Jim: Here're a few ideas: Email: 1) How and why to check it, and how often. (Daily, or set up an auto-response indicating when a person will be back.) 2) Email do's and don't's, including etiquette. (This could be a 1 page list?) Would MS Word and Excel introductions be too much? I wonder whether there should be a technology placement test (and associated required mini-courses for students who don't test out) for incoming students. Before they get too far into my courses, some of which are offered to first-year students, I would like them all to be fairly competent at using a computer keyboard, web searching, email, Blackboard, MSWord (including equations), and Excel (and maybe PowerPoint). In addition, I would like students to be more aware of the huge disparity in technological background/abilities among students, faculty, and staff. (Btw, I still haven't been able to bring myself to require that students use Blackboard and/or email for communication, since I always have some very good students who strongly resist these technologies.) Getting students to know when, where, and how to ask for help, and to actually do it is a great goal. Thanks, Paul Paul A. French Associate Professor and Chair, Physics and Astronomy Department SUNY College at Oneonta Room 120 E, Physical Science Building Oneonta, NY 13820 607-436-3358 607-436-2654 (fax) 917-797-9755 (cell) > -----Original Message----- > From: Teaching Breakfast List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf > Of Jim Greenberg > Sent: Monday, June 05, 2006 9:04 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Freshman Orientation to Technology > > Tbers, > > I was recently asked to do a technology orientation for our incoming EOP > students. This got me to thinking about what our incoming students need > to > know. Here is my list. Comments? > > Orientation to Blackboard > Where the computer labs for students are located and their hours > What is Print Quota and how much do they have (how to get more) > The student Computer Help Desk... where it is and what they do > Turnitin authentication paper checking service > > What else do you think they should know about? > > > Mr. James B. Greenberg > Director Teaching, Learning and Technology Center > Milne Library > SUNY College at Oneonta > Oneonta, New York 13820 > > email: [log in to unmask] > phone: 607-436-2701 > fax: 607-436-3081 > IM: oneontatltc > > "Ignorance is curable, stupidity lasts forever"