Course Description

An investigation of traditional and contemporary children’s literature from various cultures.

Performance surrounds us every day and has always been a vital part of conveying narrative. Oral Interpretation is “the art of communicating to an audience a work of literary art in its intellectual, emotional and aesthetic entirety.”(Gura, 2010 Oral Interpretation) We will explore storytelling through a variety of performances, analyses, and other methods to bring to life the words on a page. This semester we will work on communication and interpretation skills by exploring storytelling cultures through a study of children’s literature and related texts that have been told and retold for generations. We will do this by tapping into our creativity by experimenting through a combination of oral presentations and written work. 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will 

• Better understand the importance of storytelling to the development of culture. 
• Be able to consider and evaluate why some stories are told and retold. 
• Better understand genres and historical styles and consider and evaluate a ‘canon’  of children’s literature. 
• Be able to trace the evolution of imagery and tropes in children’s literature and media and apply it to issues in children’s literature today. 
• Employ storytelling techniques in varying settings, focusing on character, language, emotion, and the overall body. 
• Perform literature to evoke a) feelings behind the words, b) meanings of the literature, c) enjoyment of the total reading/listening/seeing experiences, and d) appreciation of the various means of communicating literature 
• Develop oral and written interpretations of a text supported with an eye to intertextuality and adaptation using evidence gained through close reading, visual analysis, and performance analysis. 
• Have a toolbox of performance techniques and exercises with which to approach presentations. 
• Increase comfort with technology that allows us to communicate and share stories in new mediums.

Contacting Me

Email

Please email me at this link. Or use the button at the bottom of each page.

• As I work across multiple CUNY campuses, emails addressed through Blackboard or to a CUNY address have historically sometimes disappeared. 
• I check my email a minimum of twice a day, except on Friday afternoons and all day Saturday. 
• Please resend if your message requires a response and you have not received one in 48 hours. 
  Before sending any message, please check that the answer is not already available somewhere on the course website or syllabus.

Office Hours

• Fridays, 10-11 am; please email ahead to confirm Zoom is open. I am also available by appointment.
• The link is on the Zoom links page

Modalities and Course Materials

Our class will be using a combination of a unique website and Zoom and for our work together. Assignment completion will be tracked in Blackboard. 

Rather than meeting twice weekly, this course is taught in a hybrid model using synchronous time and asynchronous materials.   Our class meets for only 75 minutes a week instead of 150 minutes per week.  As such, you should expect to spend a significant amount of time with materials outside the Zoom session, covering the preparation and the additional time you would have otherwise been in class.

Synchronous sessions will meet via  Zoom on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-7:45 pm. We will use this time for class discussion, additional lectures, small group work, and presentation exercises.  Please come prepared with the materials for that week’s module complete.   You should join class from a space that allows you to focus fully on the class session.  We may use other online technology so I recommend having another device (phone, tablet, etcc.) with you if available.

Asynchronous material is found in the course modules on the website. Each week’s module will include a checklist of readings and activities. Modules should be completed by SUNDAY AT NOON, ahead of the class session for that week. This allows your classmates and me time to engage with your responses before we meet on Tuesday evening. Modules include not only the kind of reading and research work that you would traditionally do outside of the classroom setting but also activities that you might expect to happen in the classroom, specifically engaging with student presentations. You are expected to watch classmate’s presentations and respond to them as assigned.

Weekly Schedule

• A weekly module including readings and other activities is due on Sunday at noon. There is a weekly checklist of the module content.  Any additional assignments are due at the same time.   
• Between Sunday and our Tuesday evening class, please revisit discussions to respond to each other.
• Tuesday evening Zoom sessions are from 6:30-7:45 pm. 

Required Course Material and Technology

Course Content:

• All required materials for this course will be available through the classroom website or in electronic form from the Brooklyn College Library. 
• You must know how to access digital materials through the college library.
• Any materials you need for individual projects will be up to you to procure (though I can help.) 
• You may wish to create a free archive.org account to be able to access and borrow additional materials for these projects, or to make use of a public library.
• You will need to be able to record video/audio and be able to upload files to YouTube.

