| Course Topics:
In this course, we will be reading and examining
texts that have been written and illustrated for children and young adults in the past ten
years. Since there seem to have been significant, identifiable changes in literature
for children during this time, we need to contextualize these changes in light of similar
changes in the vision and values of the culture at large. Hence I have organized this
course around three topics:
1. Postmodern Aesthetics
2. Postmodern Ethics
3. Postmodern Subjectivity
I will introduce each of these topics, and then we will explore them as the dominant
force behind the literature that we encounter.
Course Policies:
1. Plagiarism
and other forms of cheating are despicable practices undertaken only by
the morally and intellectually deficient. They will not be tolerated. Since nefarious
characters who practice this type of deceit are likely to perjure themselves, my policy is
as follows: I will not listen to any excuses, and/or protestations of ignorance. If
I catch such a creature, he or she will fail the course, and be turned over to the
University to receive any sanctions deemed appropriate.
2. Late work is
more often than not a result of poor time management. However, occasionally life
intervenes in unexpected ways to create obstacles. Therefore, my policy on late work is as
follows: You may turn in papers late, but I will take one letter grade off for every day
of lateness.
3. Attendance is
mandatory. I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences. Instead, I adopt
the following guidelines: One absence will not affect your grade. Two absenses will result
in the lowering of your grade, and three may result in your failing the course. Missed
in-class work may not be made up.
4. You must complete all
course requirements in order to pass the course. Even if the numbers
indicate otherwise, failure to complete an assignment will result in failing the course.
5. Written work must be typed
and formatted according to MLA guidelines.
6. I am ideologically opposed to
extra credit. I'm not even sure what it is. So the answer is, and always
will be, NO.
Course Requirements:
Formal
Written work:
60%
Classroom and on-line presence and
voice: 40%
Formal Written Work:
You have a
choice in this course regarding what written work you will do. You may either do
three short papers (5-7 pages), or one short (5-7) and one long (10-20 pages). The
short papers are tied to the course topics. You would do one that focuses on aesthetics,
one that focuses on ethics, and one that focuses on subjectivity. If you elect the one
short, one long paper option, the first paper will still be focused on aesthetics, but the
second one will be a synthesis of course issues.
Classroom and on-line presence
and voice:
Note that this is probably the largest percentage of a grade for class
participation that you have ever had. This should tell you how important it is. Class
participation is not the same thing as just showing up. You will soon be entering your own
classrooms or workplaces, and you need to begin thinking of yourselves as professionals
rather than students. Professionals participate in the dialogues that shape their fields.
Teachers, especially, are largely responsible for defining their own environments.
You are expected to come to class prepared, awake and alert, and eager to shape and define
the learning experience you will have in this class, as well as integrate that experience
into the professional character you are developing.
What does this mean in practical terms?
1. It is imperative that you participate in the class NetForum. I have set up a NetForum
called Growing
Up Postmodern. To get full credit for class
participation, you must post a response to Tuesday's reading by Monday at 7:00 pm. Then,
as follow-up, you must post a response to class discussion by Friday at 7:00.
2. Book Club Days: We will have three book club days in this class. On the first day of
class, we will talk about and decide how we want to proceed--whether you each want to
read something different, or whether a group of you want to read and discuss the
same book, or whether you want to work with a certain author or illustrator and do a
discussion of his/her works. Whatever you decide, in order to participate in book club
days, you must do some work on the book you have chosen. Work
may include outside reading, collecting reader responses from a group of children, writing
a review, etc. Demonstration of that work, and a written assessment of the book group
experience following the class period that includes a peer evaluation, will factor into
your class participation grade.
3. Email me (kscoat2@ilstu.edu) with any
questions, concerns, problems, or just interesting thoughts you might have regarding what
we are studying in class. You may ask me at any time how you're doing
regarding class participation, and I will give you specific guidance on what you are doing
well, and/or how to improve.
4. Subscribe to a listserv on children's literature. Lurk for a while, and then post if
you feel you have something to contribute. This will also give you stuff to talk about in
class and on the NetForum.
5. Any in-class assignments or writing, full participation in book group days, etc. also
goes into the class participation grade.
6. While in class, be in class. Don't read, think about, or work on other
things. If you have trouble staying awake, by all means bring coffee or soda. Talk.
Ask questions. If what is going on doesn't interest you, it is up to
you to challenge and change the direction of the conversation. I'm deadly
serious about that. My job is to facilitate your education, an education that you,
ultimately, are in charge of.
7.
Go to and report on any of the Consider the Children events, but especially the Growing Up
Postmodern conference. We'll talk more about this in class.
Each of these things helps you establish your presence and voice in this class and the
field into which you are entering.
Above all, enjoy this class!
01/06/00
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