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I have to disagree with the opinion that orientation isn't worth doing. I have done an orientation for most of my years as a HS librarian. Some years I haven't been able to do them for one reason or another. In those years without orientations, I have found that students flounder more than the years with. Especially with technology taking a larger role, it's important to have an opportunity to show them the major reference tools online and in print. Without this orientation, students tend to go directly to the Internet because they have no clue about other resources. I also find that orientation provides a foundation for the subject specific instruction I do later. Yes, it's boring. And I tell the students that up front. But I also tell them it'll be worth their while and why. We also talk about the fact that not everything you do in life will be fun and exciting. Well, that's my two cents again. I'm usually a lurker, so this is an unusual day for me! Julie Anderson, Librarian Liberty High School, a National Blue Ribbon School Renton, WA (425) 837-4901 -----Original Message----- From: Bruton, Jamae [mailto:BrutonJ@PBHS.BREVARD.K12.FL.US] Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 1999 7:33 AM To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU Subject: SEC: Freshman Orientation Someone asked about freshman orientation and although I replied directly to that person, I feel strongly enough about orientation that I though everyone in high school might be interested. I have been a high school media specialist for 25 years and did freshman orientation for about 5 of those years. I stopped because no matter how I presented the orientation or how entertaining I tried to be, eyes glazed over after about the first 2 minutes. After talking to hundreds of students and teachers, I decided to stop orientation and give research talks when a teacher assigned a project and scheduled classes in the media center. Every talk is project-specific and includes only the sources that will help with the project. Depending on the grade level, I might include general topics such as checkout procedures, location of sections of the media center, etc., but not very often because I have a printed brochure with all of the general information about the media center. Before every research talk, I ask for a show of hands of those students who have never been in our media center and give one of these brochures to each student who raises his/her hand. Believe it or not, most students will read this if they know that I am not going to go over it and yet will hold them responsible for knowing the policies and procedures. It is amazing how attentive students are to the research talks when they know they will have to use the information to complete the project. Most research talks last only about 5 to 10 minutes and are done as a PowerPoint presentation. The English teachers did not like eliminating orientation at first because that was a day that they did not have to plan the first week of school but after experiencing how much easier research projects are with the research talks and how the attention improved, they are happy to skip the orientation. Media Specialist Palm Bay High School 101 Pirate Lane Melbourne, FL 32901 phone: 407-952-5900 fax: 407-676-2891 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-= All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law. To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST), send email to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST 4) SET LM_NET MAIL * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv For LM_NET Help & Archives see: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-= All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law. To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST), send email to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST 4) SET LM_NET MAIL * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv For LM_NET Help & Archives see: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=