Course Syllabus

Fall 2024 | EDU-2075-VO01 - Literature for Children

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Summer Edward
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Philip Crossman

Course Description

Survey of historical and contemporary literature for children. Topics include who and what defines literature as 'for children' and how books impact children's lives personally, socially, and educationally. Examines censorship and the selection of books for children.

Essential Objectives

1. Discuss the importance of children’s literature for social emotional development, academic readiness, and cultural competence.
2. Analyze and discuss a variety of books representing the major categories of children's literature, as well as the classics.
3. Analyze and discuss a range of books that portray the experiences of individuals with diverse backgrounds in terms of culture, language, race, ethnicity, gender, familial constructs, socioeconomic conditions, religion, age, and abilities.
4. Identify and discuss criteria and resources for the evaluation of children's books and apply these criteria to evaluate books read during the course.
5. Develop strategies to make literature available and engaging to children.
5. Examine current issues in children’s literature, including the censorship of children's books, and formulate a personal philosophy regarding children's intellectual freedom.
6. Summarize historical and cultural trends in children's literature, including the significance of landmark titles.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

*** This is a no cost textbook or resource class. ***

This course only uses free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials. For details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Prohibited: The use of generative AI is not allowed in this course, with the exception of spellcheck, grammar check and similar tools. This course rests in the value of students engaging in the learning process without relying on AI-generated content. Students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills independently, owning their learning journey from start to finish. If you use these tools, your actions would be considered academically dishonest and a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

Using generative AI to create text for any assignments will result in a zero for that specific assignment. Repeat offenses may result in a non-passing grade for the course and an Academic Incident Report may be submitted to the Academic Dean.

Methods

The course will be completed 100% online in Canvas, the Community College of Vermont’s web-based learning management system. It’s an asynchronous course, so there will be no live meetings or scheduled class times. You’re free to work through the content at your own pace, however all assignments must be completed by the stated deadlines in order to meet the requirements for passing the course. This is a three-credit, fifteen-week course in which you should expect to spend 3 hours per week in the online classroom and 6 hours per week on homework. The course runs from September 3 to December 16.

The content of this course is organized into weekly modules that are accessible from the course homepage in Canvas or from the “Modules” link in Canvas’s global navigation menu. Each module will follow the same setup and consist of six components:

• Firstly, all of the modules begin with a Roadmap for the Week. This roadmap will provide a brief overview of the week’s learning objectives, lessons/lectures, readings, and assignments.

• Secondly, there is a Class Opener, i.e., a short attention-grabber that sets the stage for the week's lesson plan and hopefully captures your interest. This could be a short video, a quote, or a visual hook.

• Thirdly, there is a lesson in the form of a Mini-Lecture delivered by me that provides the content knowledge you need to meet the week’s learning objective. Some of the lessons will be animated lectures narrated by me, and others will be video recordings of traditional, face-to-face lectures in which I will employ visual aids such as PowerPoints, flip charts, and show-and-tell with books.

• Fourthly, there are Learning Materials consisting of a) required readings, b) optional readings, and c) additional resources of interest such as websites, checklists, and recommended film adaptations of the children’s books under discussion.

• Next, there are Course Activities in the form of Quizzes, Polls, and Discussion Activities.

• Lastly, there are Assignments that fall into three groups: 1) Conversation Assignments; 2) short, weekly Reflective Writing Exercises; and 3) Reader Response Mini-Essays. Assignments will be weighted by group.

Evaluation Criteria

Assignments and Course Activities will be weighted to determine your final grade:

Conversation Assignments	30%
Participation in Course Activities (Quizzes, Polls, and Discussion Activities)	20%
Reader Response Mini-Essays	25%
Reflective Writing Exercises	25%
TOTAL	100%

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• Conversation Assignments (10 of these, each worth 100 points)

For the Conversation Assignments, you will clarify your understandings of the week’s lectures and readings through conversations with your classmates. You will be required to respond to conversation prompts, post thoughtful follow-up questions, and comment on your peers’ posts.

• Reader Response Mini-Essays (10 of these, each worth 100 points)

For the reader response mini-essays, you will a) engage critically with the journal articles and textbook excerpts or b) draw on terminology, theory, and methodological approaches covered in the lectures and scholarly readings to perform critical readings of the assigned children’s books.

• Reflective Writing Exercises (10 of these, each worth 100 points)

For the reflective writing exercises, you will be required to a) document your personal responses to and interpretations of the assigned children’s books and/or b) tie concepts or debates explored in the learning materials back to your own lives.

• Course Activities (15 of these, each worth 10 points)

The Course Activities (5 Quizzes, 4 Polls, and 6 Discussion Activities) are designed to recap lectures/readings, engage you in a quick creative thinking exercise, or gather feedback from you.

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Participation is the lifeblood of every classroom. When everyone participates equally, willingly, punctually, and meaningfully, it helps all of us to better understand and remember the course material, hone our communication skills, and forge connections with our fellow learners.

Participation will be measured by assessing your level of engagement within the following two domains: Course Activities and Conversation Assignments.

• Course Activities

Course Activities (Quizzes, Polls, and Discussion Activities) will not be graded based on
performance criteria, but you will receive participation points for completing them. All Activities are worth 10 participation points each. These participation points will count toward your overall participation grade for this course. Participation in Course Activities counts for 20% of your overall course grade

• Conversation Assignments

Conversation Assignments will be graded based on performance criteria and completed every other week. These interactive exchanges rely on follow-up questions and thoughtful responses to keep them flowing and fulfill the assignment objectives, so active and ongoing participation is critical.

Please be sure to follow the posting requirements each week (they are included in every Conversation Assignment prompt) in order to receive full points. Every week, you are expected to post at least once initially by Thursday night at 11:59 and then finish up your replies by Sunday night at 11:59. Please always check back to see if people have asked you questions or responded to your posts—including me!

The Conversation Assignment Rubric used to assess your posts each week is attached to every Conversation Assignment in Canvas and can be viewed below the assignment details. Be sure to read the rubric to make sure you're getting full points (or to find out why you're not!). The rubric defines several groups of criteria that will be used to assess your performance on the Conversation Assignments, including the Participation criteria in the table below.

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Missing & Late Work Policy

Managing your workload effectively and meeting assignment deadlines demonstrates responsibility, reliability, and effort, and reduces your stress levels. It also allows instructors to provide you with meaningful and timely feedback.

• For submissions submitted up to 4 days late, the assignment’s earned grade will be reduced by 10%.

• For submissions more than 4 days late, the assignment’s earned grade will be reduced by 20%, no matter how late the assignment is submitted.

• Students who enroll in the course during the first week of the course may submit the first week's assignments late without penalty.

• An assignment submitted late may be graded during the next grading cycle for that type of assignment.

• Students who turn in an assignment on time and who earn 50% or less of the full possible points on the assignment will be allowed to revise and resubmit their work for the chance at a higher grade. Revisions must be submitted within 3 days of receiving the original grade. Those who hand in an assignment late will not be allowed to revise their work.

• Emergency situations: If you are dealing with extenuating circumstances (whether academic conflicts, an illness, a religious holiday, or a personal issue) and are unable to submit an assignment on time, please let me know in writing as soon after the due date as possible, but preferably ahead of time. We will work something out. I may require a doctor's note or some type of documentation from you. Decisions to grant deadline extensions without penalty are made on a case-by-case basis and solely at my discretion.

This Late Work Policy applies to Reflective Writing Exercises, Reader Response Mini-Essays, and Conversation Assignments. It does not affect course Activities (i.e., Quizzes, Polls, and Discussion Forum Activities) since those are ungraded.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity