WOW, this is great information!
Sherry Scoville
Elementary Librarian
AISR Riyadh, KSA
>From: Lou Murray Gorvett <gorvettl@HOTMAIL.COM>
>Reply-To: Lou Murray Gorvett <gorvettl@HOTMAIL.COM>
>To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
>Subject: HIT: Teacher use of OPAC
>Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 15:10:49 -0500
>
>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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Sherry
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