Graduate Credit Courses (Certificate and Nondegree)

Click here for a PDF of our Spring 2008 brochure. All of the courses below are offered online. Check our Online Learning webpage for more information about taking a class online.

Youth Literature Online Certificate Program

This fifteen-credit advanced study of youth literature is designed for teachers, librarians, and other individuals who are concerned with passing on our literary heritage to youth in a technological age. Fourteen different courses are offered in a three year cycle, of which you must select five to earn the certificate. To qualify for admission you must have a master's degree in library science, education, or a related field, or hold a bachelor's degree and have sigificant work experience. You can enter the program in any semester; you may also take these courses individually without pursuing a certificate. For more information about the certificate program, check our Youth Literature Online Certificate Program website. The Spring 2008 courses are:

Gender and Culture in Children's Picture Books 17:611:584  
In this course you will work online to develop an understanding of: criteria for evaluating children's picture books for their cultural authenticity; different illustrative techniques and their effectiveness for particular texts; problems of translating children's books from one language and culture to another; and the variety of materials available and publishing trends in multiculturalism. Coursework will emphasize books that use powerful verbal and visual images to promote self esteem and cultural awareness among young children. You will participate in online discussions with your colleagues in the course and with various experts in other parts of this country and abroad. Prerequisites: experience in a children's literature course is strongly recommended; experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques; your own reliable Internet account; and the hardware and software required for an online course (see Technical Requirements at http://rutgersonline.net). Sessions: this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs January 22nd through May 5th. 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20.

Children's Literature Goes to the Movies 17:611:581  
This course will examine the interpretive structures of American children's movies based on children's literature. Discussions will center on a variety of contemporary issues, including how literal fidelity relates to creative license (i.e., adaptation versus translation); how evolving understandings of race, gender, ethnicity and age affect filmic interpretation and presentation; and whether a book's theme or core narrative can be divided from the vast body of cultural, ideological and political influences that constitute its identity. We will also examine questions such as how successful children's films of the past impose upon the presentation of new works. We will also ask students to decide whether knowledge of the original book enriches the experience of going to the movies (and the movie enriches one's understanding of the original book), or whether movie and book are essentially separate. Films we have studied in the past include: The Little Mermaid , Snow White, Cinderella, Aladdin, Pinocchio, I Am the Cheese, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Matilda, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, The Fellowship of the Ring, Jumani, Shrek, and several versions of Little Women. Note that you will be required both to read the literature and view the films; all required films will be readily available from popular video outlets. Prerequisites: experience in a children's literature course is strongly recommended; experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques; your own reliable Internet account; and the hardware and software required for an online course (see Technical Requirements at http://rutgersonline.net). Sessions: this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs January 22nd through May 5th. 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20.

School Library Media Studies

Our graduate courses are appropriate for school library media specialists and those contemplating moving into the school library media center. For general information about New Jersey requirements for work in school libraries and the courses we offer, please check our School Library Media Studies webpage.

We believe the best preparation you can have to work as a school librarian is an MLIS degree and the full School Library Media Certification. For details about Rutgers' MLIS degree, including information about the program in New Brunswick and the online program, please check the MLIS website. However, if you are pursing the Associate School Library Media Certification, or if you have an MLIS but need to fill in some coursework to qualify for the full School Library Media Certification, please contact Melanie Andrich at mandrich@rutgers.edu  or 732-932-7169 for information about using our courses towards your requirements.

These courses in the school library media area are being offered in Spring 2008:

Developing User-Centered Educational Media 17:611:513
In this course you will explore user-centered approaches to the production of a variety of print and multimedia resources for school library media centers. We will examine a range of uses of educational media and develop criteria for evaluating the effectiveness, quality, and credibility of resources. Students will have hands-on experience in planning and developing the following resources: bibliographies from print, database, and non-print resources, evaluation criteria of media, WebQuests, Power Point and other electronic presentations, and websites. Prerequisites: experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course (see Technical Requirements at http://rutgersonline.net). Sessions : this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs January 22nd through May 5th. Instructor: Pat Morris. 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20.

Cataloging for School and Small Public Libraries 17:611:530
This cataloging course will focus on the needs and resource constraints of school and small public libraries. We will emphasize Dewey Decimal Classification and Library of Congress Subject Headings, and issues of metadata will be examined. Participation in shared cataloging utilities and the purchase of commercially provided cataloging will be explored. Handling of non-print and print materials, and the use of microcomputers for technical services will be included. Prerequisites: experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course(see Technical Requirements at http://rutgersonline.net). Sessions : this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs January 22nd through May 5th. Instructor: Irene Percelli. 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20.

