Enhancing Youth Achievement Through Telementoring
2
Technology Briefs Enhancing Youth Achievement Through Telementoring ccording to a report from the Office of Juvenile Justice A and Delinquency Prevention,’ youth who participated in a mentor program for at least a year were 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 27% less likely to begin using alcohol, 53% less likely to skip school, 37% less likely to skip a class, and 33% less likely to hit someone. These results are impressive because the mentoring program did not provide tutoring and anti-drug counseling - it simply provided adult friendship on a regular and intensive basis. Mentoring, despite the numerous benefits, is underuti- lized. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’ between 5 million and 15 million children could benefit from being matched with a mentor. However, a scarcity of resources and a limited number of available adults has hindered the successful implementation of many mentoring programs. Telementoring may provide one response to this need. WHAT IS TELEMENTORING? Telementoring is an electronic version of mentoring, in which an older, more experienced person shares his or her experience and expertise with a younger protCgC in a way that helps the protCgt achieve a goal or gain entry into the mentor’s world.’ There are three broad categories of tele- mentoring activities.’ Ask an Expert. Ask an expert formats are generally a single exchange where a student poses a question and the answer is provided by an expert in the field. In some formats these questions and answers are recorded and posted on web sites for other students to see and for future reference. Pair Mentoring. Pair mentoring involves a long-term relationship between a student and volunteer that combines educational and social development goals. The mentor serves as an adult role model while providing learning opportunities and enhanced understanding into a specific topic area through the use of email, text, audio, video, and other technologies. Group Mentoring. In group mentoring an expert or group of experts is matched with a group of learners through technology. Group mentoring may be either a single exchange or conducted over an extended period of time. Most telementoring programs require basic computer technology. An Internet-ready computer with modem and an up-to-date browser such as Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, or Opera is required. Additionally, an email or other communication software such as chat room, bulletin board, or instant messaging service is needed. WHY USE TELEMENTORING IN THE CLASSROOM? According to the Office of Educational Research, tele- mentoring supports collaborative learning which has been documented to improve academic achievement, improve behavior and attendance, increase self-confidence and motivation, and increase liking of school and classmate^.^ Telementoring has been shown to increase academic test scores, raise self-esteem, decrease negative stereotypes of other races or ethnic groups, and enhance comprehension of content and skills.5 Critical thinking skills are enhanced using telementoring.6Telementoring may help students feel a part of a larger community of learning.’ Finally telemen- toring increases access to and interactivity with geographi- cally distant experts, research, and resources to which students would not otherwise be exposed.8 TELEMENTORING RESOURCES AND EXAMPLES These resources provide online mentoring activities appropriate for use with any grade level. The Mad Scientist Network httpj//www. madsci. org/ This site allows students to interact with experts at the Washington University School of Medicine. The “labora- tory that never sleeps” is filled with archived questions. In addition, students from all grades are encouraged to submit questions to expert mentors. EPALS h ttp j//www.epals. com/cgi-binhearch.cgi ?ca t= Ne w Epals allows teachers to list their classroom and desired level of interaction with more than 22,000 classroom profiles of classes around the world. Electronic Emissary httpd’www. emissary.ots. utexas.edu/emissary/i’ndex. html From a 7th grade Drug Awareness Project to 12th graders discussing diet and nutrition, the University of Texas Electronic Emissary program is a valuable telemen- toring resource tool. An extensive “How to” library also is available. Compiled bv Shannon Perez, MHSE, Doctoral Student. Dept. of Health Science Education, University of Florida, Box I18210, Gainesville, FL 32611-8210: and Steve M. Dorman, PhD, MPH, FASHA, Assistant Editor for Technology, Journal of School Health, Division of Health and Safety, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77943-4243. The Mentor Center httpj//mc.musenet.org/ The Mentor Center, sponsored by the National School Network, allows students to send assignments to mentors 122 9 Journal of School Health March 2001, Vol. 71, No. 3
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Transcript of Enhancing Youth Achievement Through Telementoring
Technology Briefs
Enhancing Youth Achievement Through Telementoring
ccording to a report from the Office of Juvenile Justice A and Delinquency Prevention,’ youth who participated in a mentor program for at least a year were 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 27% less likely to begin using alcohol, 53% less likely to skip school, 37% less likely to skip a class, and 33% less likely to hit someone. These results are impressive because the mentoring program did not provide tutoring and anti-drug counseling - it simply provided adult friendship on a regular and intensive basis.
Mentoring, despite the numerous benefits, is underuti- lized. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’ between 5 million and 15 million children could benefit from being matched with a mentor. However, a scarcity of resources and a limited number of available adults has hindered the successful implementation of many mentoring programs. Telementoring may provide one response to this need.
WHAT IS TELEMENTORING? Telementoring is an electronic version of mentoring, in
which an older, more experienced person shares his or her experience and expertise with a younger protCgC in a way that helps the protCgt achieve a goal or gain entry into the mentor’s world.’ There are three broad categories of tele- mentoring activities.’
Ask an Expert. Ask an expert formats are generally a single exchange where a student poses a question and the answer is provided by an expert in the field. In some formats these questions and answers are recorded and posted on web sites for other students to see and for future reference.
