This winter YALSA is offering a newly revised online course! Linda Braun, instructor for Connect, Create, Collaborate: Supporting Teen Needs with Technology, chatted with me about the course. This course is open for registration through the YALSA website.
Eve: You’re teaching a class for YALSA that starts in February. Tell us about Connect, Create, Collaborate: Supporting Teen Needs with Technology.
Linda: Connect, Create, Collaborate: Supporting Teen Needs with Technology is a revised version of a class I’ve taught for YALSA for the past several years, which focused on technology as a tool for supporting teen reading and writing literacy. I decided to revise the class because what I’m finding now is that it’s essential to focus not on the concepts of technology and print literacies as separate components but to focus on them as a part of the whole library experience for teens.
So, the revised version of the class takes a slightly different approach. The course focuses on teens, who they are, and how they use technology (including the literacy implications of that use) and puts that inside a framework of the services that libraries provide to teens every day. The content of the course explores technology and programming, technology and collection development, technology and reference and readers’ advisory, and technology and reading habits and behaviors. Students in the course will discuss how these services connect teens to resources, people, and each other, and how librarians and teens can collaborate to make library services better than ever.
Eve: What should students expect to learn from this course?
Linda: Participants who register for the course will learn how technology supports the successful growth and development of teens; they will learn how to discuss with colleagues, administrators, and community members the positive implications of technology use, and they will learn about new technologies that they can fairly easily integrate into their day-to-day library programs and services.
Eve: Tell us a little bit about the readings and assignments for this course? How do they fit into your typical librarian’s work schedule?
Linda: The course weeks are divided into themes. For example, the first week theme is The Why of Connecting With Teens via Technology and the second week theme is Creating Great Teen Services Using Technology. The theme of the week provides a framework for the materials used during the week. Each week students read, view, or listen to content related to the theme, and complete one required activity. (There are also a series of recommended activities each week for students to try out if they have the time.) These activities are sometimes group activities and sometimes can be completed individually. The activities range from interviewing teens about their technology use, to watching screencasts about a particular technology, to creating a story with Storify. At the end of the class students will have a portfolio of examples that demonstrate how technology can be used with teens in the library.
Eve:
This fall YALSA is launching two brand new online courses! Monique Delatte, instructor for Growing, Managing and Defending the YA Budget, chatted with me about the course
Eve: You’re teaching a new class for YALSA that starts in October. Tell us about Growing, Managing and Defending the Young Adult Budget.
Monique: Times are tough, but librarians still want to provide patrons with exceptional library services. This course is about getting the support that you need, whether it is via grant money, Friends of the Library funding, or financial support from library management or boards. The class will also address developing a sustainable young adult services budget. Together, these skills help to build strong relationships with the funders who assist in providing the financial backing for much-needed services today and into the future.
Eve: What should students expect to learn from this course?
Monique: Most importantly, students will walk away with the tools to begin writing proposals that are addressed to the most relevant/appropriate funders, whether it is the Friends of the Library, the library director, or a corporation that serves their community. In the course, students will learn about discovering grant opportunities, creating a boilerplate description of their community, and creating successful collaborations with funders.
Eve: Tell us a little bit about the readings and assignments for this course.
Monique: Readings will include how to sell library services, how to budget, and how to find grants that are perfectly suited for your library. Assignments will also delve into what makes each community unique in terms of attracting funding.
Eve: How do class discussions work?
Monique: Each week we will discuss a new issue and students will post their ideas to an online forum. I am really looking forward to hearing from and responding to students as we discuss their successes or challenges in seeking funding. I am also interested in students’ reactions to the readings that I’ve found to be incredibly helpful to me as a grant hound.
Eve: What can students take away from this course?
Monique: Students will not only have information about where the funders are in their community, but also will create a boilerplate description of their community/funding needs that can be popped into most grant apps with only minor tweaking each time.
Eve: What motivated you to develop this course?
Monique: A number of librarians have called and written to me to ask, “Can you teach me how to write grants for my library?” Truly, grant-writing can’t be taught in a quick, casual conversation. Thinking about the folks who have reached out to me from all over the country helped to generate the idea for this course. Our discussions aided in selecting the course material, and determining the flow and goals of the course.
Eve: What are you most excited about in this course?
Monique: One of the best parts of teaching is learning from your students, because
YALSA is pleased to offer the following professional development opportunities in August. If you have questions about YALSA’s professional development, please contact Eve Gaus, YALSA’s program officer for continuing education, at [email protected] or 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5293.
August 2, Fall Course Registration Opens YALSA opens registration for its fall online courses on August 2! The fall session takes place October 4 to November 1, and we have two classes available: Growing, Managing and Defending the Young Adult Budget, taught by Monique Delatte, and Tapping Youth Participation to Strengthen Library Services, taught by Amy Alessio. Both classes last four weeks and cost $135 for YALSA members, $175 for ALA members, and $195 for nonmembers. For details on both classes and to register (after August 2), visit www.ala.org/yalsa/onlinecourses.
August 4, YALSA E-Chat In this month’s online chat, Eva Volin will lead a question-and-answer session about serving on a 2012 selection committee for YALSA. Interested in volunteering to be on one of YALSA’s booklist committees? Bring your questions to this session, which will be held in Meebo at 8 p.m. Eastern. You can access the August chat room with the password August4chat.
August 19, Back to the Facts: YA Nonfiction Webinar Join host Angela Carstensen, 2010 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Award chair on Thursday, August 19, at 2 p.m. Eastern. Learn how to collect and evaluate YA nonfiction, and see where the future of nonfiction is headed! Register today! Registration costs $39 for individual YALSA members, $49 for all other individuals. A group rate of $195 is available. Details on this webinar, and upcoming webinars, can be found at www.ala.org/yalsa/webinars.
