Hello all,
Thanks to those who responded to my request for ideas on teaching teachers
OPAC and internet searching strategies. (See below for the original TARGET
request). I got quite a few requests for a hit - this is obviously a topic
that we are concerned about! A few of you did have experience and ideas -
listed below are the responses I received. THANKS for your response.
Lou Murray Gorvett
Librarian
Canadian Martyrs Elementary School Board
Waterloo Catholic District School Board
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
gorvettl@hotmail.com
********************************************
We recently configured our network so that the OPAC is available in all the
classrooms. I did a hands on lesson on how to use, prepared a handout, and
asked students to help teachers out if need be. I can now send out new books
or "Books of interest to.." via a message to check the OPAC. I also can have
teachers prepare a "Book Bag" for requested titles for their classroom. (We
use Follett). So far, so good. There a few who I know will never do any of
this, but....... Jill Brown, LMS
What programs are on your computers? What is your catalog like? Are there
special quirks to be aware of as you use it? What Internet browser is used?
Do you have access to any special data bases? Do THEY have special quirks?
Have you asked the teachers what THEY think they need or want to learn more
about? What type of inservice/training has gone over well with the staff?
What do they NOT like?
In teaching PACs to the library patrons I worked with, there was a variety
of skill levels and computer phobias. Some had NO experience with the
computer or Internet, others had some experience. The teaching method was
different depending on the experience or lack of.
The best way to do it, though, is handson stuff. Give a brief overview with
paper handouts of screens used, walk them through a search for a book, etc.
then let THEM search for something. If you are teaching the Internet, after
giving some basic details/hints, websites, search engine details, etc.,
again, let THEM work with it to find the information they need. If YOU'RE
excited about something, they will catch the enthusiasm. www.libraryspot.com
is fun, as is www.eduhound.com and www.edupuppy.com
Good luck.
Sue Adams
I've had the best success with small groups of teachers, such as departments
or grade levels. Once that is done, then you can pick up the new folks that
arrive in the upcoming years with a library orientation session. Plan to
have snacks, and keep the sessions as active as possible - I use tutorial
worksheets that have them actually using the catalog. By using screen
captures, it's easy make up a clear tutorial. I just did a session in which
I used overhead transparencies of the catalog windows to explain the Easy
Search (we use Spectrum), the gave them tutorials to go to the computers to
teach themselves Expanded (Boolean) Search and printing bibliographies. I
pretty much taught the teachers with the same style and examples I used with
students. That worked for the catalog. Good luck, Marsha Filipiak
Please do post a HIT; I have the same interest in showing the teachers how
to use OPAC, however I'm wondering what the big difference would really need
to be between what you do when instructing the kids to use it versus
instructing teachers. The main thing I see them needing to know is how to
use the "keyword" feature (as opposed to the "subject" feature), and to note
the usefulness of looking up a book on the OPAC (author name, other books by
same author, # of pages, whether it's fiction or non-, etc.); as well as how
to find any material using the Opac, even if they don't have a specific
title in mind, etc. Please let us all know of your responses. Thank you.
*****************************************************8
Original request:
My school board has recently implemented a system-wide OPAC. We have given
some thought as to how to teach the students to use the OPAC, but it is
beginning to occur to us that the staff also need instruction. I
searchedvthe archives, and didn't find much reference to helping teachers
and other staff learn how to use the OPAC or appropriate internet
searchingvstrategies, for that matter.
I am on a small committee trying to come up with a plan/guidelines on this
topic. (To complicate matters, my school board has library technicians, not
teacher-librarians. In some schools the teachers collaborate with their
library technician very well, while in others, the library technician is
seen as a very lowly member of the team...)
I would be interested in feedback on:
-Experiences teaching teachers to (properly) use the OPAC (and/or internet
search strategies)
-Suggested OPAC/searching teaching strategies/handouts aimed at teachers
(there's a lot out there aimed at kids, but doesn't seem to be much aimed at
teachers (or if there is, I'm not finding it!)
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