e-Mentor Manual

Certificate of Teaching Mastery

Part 2: Teachers Without Borders E-Mentoring Model

2.1 Candidate e-Portfolios

Our model of self-driven, self-paced, mentor- and community-supported professional development centers around one key space for personal and community engagement. This space is the candidate's personal e-Portfolio which she/he will use while enrolled in the CTM program. CTM candidates are expected to use their e-Portfolios (a personal blog) to document their engagement with the CTM content. They are required to use their e-Portfolios to post all course assignments and reflections on or reactions to the concepts or ideas presented in the CTM courses. At the end of the program, the candidate's e-Portfolio will be evaluated by the CTM Review Board.

2.2 Mentor Expectations

As a CTM mentor, you are expected to read your candidates' entries, provide timely and meaningful feedback, and try to engage the candidates in discussions about their work and the CTM content. Please keep in mind that all e-Portfolios are visible to the public and that other CTM candidates, mentors, and general members of the TWB social network can read, comment upon, and link to any entry. This provides a unique opportunity for every entry to be a site of meaningful engagement with ideas, and we hope that you will encourage the candidates you will be working with to use their e-Portfolios regularly and participate in the life of the CTM community.

In the course of completing the CTM program, the candidates are likely to produce hundreds of entries and comments. You certainly do not need to comment on everything that is posted by your candidate, but should comment on all assignments and also check your candidate's e-Portfolio regularly to ensure that you do not miss questions or requests for help or clarification. While commenting on every entry may be very difficult, especially if you are assigned to more than one candidate, you are expected to react frequently so that the candidate is always aware that his/her entries are being read. Not every entry may warrant a response, but all ideas certainly need to be acknowledged, so feel free to post an entry that says "I've read all of your posts on assessment, and I was struck by your comment that ..." This will let the candidate know that you have read her/his work, care about what she/he has to say, and are interested in discussing the ideas in greater depth.

As a mentor in the CTM program, you will be assigned to a specific CTM course and will be responsible only for the candidates currently completing that course. Your course assignment will depend on your experience and expertise, but your personal preferences will also be taken into account. You will accompany and mentor the candidates assigned to you only for the duration of one course. During that time, you are expected to provide feedback on all assignments, comment on other entries posted by the candidate, and also encourage ongoing reflection and engagement with course content.

2.3 Candidate and Mentor Responsibilities

2.3.1 The Mentoring Cycle in the CTM Program

The mentoring cycle in the CTM program is organized as follows:

1. Mentor receives email from CTM Coordinator with the candidate’s name, email, and link to the candidate’s profile.

2. Mentor sends the candidate an introductory email with the Introductory Reflection Activity (PDF).

3. Candidate posts the Introductory Reflection Activity on his/her e-Portfolio.

4. Mentor comments on the Introductory Reflection Activity (open to the entire TWB community … any member can comment).

5. Candidate begins to progress through the course. Mentor provides frequent, timely, and meaningful feedback in response to assignments and reflections.

6. When all course assignments are submitted and discussed with the mentor, the Candidate completes the End-of-Course Self-Assessment (PDF).

7. Mentor provides feedback and uses the self-assessment and the ensuing conversation to decide if the candidate is ready to move on to the next course.

8. Mentor uses the Summative Evaluation Sheet (PDF) to evaluate Candidate’s progress and shares it with the candidate and the CTM Coordinator via email.

9. If the Mentor decides that the candidate is ready to move on, the mentoring cycle ends and the candidate proceeds to the next course (CTM Coordinator informs a mentor in the next course that a new candidate is ready to begin).

10. If the Mentor decides that the candidate is not ready to move on, she/he suggests ways to address the challenges identified in the Summative Evaluation Sheet, and works with the candidate to meet the required goals.

2.3.2 The Introductory Reflection Activity

All new registrants will receive a welcome email from the CTM Coordinator and from their first mentor. The first mentor that a candidate will be working with will be responsible for guiding the candidate through the Introductory Seminar and introducing the candidate to the CTM program (this is currently done by the CTM Coordinator). In the introductory email, the mentor will include a brief overview of the CTM program, some biographical information about her/himself, and also a link to the Introductory Reflection Activity.