Class Website 

• Our class will make use of a website on the CUNY Academic Commons. All of our class readings and assignments are listed and linked on this website.  The website is set up to have you work through materials in a particular order each class week.   
• Each module begins with a checklist.  To navigate through the module, use the buttons at the bottom of each page.  Modules end with a physical exercise to try at home. 
• Most materials in our weekly modules that are on the course site are publicly available.
• This class asks you to engage in a form of public scholarship by commenting on and discussing the course materials.  
• You will receive an invitation to the site to enable you to contribute and post most assignments.  You will need access to a CUNY email to get set up on the Commons.  After that, you can use any email you wish.
• You will create web posts with some of your presentations and assignments.  Your posts are behind a passworded section of the site.  
• By creating posts for your assignments, you will gain valuable transferable skills. The CUNY Academic Commons is a WordPress-based platform available to the entire CUNY community.  It allows anyone to create their own website or become an author on another site, as you will be for this class.
• Additional sections on the site have extra resources to help with your assignments. Recommended materials are also linked.  Explore!

Class Password

• Any material that needs to be password-protected will use the password available on Blackboard. 

Zoom

• We will be using Zoom for our weekly synchronous sessions on Tuesday evenings.
• Our Zoom sessions are not passive; you will be asked to engage, discuss, and do small group work.
• The Zoom link can be found on Blackboard and the course website.
• While you are not required to turn on your camera (though it is REALLY encouraged and helpful for discussion!), please add a photo to your profile so that we can associate names with the faces we see in the presentations.  
• Keeping your cameras on will help build a more supportive and engaged environment. 
• Please be sure that the Zoom has your full attention. 
  • Please send me a private message if you need to step away for a quick moment so that I do not call on you.  
  • We will regularly use breakout rooms; you are expected to participate in the conversations and activities.
  • Support your classmates, and don’t just disappear on them in a breakout room.
  • I’m happy to have your kids, pets, etc. join!  I will let you know if, at any time, a child’s presence may be inappropriate (based on class content). 
• Please keep yourself on mute when not speaking
• Please feel free to speak up when I ask questions or use the Zoom feature to call my attention to your breakout room if need be. 
• Make full use of the ‘reactions’ and ‘raise hand’ features. I welcome engagement! 
• Please use the chat, particularly if you have questions as we discuss or to add thoughts if you don’t want to speak up.
• I will sometimes poll the room – Answer! These are usually anonymous.  
• At some points, I may ask you to interact and co-work on another document or platform.  Please be sure you can do so.
• I will use Zoom’s “Waiting Room” function to let everyone into the room at the start of class and during my office hours.  

Additional Technology

• You will need the ability to record video presentations in some form.
• Presentation videos should be uploaded to YouTube as UNLISTED videos to enable you to embed them on our course site. This will also allow for automatic captioning for accessibility.
• We may make use of other no-cost technologies throughout the semester. 

At no time should access to materials or technology be a prohibiting factor from allowing full engagement in this course.  If you have a concern, please email me to work out a solution ahead of time.

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Attendance

We have a limited amount of time together over the semester. Use it wisely. 

• If you are really sick – don’t feel like you have to Zoom in. Get well.
• If this causes you to miss more than two sessions in a row, we’ll discuss an asynchronous make-up option.   
• If you email me to let me know that you’ll be absent, I appreciate it, but may not always have a moment to respond.
• Everyone needs a mental health day now and then; you get one, no questions asked. However, this does not excuse you from turning in assignments or completing the weekly modules.
• Unexcused absences and excessive lateness will factor into our final grade assessment.

Timely asynchronous engagement is equivalent to attendance.

General Class Policies

In this class, I aim to create a space where learning happens through engagement with materials, experimentation, practice, and interaction within a community of peers.

• Respect each other and me.
  • Arrive on time and prepared for Zoom
  • Attend class from a space that will allow you to fully engage
  • Having your camera on helps build a learning community
  • Offer productive and specific feedback when assigned
  • Have good intentions and assume good intentions.  Be constructive not critical.
• Engage
  • Participating doesn’t just mean speaking up or being on Zoom, it’s also listening and online discussion.
  • Listen and respond to each other, not just me.
  • Have good intentions for your fellow students. Assume good intentions from one another
• Experiment!
  • It’s okay to make mistakes, not succeed at something, try something out, etc., because that is how you learn.
  • Ask questions! Questions lead to further learning and exploration.

Academic Integrity

Official BC policy: The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an environment free from cheating and plagiarism. Each student is responsible for being aware of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism and for avoiding both. The complete text of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy and the Brooklyn College procedure for policy implementation can be found at www.brooklyn.edu/policies. If a faculty member suspects a violation of academic integrity and, upon investigation, confirms that violation, or if the student admits the violation, the faculty member MUST report the violation. Students should be aware that faculty may use plagiarism detection software.

My Addendum: Plagiarism is the representation of work that is not your own as yours via lack of citation, improper citation, direct copying, etc. I expect you to properly cite material for this course in a style of your choice. (I recommend MLA or Chicago based on the materials we will be using. 

It takes more effort to plagiarize well then it does to do any of the assignments for this course and you only cheat yourself. 

A Note About AI Generative Writing

We will discuss the use of AI-generated writing for creation, research, and editing in class. It can be a useful tool at times.  However, materials that appear generated by an AI system may raise questions of plagiarism.  .  AI-supported writing should always cite the generator as a source.   I expect that unless asked to use AI, all materials submitted are your work exclusively. Writing and engagement are meant to reflect your ideas. The prompts in the asynchronous materials are designed to bring out your thoughts, not just repeat the module’s content.

Course Component Overview – Read, Engage, Write

Read. 

It truly is the best way to learn.   This class will present you with a broad range of literature that has been written for young people.  We will be thinking about how and why certain stories have been presented to children and why some stories continue to be told.  Some of what has been given to children to read historically may surprise and even shock you.  We will be encountering difficult and troubling material in this course. I will try to give heads up when possible and you can always speak to me about materials.

You will be reading a lot.  

Some texts will also include audio recordings if you prefer.  You will find that some texts you may be able to skim through quickly, while others will take more engagement. 

Engage. 

This class aims to improve your presentation skills and your facility by speaking about and using literature. Active participation is vital. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and try to tap into your creative energy.

Participate  

• There will be discussions as a class and as smaller groups in breakout rooms during class time.  Speak up and use the chat!
• There will also be activities that we do in class or individually as part of the course materials that work on training the voice and body.  You may feel silly about this at times.  Embrace it!
• Offer feedback to your peers. 

Performances/Presentations

Performances are the foundation of this course. These are where you will put into action the skills you are developing. 

• There will be four presentations in total, each approximately five minutes long. Most of these will be from the material of your choice for a given topic; one presentation will be an assigned book of roughly a middle-grade reading level.
• You will deliver these presentations as video recordings.  These will then be uploaded to YouTube and embedded on the course site for your classmates.
• Presentations should all be between 3-6 minutes in total length. Be aware of time to be respectful of classmates giving you feedback. 
• Performances will always include an introduction where you offer us context and a brief oral analysis of the material you are presenting.
• REHEARSE. It helps.  You don’t need to take multiple takes of your videos but do rehearse before you record.
• Try things out! Experiment! Be creative! Don’t be afraid not to have something work out just right. The performances are meant to be learning experiences, not perfection.
• Please pay close attention to the directions for each assignment.   
• You may be asked to submit your performance choices ahead of time. This will help me guide you and warn you if something may not work for the assignment parameters. 
• Video presentations do not have to be elaborate; we are looking at your presentation skills, not your house.
  • They can be recorded on your phone, by you, by someone else, etc.
  • The focus is on developing your skill as a storyteller and reader, not on additional effects or video production.  
  • Don’t feel like you have to take multiple takes or do any editing.
• YOU are the focus, not a book’s text or its images.  Feel free to interact with the images and show them to us, but the majority of the video should be of you, not a voiceover, and not the images taking up the majority of the screen.  