Information Sources and Services 17:611:531
This course is an introduction to standard print and electronic reference resources, placing emphasis on access to information through reference tools and the uses of information by students in K-12 schools and libraries. Course content focuses on how school library media specialists can develop information-literate students by teaching information processing skills and by building an excellent reference collection in their school media centers. Although this course is conducted online, frequent visits to a well-stocked school and/or public library will be necessary in order both to complete assignments and to become acquainted with the reference materials discussed. Prerequisites: experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course (see Technical Requirements at http://rutgersonline.net). Sessions: this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs January 22nd through May 5th. Instructor: Shayne Russell. 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20.

An Educator's Survey of Children's Literature 17:611:547
Whether you took a children's literature course years ago or are a self-taught professional, our survey of children's literature will energize your work with students aged three to twelve. This class will examine print and nonprint materials, including some of the old classics and some of the newer acclaimed books. We will look at research related to children and reading and discuss publishing trends and issues such as intellectual freedom. During the semester you will enhance your ability to select and use books in your classroom or school media center lessons. Prerequisites: experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course (see Technical Requirements at http://rutgersonline.net). Sessions: this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs January 22nd through May 5th. Instructor: Grace Oliff. 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20.

An Educator's Survey of Young Adult Literature 17:611:549
This survey course of young adult literature (books for teenagers) is designed especially for teachers, school media specialists, and other educators. The focus is on contemporary books aimed at readers ages 12-18. The course provides the opportunity to explore this rich literature and to create lesson plans, booktalks, webquests, and other material useful in the school library or classroom. The emphasis is on reading widely and on intense engagement with the texts. Students will read thirty to forty titles in the course of the semester. Prerequisites: experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course (see Technical Requirements at http://rutgersonline.net). Sessions : this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs January 22nd through May 5th. Instructor: GraceAnne DeCandido. 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20.

Field Experience 17:611:592
Field experience involves supervised professional work in a library or other information organization. It is required for all individuals seeking certification for school library job titles, whether or not you are emergency or provisionally certified. Students will work under the supervision of a certified professional and in conjunction with a faculty adviser. Coursework includes a minimum of 150 hours of work in a semester, keeping a journal of the experience as well as issues to be explored, attendance at meetings with the faculty adviser, and a brief summary paper. Placement at a work site is based on the student's background and career objectives and must be done through the Professional Development Studies office. Please note that Field Experience is not the same thing as your first year of work in a school library under provisional certification. Check our FAQ for further explanation. Sessions: this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs class runs January 22nd through May 5th. Instructor: Alice Yucht. 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20.

Arrangements for a field experience must be made by December 1, 2007 for Spring 2008. Students should have completed a minimum of 12 credits in the program, including 611:510 Coordination of School Library Media Programs and Services (or its equivalent) before registering for Field Experience. Students who are emergency or provisionally certified should specify this when requesting field experience so the experience can be designed appropriately.

Courses in the Education Sequence

The two courses below are part of a three-course program that meets the N.J.A.C. requirements for school librarians who have no teaching background to "complete a coherent college program at a regionally accredited college or university that includes a minimum of nine semester-hour credits in educational theory, curriculum design and integration, teaching methodology, student/learning development, and behavior management." Details about our program are available here.

Curriculum Design/Integration and Teaching Methodologies for the School Library Media Specialist
17:611:521
This course is an introduction to teaching strategies and learning models used in the classroom and library media center. Students will focus on new trends in educational research and identify current trends in instruction. Emphasis will be placed on the planning and construction of lesson plans and units of study based on principles of curriculum design for the instruction and integration of New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning. Prerequisites: permission to enroll in this course will be granted to students who are seeking certification as a school library media specialist or associate chool library media specialist, as evidenced by current or previous enrollment in appropriate coursework; experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course (see Technical Requirements at http://rutgersonline.net). Sessions : this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs January 22nd through May 5th. Instructor: Marjorie Pappas 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20 per section.

Student Learning Development and Behavior Management for the School Library Media Specialist 17:611:522
An introduction to the characteristics and learning styles of learners, techniques for classroom management, and rules and expectations in the school library and classroom. Prerequisites: permission to enroll in this course will be granted to students who are seeking certification as a school library media specialist or associate chool library media specialist, as evidenced by current or previous enrollment in appropriate coursework; experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course (see Technical Requirements at http://rutgersonline.net). Sessions: this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs January 22nd through May 5th. Instructor: Debbie Sparnon 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20 per section.

Registration

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