YALSA Online Courses
Winter Courses | Other Courses (available for licensing) | Tips for Successful E-Learning
YALSA has begun to provide online continuing education opportunities using Moodle and contracting with specialists in the field of library service to young adults. The pages in this portion of the YALSA Web site can provide an introduction to what's in store for those who register for an online course as well as descriptions of current course offerings. For more information, please contact us at yalsa@ala.org.
All of YALSA's courses are the equivalent of a one day or 1.5-day face-to-face workshop. A certificate of completion is issued for each course taken. (No college credit is available at this time). The courses will be offered through Moodle. Participants should set up an account in Moodle prior to the start of class. Class content will not be accessible before the date your course begins. If you have any technical problems accessing the course, please contact the YALSA office at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4390, or yalsa@ala.org.
If you have questions about our online courses, please contact Eve Gaus at egaus@ala.org or 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5293.
Registration now open for YALSA's Winter 2010 e-courses include two four-week classes, which begin on Feb. 8 and end March 8. Questions? Contact Eve Gaus, egaus@ala.org, 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5293. Discount available for group registrations. Register today!
Booktalks Quick and Simple
Want to entice teens to read but are not sure how? Try booktalks! Participants will learn what a booktalk is as well as a variety of techniques on how to use them with teens. Learn how to create hooks for books and how to share the talks with teens. Participants will create booktalks that can be used in a booktalking session and experiment with a variety of booktalking techniques. Even add a touch of technology to jazz up your presentations. Join booktalking expert Nancy J. Keane for a month of talking about books. The cost is $135 for YALSA members, $175 for ALA members, and $195 for nonmembers. Instructor: Nancy Keane.
Power Programming for Teens
This course is designed for library staff who want to learn about new ways to bring more teens into their school or public library with up-to-date programs. The course will cover several types of programming and related elements, including: simple self-running contests, reading celebrations, community partnerships and teen advisory boards. Participants will learn how to develop and implement relevant programming ideas and tailor them to work at their facility. Four week course.
The cost is $135 for YALSA members, $175 for ALA members, and $195 for nonmembers. Instructor: Amy Alessio.
YALSA's Online Course Catalog
Any online course offered by YALSA can be licensed for presentation in your library. If you are interested in purchasing a course for your library system, please contact Eve Gaus at egaus@ala.org or 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5293. (The ideal class size is 25). In addition to the schedule courses listed above, YALSA offers online courses on the following topics.
AIMing at Tweens: Advising, Involving, Motivating
Tweens are often the ones who slip between the cracks: not children and not quite young adults. This online course will focus on the developmental needs and interests of tweens and how we can best meet those needs and interests in terms of books, activities, and programming.
The cost is $135 for YALSA members and Students, $175 for ALA members, and $195 for nonmembers. Instructor: Teri Lesesne.
Beyond Booklists: Serving Today's Diverse Teens
Today's teens are the most diverse generation ever. Are you ready for them? In this newly developed e-course, participants will learn about available tools to help them identify the diverse teen populations in their service area and explore ways to design, implement and evaluate more in-depth services and programs for the diverse teen population and recent teen immigrants. Participants will also gain skills in addressing issues such as language barriers, cultural differences, and institutional support. The cost is $135 for YALSA members and Students, $175 for ALA members, and $195 for nonmembers. Instructor: Jennifer Velasquez.
Boys and Books: Encouraging Early Teen and Tween Boys to Read
Though boys have been behind girls in nearly every subject for more than thirty years, many teachers and librarians are still struggling to find the key to encouraging boys to read. This course will cover the special issues faced in reaching boys through books. Research on early teen and tween boys will provide students with a glimpse into the differing needs of boys, how they learn and how to captivate boys through outreach, programs (including after school and SRP), reader's advisory, book talks, and other ways to utilize course resources that will get boys reading at your library.
