INF 322T – 28110 - Fall 2017 THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN SCHOOL OF INFORMATION INF 322T (28110) Children’s Literature – Fall 2017 Wednesdays, 6:00-9:00 p.m. in UTC 4.124 Assistant Adjunct Professor: Ann Minner Office: UTA 5.460 (1616 Guadalupe) Office Hours: After class or by appointment. Telephone: 512-939-0022 (cell phone). No early or late calls, please. Email: [email protected] During the day, I work as a public librarian and I cannot answer my cell phone when I am on the floor. Email is the best way to reach me. Teaching Assistant: The iSchool IT Lab TA Pool Office- UTA 1.210 (1616 Guadalupe) Office Hours: Monday 8:30am to 9:30pm Tuesday 8:30am to 9:30pm Wednesday 8:30am to 10pm Thursday 8:30am to 10pm Friday 8:30am to 4pm Sunday 12pm to 6pm Telephone: 512-471-3991 DURING OFFICE HOURS ONLY Email: [email protected] For all email correspondence to the Professor and the TA Pool, please use a descriptive subject line that includes INF 322T (for example: INF 322T Question). Please include your name and UT EID in the correspondence.INF 322T – 28110 - Fall 2017 COURSE DESCRIPTION AND REQUIRMENTS Description: Children’s Literature (INF 322T) is a survey course in the evaluation, selection, and proper and creative use of books and other media with children ages 0 to 14. Objectives: In this course, students will engage in extensive reading of children's books to: - develop their capacity to critically read, analyze, and respond to a diverse body of literature - identify and evaluate the elements of various genres of children’s literature - apply knowledge of children, their development, and interests to the selection and recommendation of appropriate literature - apply knowledge of selection and evaluation criteria to books created for children - choose and create activities to use in the K-8 classroom to extend children's knowledge and appreciation for literature Expectations: INF 322T: Children’s Literature is not a lecture course. Instead, classes are student-centered and rely heavily on whole class discussions, small group work, and individual writing and reflection. During class, you will be expected to collaborate with your peers, think critically about the course material, and respond to works of children’s literature in a variety of ways. Come prepared to participate and to play an active role in your own learning. While in class, the focus of your attention should be on the course material and assigned classroom activities. Much of the work you do will require the use of a laptop or other device. Plan to use your laptop or other device only for our in-class work. It is considered unprofessional and can also be a distraction to others to use your device for other activities during class.INF 322T – 28110 - Fall 2017 Be courteous to others during class discussions. All student contributions to the discussion are valued in this course. Students are expected to be respectful of other students and their opinions. Readings: - Required Textbook: Essentials of Children’s Literature, 9th, (2018), by Kathy G. Short, Carol Lynch-Brown, & Carl M. Tomlinson - Required Canvas Readings: Additional reading assignments will be posted to this site. There is no printed course packet for this course. - Required Children’s Books: 1. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White 2. The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt 3. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander 4. Wonder by R.J. Palacio 5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling 6. Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle 7. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo 8. The Giver by Lois Lowry 9. Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan 10. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson 11. El Deafo by Cece Bell We will read these children's books in the order listed above. Please see the schedule for more details. Final grades will be determined on the basis of the following rubric. Please note: to ensure fairness, all numbers are absolute, and will not be rounded up or down at any stage. Thus a B- will be inclusive of all scores of 80.000 through 83.999. The University does not recognize the grade of A+. A = 94-100INF 322T – 28110 - Fall 2017 A- = 90-93 B+ = 87-89 B = 84-86 B- = 80-83 C+ = 77-79 C = 74-76 C- = 70-73 D+ = 67-69 D = 64-66 D- = 60-63 F = 0-60 Students taking the class CR/F must earn at least a 60 average to earn a CR. (Graduate students must earn at least a 70 average to earn a CR.) The grade of X (incomplete) will be given only in cases of emergencies that have been reported at the time of the emergency. Grades will be based on: Online Modules and Quizzes 20% In-Class Participation and Activities 40% Midterm Exam 20% Final Exam 20% Total 100% Online Assignments and Quizzes (20%)INF 322T – 28110 - Fall 2017 Modules for each week’s material will be posted on Canvas throughout the course. These may include readings, videos, and short assignments. Each module will include a brief open-book quiz on the assigned readings. These quizzes must be completed prior to the start of class each week. In-Class Participation and Activities (40%) We will use our in-class time to build upon the assigned readings and explore the course material in more depth. In most cases, students will be completing individual or small group activities in-class as well as engaging in discussions and group assignments. Partner and in-class assignments may not be made up if missed. Students are expected to come to class prepared to actively participate each and every week. Please bring a fully charged, internet-connected device as well as the required children's book with you to class each week. For many classes, students will also be asked to bring an additional book with them (from the PCL, Austin Public Library, or other library) to use as part of the in-class assignments. Midterm and Final Exams (20% each) The questions for the exams will be taken from materials discussed or viewed in class, assigned readings from the textbook and Canvas, and the required children's books. Students who arrive more than 15 minutes late to an exam will not be allowed to take the exam. All exams will be administered in class via Canvas. Students are expected to come to class with a fully charged, internet-connected device to take the exams. If a student does not have a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, arrangements may be made in advance with the Professor and TA Pool and a device will be provided. Please pay