Listen/Give and Recieve Feedback

• Everyone starts from a different comfort level when creating these performances. Please be respectful to one another. 
• You will be assigned a certain number of your peers’ performances to respond to.
• Before I give feedback, I will ask you to give feedback and constructive criticism to each other.
  • Do you tend to do something that they are doing? How do you overcome it? Do you have a question for the presenter (or me) about how to do something that you see and like? What might help the presenter go further the next time? 
  • Do you have a question or comment about the material that they are presenting? Ask!
  • Try to be specific and limit criticism to one point or idea, but ask as many questions and give as many compliments as you wish!  
• I will give feedback in class or digitally on your individual or collective performances. 
• Please read my feedback on the videos to which you have responded with feedback (and others as well if you wish). It will give you valuable tips for improving your own presentations.
• Carefully consider how you might apply feedback. I may ask you to try something again with a specific suggestion in mind. Do your best and give it a try.  
• I encourage you to look at and comment on more than just your assigned videos.

Write. Analyze. Research. Edit.

Reading and Presentations are the basis of this course, but the ability to communicate ideas in writing is a vital skill that needs continuous practice to build and maintain. Academic writing is a way for you to respond to the views around you and synthesize them with your thoughts creating new knowledge that can be shared.  This process is one of the most challenging things that we can do as human beings. It involves constant decision-making.  Good academic writing requires you to hold multiple pieces of information in your brain, think about what they mean,  and anticipate a potential reader (even if it is just yourself!) to whom you have to explain the connections that underlie your thinking.  Even though writing may seem like a solitary process, it never really is.  The best writing is collaborative and goes through edits.   Expect throughout the semester to share your writing not only with me but also with your peers. 

• Throughout the course material, you will see different questions and prompts in the course materials that you will respond to. This is public writing for you to engage with your classmates.  Give care and consideration to these prompts. 
• You will be doing one research project resulting in an annotated bibliography. It is the main formal written component of this class. Please take this project as seriously as you would a final paper.
• There will be a final 2-page self-reflection for the course that is required to receive a grade in the class. 
• Full directions for all assignments will be included on the class site. 

Late Work

You know if you need an extension on a written assignment. That’s fine; it happens.  I’d rather you engage with the work fully than be rushed and complete it at the last minute. That said, if you turn in late work, I will not be able to give it back to you with the same timeliness and thoroughness as if you submit it on time. You will also not be able to engage in peer feedback, a vital part of the learning process.  Turning your work in on time is a sign of respect for your classmates and me. 

I expect that you will take excessive absences, lateness, and late assignments as part of your thinking about your overall course grade.   I reserve the right to revise this grade due to excessive lateness.

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Brooklyn College Policies

Disability Services

Official BC policy: The Center for Student Disability Services (CSDS) is committed to ensuring students with disabilities enjoy an equal opportunity to participate at Brooklyn College. In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations, students must first be registered with CSDS. Students who have a documented disability or suspect they may have a disability are invited to schedule an interview by calling (718) 951-5538 or emailing [email protected] 

If you have already registered with CSDS, email [email protected]  or [email protected] to ensure accommodation emails are sent to your professor.

My Addendum:

I do my best to make my materials as accessible as possible.  I am aware that the process of seeking official accommodations is challenging and may take a prolonged time.  If you have a specific need that is not already being met, please let me know, regardless of official status. Accessible accommodation is something that we should all default to and that we will work as a class to increase.

Other Important Brooklyn College Policies

• Student Bereavement Policies – https://www.brooklyn.edu/policies/bereavement/
• Observance of Religious Holidays: information about non-attendance because of religious beliefs, noted in the frontmatter of the Undergraduate Bulletin and Graduate Bulletin. These may be found on the Bulletins page of the Registrar’s website. – https://www.brooklyn.edu/registrar/bulletins/ 

Sexual and Gender-based Harassment, Discrimination, and Title IX

Brooklyn College is committed to fostering a safe, equitable and productive learning environment. Students experiencing any form of prohibited discrimination or harassment on or off campus can find information about the reporting process, their rights, specific details about confidentiality, and reporting obligations of Brooklyn College employees on the Office of Diversity and Equity Programs website.

All reports of sexual misconduct or discrimination should be made to Michelle Vargas, Title IX Coordinator (718.951.5000, ext. 3689), and may also be made to Public Safety (719.951.5511), the New York City Police Department (911 or a local NYPD precinct), or Melissa Chan, Associate Director of Judicial Affairs, Division of Student Affairs (718.951.5352), as appropriate.