Young Adult Book Talk Presentation
Crossing theWire, by Will Hobbs Corey Allen LIST 5326 University of Texas at Arlington

ACADEMIC HONESTY STATEMENT
 I have read and understand the UTA Academic Honesty clause as follows. “Academic

dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form at The University of Texas at Arlington. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University. “Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts.” (Regents‟ Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3, Subsection 3.2., Subdivision 3.22).”
 Further, I declare that the work being submitted for this assignment is my original work (e.g.,

not copied from another student or copied from another source) and has not been submitted for another class.
 Corey Allen  February 6, 2011

Background Information
I am currently teaching at an International Baccalaureate World School where I am a technology instructor for the Middle Years Programme level I (grade 6). I am certified as a secondary level teacher in the state of Texas with credentials in social studies composite grades, secondary fine arts, generalist grades 4-8, special education supplemental, and English as a second language. My goal upon finishing the master‟s degree program in curriculum with a concentration in literacy studies at the University of Texas at Arlington is to obtain my master reading teacher certification and to continue my education so that I may receive a diagnostician credential.

Background Information Continued
Because there is no required text for the course that I teach, I rely solely on trade books and other supplemental resources. The curriculum is based on exploring the I.B. areas of interaction through lenses of various I.B. learner profiles. My semester long course focuses on a deep understanding of the nine components of digital citizenship. I teach the nine components by using various multi-media sources and reading passages from Born Digital : Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives (2008) by John Palfrey and Urs Gasser. Also included in the course is a book study of The Gospel According to Larry (2001) by Janet Tasjian. This novel tells the story about Josh, a young man who poses as Larry on the internet and gains a cult following. Josh‟s desire to influence the world reflects the passion of many adolescents; his assumption of a false identity via his website prompts many discussions about ethics, risks, and possibilities presented by electronic media.

Background Information Continued
At first, my technology students were wary of the amount of reading involved in the course as their definition of technology narrowly included video games and FaceBook. As the students learn about the nine components of digital citizenship, the reading passages became more enjoyable as they directly applied to their lives in a digital world. The student‟s especially enjoyed reading The Gospel According to Larry (2001) by Janet Tashjian . Students explored the themes of ethics, risks, and possibilities presented by electronic media by creating and responding to blog posts. For the first time, my students acted as both producers and consumers while participating in web 2.0 activities.

Connection to Standards
The young adult literature booktalk presentation for Crossing theWire by Will Hobbs, demonstrates my understanding of the following national standards and state competencies: IRA Standard 1: Foundational Knowledge, TExES Competency 005: Fluency and TSOL Domain 1: Language. An