Pair Mentoring. Pair mentoring involves a long-term relationship between a student and volunteer that combines educational and social development goals. The mentor serves as an adult role model while providing learning opportunities and enhanced understanding into a specific topic area through the use of email, text, audio, video, and other technologies.
Group Mentoring. In group mentoring an expert or group of experts is matched with a group of learners through technology. Group mentoring may be either a single exchange or conducted over an extended period of time.
Most telementoring programs require basic computer technology. An Internet-ready computer with modem and an up-to-date browser such as Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, or Opera is required. Additionally, an email or
other communication software such as chat room, bulletin board, or instant messaging service is needed.
WHY USE TELEMENTORING IN THE CLASSROOM?
According to the Office of Educational Research, tele- mentoring supports collaborative learning which has been documented to improve academic achievement, improve behavior and attendance, increase self-confidence and motivation, and increase liking of school and classmate^.^ Telementoring has been shown to increase academic test scores, raise self-esteem, decrease negative stereotypes of other races or ethnic groups, and enhance comprehension of content and skills.5 Critical thinking skills are enhanced using telementoring.6 Telementoring may help students feel a part of a larger community of learning.’ Finally telemen- toring increases access to and interactivity with geographi- cally distant experts, research, and resources to which students would not otherwise be exposed.8
TELEMENTORI NG RESOURCES AND EXAMPLES
These resources provide online mentoring activities appropriate for use with any grade level.
The Mad Scientist Network http j//www. madsci. org/
This site allows students to interact with experts at the Washington University School of Medicine. The “labora- tory that never sleeps” is filled with archived questions. In addition, students from all grades are encouraged to submit questions to expert mentors.
EPALS h ttp j//www. epals. com/cgi- binhearch. cgi ?ca t= Ne w
Epals allows teachers to list their classroom and desired level of interaction with more than 22,000 classroom profiles of classes around the world.
Electronic Emissary httpd’www. emissary.ots. utexas.edu/emissary/i’ndex. html
From a 7th grade Drug Awareness Project to 12th graders discussing diet and nutrition, the University of Texas Electronic Emissary program is a valuable telemen- toring resource tool. An extensive “How to” library also is available.
Compiled bv Shannon Perez, MHSE, Doctoral Student. Dept. of Health Science Education, University of Florida, Box I18210, Gainesville, FL 32611-8210: and Steve M. Dorman, PhD, MPH, FASHA, Assistant Editor for Technology, Journal of School Health, Division of Health and Safety, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77943-4243.
The Mentor Center httpj//mc.musenet.org/
The Mentor Center, sponsored by the National School Network, allows students to send assignments to mentors
122 9 Journal of School Health March 2001, Vol. 71, No. 3
who then review the student work with a teacher oversee- ing the exchange.
HP Telementor Program httpd'www. telementor. org
The Hewlett Packard Telementor Program, hosted by the International Telementor Center at Colorado State University, provides experts from around the world to assist in science, math, medicine, and more.
Study Buddy h ttp :s tud ybudd y. comb fo/
This site provides a secure environment to make learn- ing fun by providing children with a pen pal. Additional study support is available online.
Telementoring Web: Adult Experts Assisting in the Classroom http//rnbhs. bergtraum. k12. ny. us/mentor/
This telementoring site, coordinated by Murry Bergtraum High School, includes information about tele- mentoring and telementor contacts.
National School Network Telementoring & Mentor Center httpj/nsn. bbn.com/telementor wrkshp/tmlink. html
The National School Network comprises 500 organiza- tions that serve as a resource for creating new models of learning and teaching for the information age, and develop- ing leading-edge technology and telecommunications programs for education. This web site is an excellent place for telementoring resources and links.
Women in Technology Mentoring Project httpYwww. vtc. vsc.edu/wit/telementoring/genin fo. htm
This site, coordinated by the Women in Technology Project, is designed to encourage young women to enter science, math, or technology. Young women are connected to successful mentors in these areas.
MentorGirls http:homepage.mac. com/mentorgirls/
MentorGirls is a Silicon Valley-based community outreach program designed to inspire role models to provide balanced and progressive e-culturekyberculture orientation for girls, teen girls, and young women.
References I . Grossman J, Garry E. Menroring - A Proven Delinquency
Prevention Strategy. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 1997.
2. Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning. About Telementoring. Mcreal. Available at: http://mcrel.org.
3.Riel M. Tele-Mentoring over the Net. 1999 Available at: http://www.igc.org/ieam/circles/mentors.html
4. Balkcom S. Cooperative Learning. Office of Educational Research and Improvement. ED Digest 346999; June 1992.
5 . Stahl R. The Essential Elements of Cooperative Learning in the Classroom. ERIC Digest ED 370881; March 1994.
6. Gokhade A. Collaborative Learning Enhances Critical Thinking. J Techno1 Educ. 1995;7( I ) .
7. Ryder M, Wilson B. Affordances and Constraints of the Internet for Learning and Instruction. Association for Educational Communications Technology. Available at: http:www.Cudenver.edu/-mryddacct-96. html.
8. Barua A, Chellapa R. Whinston AB. Creating a Collaboratory in Cyberspace: Theoretical Foundation and an Implementation. Center for Information Systems Management. University of Texas at Austin. Available: http://www.cism.bus.utexas.edu/ram/papers.iob.iob.html. 1996)
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