this discussion)
Week 6: (June 24 - 30) Many teens read about celebrities either in magazines, on TV, or in books. But are there any role models worth their attention?
Week 7: (DO NOT USE) Is there enough great stuff in the world of science and technology to attract the best and the brightest of all teen groups into productive careers? If so, how would you promote this type of material?
Week 8: (July 1 - 7) Is science fiction and fantasy an escapist literature for the disconnected teen?
Week 9: (July 8 - 14) Must the entire teen experience be held by the popular culture? or, is there room for "higher" culture? - examples, please, from what you are sampling.
Week 10: (July 15 - 21) From your reading, viewing and listening, are materials for teens promoting a society that gets along or are they helping to widen the gaps?
Week 11: (DO NOT USE) What aspects of adult materials are appealing to teenagers?
Week 12: (DO NOT USE) What advances in the world of reference works for teens are making it easier for this group to participate in the information society?
Week 13: (DO NOT USE)(All semester ) share tips and tricks for creating web pages/mini expert projects with the entire class, not just your group.
Assignment 7: Professional Reading. Read and journal (brief notes or comments on cards or in database) 10 professional articles directed toward the professional serving teens. You may read artlcles on the web site, from professional journals, chapters in textbooks published for this course or chapters from professional books listed in any of the bibliographies or new sources you find. Don't waste time reading materials you are not interested in just because they are handy. Annotate these articles and add them to your media file.
Assignment 8: Writing a Review. Write one review of a young adult title that might be published in a journal and e-mail it to the instructor as a part of the final log for the class. You should also post this on Amazon.com The best way to learn how to do this is to read and analyze already-published articles in a journal you'd like to write for. After you have written several good reviews, you can submit your work to the journal and volunteer to be a reviewer for them. Journals are always looking for good reviewers. Kathleen T. Horning (w1aj.html) has some excellent suggestions in her new book: From Cover to Cover: Evaluating an d Reviewing Children's Books. HarperCollins, 1997. In any case, post your review on Amazon.com and include it in your media file near the top.
Assignment 9: Mini Expert Project.Contribute to the class mini-expert project that will be planned the first class period.DO NOT DO THIS ASSIGNMENT FOR SUMMER, 2002
Assignment 10: Professionalism. Show that you are a member of any professional organization dealing with teens such as YALSA, NCTE, AASL, etc. Because you are a student, these organizations provide reduced rates for memberships so it is a very good time to experience their services and insert yourself into their work. Include this information in your media file at the top.
Assignment 11: Mentoring. Build a repertoire of authors, titles, performers, films, Internet sites, etc. and help others in the class develop their repertoire. None of us, including the instructor can know it all.
Assignment 12: Class Participation. Participate in class and Internet discussions in a positive way.
Assignment 13: Class Log (July 22) - Do a log that lists all the assignments above and whether you did them. Put this log in the drop box with the questions answered in the message section. Then attach to the dropbox your media file (assgnment 4 which will include items from assignment 7 and 8) This way, you will only send one file to the instructor and the instructors will get only 100 final messages.
Assignment 1: I was connected to Blackboard all semester
Assignment 2: I could access the professional articles on the web.
Assignment 3: The ebook I read was _______ add a reaction.
Assignment 4: I created a media file and it is in the Blackboard dropbox..
Assignment 5: I sent you YAcompleted each week.
Assignment 6: I participated in the conversation of the week every week at least twice.
Assignment 7: I read ten professional articles and have added the annotated bib to my media file
Assignment 8: I wrote a review and included it in the media file. I also posted the review on Amazon.com and you can see it at _____
Assignment 9: I participated in the class mini-expert project.DO NOT REPORT THIS ONE SUMMER 2002
Assignment 10: I am a member of _______ professional organization
Assignment 11: I have tried to help my classmates as much as possible to read, view, and listen to the best.
Assignment 12: I attended ____ class sessions and participated actively in our face-to-face classes
Final comments: Add a few comments both positive and constructive to make the class even better.
Adapted from the Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) at the University of Wisconsin at Madison
• Listen openly to what is said, rather than who says it.• Respond to the comments of others, rather than merely waiting for an opportunity to say your comments.
• Comment to the group as a whole, rather than someone seated near you.
• Look at each book or multimedia item for what it is, rather than what it is not.
• Make positive comments first. Try to express what "works" before you talk about what doesn't "work" (i.e. difficulties you had with a particular aspect of the item). One way of expressing difficulties is by asking questions, rather than making declarative judgments of the book. Fore example, saying "Would Max's dinner really still have been hot?" rather than "That would never happen" would promote further discussion.
• Avoid recapping the story or booktalking the book or item of media. There is no time for a summary.
• Refrain from relating personal anecdotes. The discussion must focus on the item at hand - its quality and why young adults would or would not like it.
This page was last revised on June, 2002