Last Class Session Reminders

I feel like I've already said this several times, and posted about it previously, but just in case, here are some last minute reminders about what is expected for our last class session. (I know it can be hard to keep everything straight, with the expectations from all of your different classes.)

• Here is a final checklist for class Wednesday:
• Hand in blog log.
• Bring to class the books you reviewed for your final project, to share with classmates.
• On your blog you should also have:
  Final project: 3-5 book reviews (depending on if you used picture books or novels or a combination), 1 professional resource review, 1 post in which you reflect on an aspect of your project as a whole

"Public" post for final project:

• Over the weekend, you should have received an invitation to be a contributor to the "Issues of Diversity in Children's and Adolescent Literature" blog. Respond as directed to this email. Choose one or more of your book reviews to post on this blog. Remember to follow the model for full citation and labels for the posts.

For next week (finals week) due Wednesday, April 30, class time

• Final course post: Find some time in the upcoming week to reread your questioning the text papers, look over the course syllabus, and page through the course readings. Then write a short reflection that highlights how your thinking about diverse literature has changed over the semester. What have you learned? How has your reading/understanding of diverse literature changed over the semester? Do you have new questions/concerns? Where will you go from here? Focus on whichever prompt(s) make sense for you! (This is not a course paper. The idea is to highlight, in a concise manner, a few key points!)

Any questions? See you in class!

Session 13 - GLBTQ Lit and loose ends, Final Projects

This coming week in class:

• We will be discussing GLBTQ literature, with Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan for our book discussion. Everyone will be writing their final Questioning the Text paper this week.
• One of the short articles we are reading is also by Levithan (2004), and the other by McLean (1997). Come to class with your responses to these articles and ideas to contribute to class discussion.
• You might also want to check out a blog on GLBTQ lit called Worth the Trip--an excellent resource and just great reading.

• We will also spend a bit of time in class catching up on a bit of review we didn't get to last week. Be prepared to review what questions you should ask of diverse lit and what characteristics you should look for in diverse lit. We'll compare to the list you made earlier in the semester and see how you've progressed.
• I'd also like to revisit what questions you still have, what is still troubling you, about issues covered in the course. What work will you still have to do when you leave this class?

Blogging:

• How does your Blog log look? Are you up to date? Will you be ready to turn in your log on the last day of class (that's when it's due)? Note any extra credit blogs (also not part of your assigned # of blogs.)
• There will be one more required blog, (that "counts" on your log) that will be a reflection of the semester. I will discuss more details on what that should entail in class.

Answers to some questions about Final Projects:

• Your final project will be a series of posts on your blog. These do NOT count as part of your regular blogging assignment.
• Each book review should be posted as a separate blog post. Your review of the professional resource is also a separate blog, with full citation for the resource. One more separate post for your reflection of your final project as a whole.
• You will chose one (or more if you like) of your book reviews to post on our "public blog" which was begun last semester, and will carry on next semester as well. You will receive information on how to post there next week.
• Bring up any further questions in class or comment on this post and I will reply for everyone.

I like you to think about how you would like to share your final projects on the last day of class. I have some ideas, but I'd like to hear your input.