Online course information
Winter 2012
January 16 - February 24, 2012
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is pleased to offer a variety of quality online education courses. All courses will run between four and six weeks and will be taught in an online learning community using Moodle.
To sign-up for an upcoming course, visit the ALA registration website or fill out the registration form and mail it in. Course space is limited and additional courses will be added in the future.
Children with Disabilities in the Library
(6 weeks, January 16 - February 24, 2012)
Imagine that Joey Pigza came into your library. Would he feel welcome? How would you provide library service for him? A child with a disability may need an individual service plan. But many books or articles provide generalizations and all-encompassing descriptions. This course will take another approach. By reading juvenile novels about children with disabilities, we will discover their individual needs. First, we will examine how schools handle students with disabilities. Then we will explore ways that the library might be able to assist each child. We will look at inclusive programming, assistive technologies, staff attitudes and legal considerations. This course is not intended to be a comprehensive course. Rather, we will collaboratively develop strategies for determining needs and identify resources that can be consulted when an actual child requires our help.
Instructor: Katherine (Kate) Todd, Adjunct Instructor, Manhattanville College
Connecting with 'Tween Readers
(4 weeks, January 16 - February 10, 2012)
Marketers and publishers define "tweens" as children who range in age from 8 to 14. For the purposes of this course, "tweens" are 10-12 year olds, children who are in the "double-digit club" but not yet teens. This course will examine the characteristics that make this age group unique; developmental needs and abilities; why children of this age group are particularly vulnerable to illiteracy; and unique activities and programs (including the utilization of currently popular technologies) libraries can offer to keep these children on the path to becoming lifelong readers. A primary focus of the course will be surveying the large body of quality literature available that has particular appeal for this age group.
Instructor: Edward T. Sullivan, Rogue Librarian/Writer
Information Literacy - From Preschool to High School
(6 weeks, January 16 - February 24, 2012)
Learn how to conduct information literacy instruction for all ages from preschool to elementary school to middle school and beyond. Participants will be encouraged to examine their local schools’ and state’s requirements pertaining to library skills, and to develop methods of using the library to complement those requirements. Participants will learn about examples of successful programs, appropriate skills for appropriate ages, creation and presentation of programs as well as marketing of those programs; also, participants will discuss ways that information literacy instruction can be a useful “outreach” tool to increase library and database usage and develop their own information literacy instruction program.
Instructor: Maryann Mori, Director, Waukee Public Library
Out of this World Youth Programming
(6 weeks, January 16 - February 24, 2012)
If you are like most children’s librarians, you are no doubt faced with the continual challenge of providing programs that are not only fun and appealing, but also highly informative and educational. How do I fit all age levels? What is age-appropriate? How do I make old materials fresh again? Where do I even begin? This course will provide innovative ideas and suggestions on how to plan, promote, execute and evaluate your programs to work for you and your patrons.
Instructor: Angela Young, MSLS, Youth Services Librarian, Lorain Public Library System
Frequently asked questions
Are these self-directed courses or real time? What is the time commitment involved?
All courses are offered asynchronously (self-directed). Occasionally, a course my hold several synchronous chat sessions which are scheduled and announced at the start of the course.
Participants will be expected to login to the online course and interact several times a week. This can include reading online, working on assignments, reading and responding to the discussion boards. Participants will be given weekly deadlines, but will be able to work at times that are most convenient to the student.
What is Moodle? I have never used it before.
You will not have to download any special software to use Moodle. Moodle is an effective online learning community that is Web-based.
The following Web site is mainly for those developing courses in Moodle ( http://moodle.org/). However, there is a course demonstration feature that shows students the Moodle environment utilizing Moodle itself.
In the very first paragraph in the center frame (This site itself is created using Moodle, so check out the Moodle Demonstration Courses or read the latest Moodle Buzz.), click on “Moodle Demonstration Courses”. You will then go to a Web page where you are able to explore a sample Moodle course that is the template for how most courses are structured and explanations for each of the areas. Please visit this link to explore the Moodle environment and see if you think it is something you will be comfortable using.
After you have registered for an ALSC course, your instructor will send you a URL for the ALA online course environment about a week before the start of the session. If you have not used Moodle before, you will need to create a Moodle account ( http://classes.ala.org). The login is not tied to your ALA user name and password. Please set your email filter to allow mail from the domain classes.ala.org. as you will receive a confirmation email that is needed to complete setting up the account. Your instructor will also provide you with an enrollment key that will allow you entry to the course. You will then be able to access your course information, interact via discussion boards, and work with the instructor and other students.
Do you offer college credit or CEU's for these courses?
College credit nor CEU's are available at this time. ALSC's online courses are the equivalent of a one day face-to-face workshop. A certificate of completion will be sent to each participant upon successful completion for each course taken.
Requirements vary by state and school district regarding certification and continuing education credits. The decision to grant CEU credits remains entirely up to your state or school district. If you are in need of credits, check with your state and/or school district before enrolling to determine eligibility. Some states will review your certificate of completion and course syllabus to determine eligibility. A PDF copy of the syllabus can be provided to you upon request.
Questions?
Contact ALSC Program Officer Jenny Najduch at jnajduch@ala.org or 1-800-545-2433 ext. 4026.