The cost is $135 for YALSA members, $175 for ALA members, and $195 for nonmembers. Instructor: Jenine Lillian
Graphic Novels and Teen Readers: The Basics and Beyond
This four-module online course will introduce those who work with teens and graphic novels to best practices. Each module consists of a weekly reading, an online discussion with instructor and classmates, and supplementary material. There will also be one live chat session – voice or real time text chat.
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Week 1: Overview of graphic novel descriptors and assorted examples, including some for students to choose among to read and discuss during course.
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Week 2: for Graphic literacy and text literacy
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Week 3: for Manga, nonfiction, and other special areas of graphic novel availability and interest. Students to pursue one in depth for discussion presentation.
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Week 4: Bibliographic issues such as selection, access, marketing
The cost is $135 for YALSA members and Students, $175 for ALA members, and $195 for nonmembers. Instructor: Francisca Goldsmith.
Making the Match: Finding the Right Book for the Right Teen at the Right Time (View the course syllabus)
Become an expert and connecting teens with books! In a recent survey by Smartgirl.org and YALSA, the majority of teen respondents said that they would read more if they knew about more good books to read. In this e-course you will learn how to make a successful match between library materials and your teen library users. Course participants will explore adolescent development, learn about teen reading preferences and take part in an active discussion about specific books and library materials that meet the varied needs and interests of teens. This is a six-week course. The cost is $149 for YALSA members, $195 for ALA members, and $215 for nonmembers. Instructor: Teri Lesesne.
New Technologies and New Literacies for Teens
How does teen use of technology to play, learn, and create improve their text-based literacy skills? How are teens using technology to communicate, collaborate, and create? What technologies should librarians know about to support teen interest in building community online? In this six week course you will find the answers to these questions, become familiar with the tools and techniques teens use to communicate and collaborate online, and discover how to inform your own community about best practices that support teen's technology-based print literacies.
Participants in the series will have the opportunity to talk with others about teen use of technology and how that use improves literacy skills. They will also have the chance to create a framework for a program or service at their library that supports teen technology-based print literacy. The cost is $149 for YALSA members, $195 for ALA members, and $215 for nonmembers. Instructor: Linda Braun.
Pain in the Brain: Adolescent Development and Library Behavior
Teen brain development rivals that of the toddler years — maybe that explains the attitude and characteristics of this historically underserved age group. Find out exactly why teens act the way they do and learn how librarians can address patron behavior issues in a way that will develop relationships with young adults. By the end of this class, participants will:
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Understand the physical development of the adolescent brain and how it manifests into physical and emotional behaviors;
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Examine the developmental needs and assets of adolescents, and the role libraries must play in helping teens grow into healthy adults;
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Discuss how to apply newly acquired knowledge and techniques to improve library services to teens in ways that meet developmental needs and build developmental assets.
The cost is $135 for YALSA members, $175 for ALA members, and $195 for nonmembers. Instructor: Beth Gallaway.
Reaching Teens with Gaming
Gaming at the library refers to board, card, role-playing, and big games, not just digital video games. Thinking about hosting board game nights or starting a circulating video game collection? Already offering Rock band and Mario Kart and looking for a next step program? Would you like to engage Runescape players, RPGers, or use a big game to promote the library? These topics, and more, will be covered in this session. The main focus is to educate non-gamers about what games are and introducing librarians to the many formats of hobby that engages the free time of their teen clientele. The session concludes with creating a plan of service to engage gamers at the library.
By the end of the session, participants will:
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Understand the connection between gaming & literacy.
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Learn how to advocate for all types of games in your school, public or academic library.
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Try a variety of games to gain first-hand knowledge of what they are and how they function.
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Discover best practices in services to gamers, including collections and programs that involve and support gaming.
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Create a plan of service for gamers at your library.
The cost is $149 for YALSA members, $195 for ALA members, and $215 for nonmembers. Instructor: Beth Gallaway.
Tech Tools for Teen Leadership
Let's face it, learning and using new technologies can seem overwhelming. However, many of the technologies that spring up every day can help you be a better leader in your library and a better manager of teen library services. You can also use many tech tools to help teens gain leadership skills. In many cases these technologies give you a chance to trade traditional ways of doing things for new and improved methods of accomplishing various tasks.
