Course Recap for March 15

Tim Federle's Better Nate Than Ever
Today at the beginning of class you took a short reading quiz over Tribunella's "Boyhood." You then spent some time doing a bit of writing about Federle's novel. I then asked each student to write a page number or topic of interest or question they would like to explore on the board. You then spent some time as a large group discussing your thoughts on Better Nate Than Ever.

Critical Approaches to Better Nate Than Ever: Tribunella and Hermann-Wilmarth
Next I gave a short presentation on censorship and selection in children's literature; you can access that presentation HERE and on the left hand side of the course blog. HERE is a link to the article written by Federle that I reference in the presentation. We continued our discussion of Federle's novel, Tribunella's chapter, and Hermann-Wilmarth's article.

Key Questions From Class
How is boyhood figured in Better Nate Than Ever? How are humor and bullying depicted in the novel? What are censorship and selection? How might you as an educator/librarian/parent/reader/informed citizen respond to challenges to or concerns about books? How might future teachers move toward full inclusion in their classrooms?

Poster Presentation Guidelines and Proposal
During the second part of class, we spent some time going over your poster presentation. Please see the linked assignment sheet on the left hand side of the blog and HERE. Your poster presentation is worth 20% of your final grade. We went over the guidelines in detail during class. I suggest you begin work on this project now. Your poster proposal drafts are due next week (Tuesday, March 22) at the beginning of class. Your post proposal draft should include the following information (that you will type directly onto the poster proposal handout linked HERE and on the left hand side of the course blog): 1) the name of your primary text of choice [author's name and title], 2) your research question, 3) three passages from your primary text typed out [you do not need to write up your analysis/discussion of significance for the draft], 3) correct MLA citation information for three critical secondary sources [you do not need to annotate them for the draft], and 4) your thesis. You will expand upon this information when your final draft is due on April 5.

Topic and Research Question
Your first task is to choose a text that you want to write about; you can choose any text on the syllabus. Next, you should develop a research question. This question should be debatable and complex. You might explore how something functions within your text or do a comparative analysis of an idea in two texts. For examples of research questions, look to the critical articles we have been reading all semester. You should then work on pulling significant passages from your primary text and begin thinking about how you might analyze/write about the significance of these passages using the skills you practiced during the midterm exam.

Beginning Your Research
After you choose your primary text, develop a research question, and choose some significant passages from your primary text, you should begin looking for secondary sources to assist you in arguing your main points. You might use any of the suggested critical readings on the reading guide handouts for each novel. You should use the link on the left hand side of the blog "MLA International Biography: For Research" and then type in your text or topic. For example you might type: "Neil Gaiman, Coraline" or "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Rowling" or "Children's Literature, disability" or "Harry Potter, gender." You can then view the abstracts for articles or chapters by clicking on the titles. Be on the lookout for "full text"; this means that you can access the article in its entirety immediately. If you find an article or chapter you want, and the full text is not available online or the library does not carry the book, you can always order it via interlibrary loan. Articles and chapters are usually delivered (for free!) electronically within one week, therefore, now is the best time to start collecting sources so that you have them in your possession before your project is due. You are required to find at least THREE secondary sources (TWO of them should be sources not on the syllabus), and I ask that you annotate each of your sources. REMEMBER: your sources should come from children's literature journals (see the main journals listed on the left hand side of the blog) and/or books in the library. Please see me if you have a source you are wondering about (if it isn't from one of the children's lit journals, you should run it by me) or if you are struggling to find sources that relate to your text or topic. Once you've found your sources, you should then work on developing your thesis/conclusion/argument paragraph. This is the answer to your research question and should reflect the research you've done on your text and topic. See my sample poster proposal. I suggest you consult me as you go! Feel free to run your research question, thesis, sources, and MLA formatting by me during my office hours, before or after class, or send me an email. I am always happy to assist you as you work through this process.

Midterm Exams Returned
At the end of class, I went over the midterm exam with you and handed back your graded exams. On the front of your exam grading rubric I have noted your midterm exam grade, your current course grade, and the number of absences (if any) you've accrued this semester. **Please carefully review my written comments on your midterm exam.** Some of the biggest issues on the exam included: lack of details in your discussion of the significance of a passage, slipping into non-academic or informal tone in your writing, and misusing critics' arguments or terms in your argument. If you lost points for coherence and appropriate language, you should work on your writing. Continue to practice your writing in class, in your blog posts, see me in office hours, or make an appointment at the university’s writing center to work toward improving. If you received a grade lower than a C on your exam, I suggest you see me so that we can discuss how you can improve your writing and understanding of the course material. I am also happy to meet with you no matter what grade you received in order to talk through anything you are concerned about in regards to your writing or your understanding of the course material.

Remember: all grades are non-negotiable and final (unless I have made a calculation error that is not in your favor). Regardless of whatever grade you earned on the midterm, if you have any questions about your exam or how you can improve your writing, please feel free to see me during my scheduled office hours or make an appointment at a time that works better for you. For your privacy, I will not discuss your exam with you before, during, or after class in our classroom in front of other students. I WILL NOT DISCUSS YOUR EXAM WITH YOU THIS WEEK. Please carefully review all comments and wait until Tuesday of next week at the earliest to see me if you have concerns or questions.

Keep in mind: Your goal in this class is to make progress and work toward continual improvement in your writing, critical thinking, and understanding of children's literature. Think about this exam as the starting point from where you can learn, grow, improve, and move forward as a writer and scholar of literature.

Homework

• Read Neil Gaiman's Coraline and Kara K. Keeling and Scott Pollard's "The Key Is in the Mouth: Food and Orality in Coraline" 
• POSTER PROPOSAL DRAFT due at the beginning of class next week