In this class you will:
- Find out about free easy-to-use technologies that make it easier for you to lead and manage teen library services
- Discuss ways to use new technologies to plan and implement TAG projects, meetings, and programs
- Learn how to begin to integrate technology in order to make your day-to-day teen services tasks more easily accomplished.
- Brainstorm methods for keeping up with technology so to improve teen services in your library
This is a six-week course. The cost is $149 for YALSA members, $195 for ALA members, and $215 for nonmembers. Instructor: Linda Braun.
Using Electronic Databases with Teens
Participants will review several electronic databases guided by an evaluation form that will be provided. Students will experiment with 3 databases and create a local tip sheet for use by teen patrons. The cost is $135 for YALSA members, $175 for ALA members, and $195 for non members. Instructor: Nancy Keane.
Tips for Successful E-learning
To be a successful student in a YALSA Online CE course, you need to have regular unlimited access to a computer and to the Internet. You will also need a reliable Internet connection. You will have a better experience if you have high-speed Internet access like cable, DSL, or LAN-networked T1 lines. If you experience frequent busy or dropped signals, you may have difficulty completing courses on time and participating in chat sessions. If you are able to take the course on your computer at work, check with you information services people about your Internet capabilities.
Work Habits
You must login to your online course and interact several times a week. This can include reading online, working on assignments, participating in discussions (in chat sessions as well as threaded discussions), and responding to e-mail. If you're not accustomed to routinely accessing the Internet, it may be difficult to motivate yourself to do the work. You must be disciplined enough to keep your coursework current.
Most of the material you're required to read for this course is online and you must read it carefully. Some students just print out the syllabus and key information to read offline. It's important to realize you can't just skim over the content and be able to have a clear understanding of when assignments are due and what is expected of you.
Most communication in an online class consists of written messages between you and the instructor and discussions among class participants. If you have difficulty with an assignment or have questions, you must be willing to "speak up" to inform the instructor. Good typing skills also are a plus.
Sometimes learning new programs or applications on the computer can be frustrating if they don't work exactly as you expect. Taking an online course may require you to learn new techniques beyond just e-mail for interacting with other students in the class.
Schedule
One of the major reasons people register for online classes is for the convenience of being able to take the course without having to travel to the course location. The convenience has to do with fitting your schedule, not reducing the time you will spend. You are still required to spend about the same amount of time on coursework as for any normal course or workshop. Set aside time for visiting the course and finishing a module. Before logging off, be sure to visit the discussion thread area and contribute your experience and understanding to the discussions. When everyone adds something to the discussion, it can lead to deeper understanding of what is presented in the module. Check the chat rooms to see if anyone is there and ask if you can "join" if possible.
In real terms, what does this mean? In a four-week course, there are two modules to work through and at least two hours for a chat with the instructor. Probably four hours minimum per week.
It's often tempting to wait until the last minute. If you're a procrastinator, you may have already learned that sometimes things don't work quite as well as you had hoped. With online courses, it's better to get your work done a little ahead of time so if problems do occur, they can be resolved prior to the deadline.
Qualities of a Successful Web Course Student
Successful Web course students are committed to their studies. While Web courses offer more flexibility and convenience, they can be more demanding of time and energy than regular courses or workshops. Web course students need to:
- Know how to use technology (e.g., email, use a Web browser, learn to navigate through the course).
- Login regularly to participate in the class - at least 3 times per week. Some students login as much as twice a day.
- Commit approximately 4-6 hours per week.
- Use good time-management skills and exercise self-discipline to ensure enough time to study and complete all assignments.
- Take notes as they study.
- Enjoy communicating in writing and reading the writing of others.
- Seek help when problems arise.
Good communication is an essential element of the YALSA Professional Development curriculum. You must be willing to share your thoughts, experiences, and ideas with the group and carefully consider your responses with professional respect and courtesy.
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