This first reflection activity is designed to give the candidates an opportunity to think about their professional identities and identify their Personal Learning Objectives. In doing so, the candidates will create insightful personal profiles and will post them on their e-Portfolios as a way of introducing themselves to the CTM community. The Introductory Reflection Activity will also include a brief introduction to the CTM community: the candidate will be given links to member profiles and recent e-Portfolios entries and discussion threads in the CTM community to get a sense of the current “pulse” of the online community. We want CTM candidates to experience the community aspect of the CTM as soon as they register for the program. We hope that this will have a welcoming and empowering effect on the new candidates.

This initial activity also provides CTM candidates with an opportunity to place themselves on a professional growth continuum. Every candidate will be asked to pick a point that most accurately reflects their current level of professional growth.

Example here

The candidate will also see a professional growth continuum that includes all of the current members of the CTM community:

Example here

Once the Introductory Reflection Activity is posted on the candidate’s blog, the mentor responsible for the Introductory Seminar (currently, the CTM Coordinator) and assigned to that candidate will post her/his feedback and begin the mentoring cycle with the candidate. This first e-Portfolio entry posted by the new candidate will be archived on the candidate's e-Portfolio. We encourage all mentors to consult it and refer to it in their subsequent discussions with the candidate. 

2.3.3 End-of-Course Self-Assessment and Mentor Feedback

Once the candidate completes all required assignments in a course, she/he will have to complete a self-assessment activity designed to help reflect on the following:

1. Candidate's work in the course
2. Candidate's blog as growing archive of progress and repository of assignments/reflections
3. Candidate's journey towards the self-identified Personal Learning Objectives

The End-of-Course Self-Assessment consists of the following four prompts designed to aid reflection and help candidates assume a critical stance towards their work:

1. Has my understanding of teaching and learning changed as a result of my work in this course? If so, how?
2. Review your e-Portfolio posts for this course and ask yourself the following questions: Is there an entry, a comment, or a discussion that I am very proud of? Is there something that I struggled with? Explain why.
3. Review your e-Portfolio posts for this course, your comments and discussions that you participated in. Then, ask yourself: What do all these posts suggest about me as a teacher and as a learner?
4. Has my work in this course helped me work towards my personal learning outcome(s)? What have I done to move closer to accomplishing my goals? Are these specific tangible accomplishments or habits/dispositions that I have developed/am developing? Is there anything that is blocking or slowing down my progress?

At the end of each course, once the candidate has completed all required assignments and received feedback from her/his mentor, the candidate will reflect on these four prompts and post the response in the form of an e-Portfolio entry. Some candidates will choose to answer all questions at the same time while others may prefer to post two or more separate entries. Once the response is posted in the e-Portfolio, it is the mentor’s responsibility to provide feedback by responding to the candidate's reflections. This will constitute the mentor’s final opportunity to engage with the candidate before she/he moves on to the next course. It is also the final opportunity to ensure that the candidate is ready to proceed to the next course, that all key aspects of the course have been properly internalized, and that the candidate has responded to feedback in a way that attests to a strong grasp of the material. Once the interaction around this self-assessment comes to an end, the mentor is required to complete the Summative Evaluation Sheet and email it to the candidate and the CTM Coordinator.

In other words, the goal of this final reflection activity is to engage the candidate in a discussion about his or her work in the course. To that end, the mentor’s feedback should focus on the candidate's responses to the four questions and ensure that dialogue develops between the mentor and the candidate. This dialogue will provide ample opportunities to further engage the candidate in learning and reflection. It will also help the mentor gather evidence that the candidate is ready to proceed to the next course. The mentor can use this evidence when completing the Summative Evaluation Sheet.

2.3.4 Summative Evaluation Sheet

This summative evaluation will take place after the End-of-Course Self-Assessment and mentor feedback. This evaluation form is to be used by the e-mentor to decide whether the candidate is ready or not ready to proceed to the next course. The form requires that the mentor address the following aspects of the candidate’s engagement with the CTM program:

1. This candidate demonstrates understanding and engagement with course material.
2. This candidate applies understanding to classroom practice. 
3. This candidate connects with a wider web of colleagues.
4. This candidate takes growth-oriented risks.
5. This candidate  accomplishes work in a timely manner and with care.
6. This candidate maintains professionalism in local classroom and local community, and within the Teachers Without Borders CTM community.

    

Instead of giving a grade, you are asked to indicate whether the candidate is ready or not ready in regards to each of the above six points. We also ask that you support your decision by linking to, quoting, or explaining specific evidence from the candidate’s e-Portfolio. Both strengths and weaknesses should be identified so that they provide building blocks that the candidate and her/his future mentors can use to work towards successful completion of the program. Mentors are also expected to suggest potential ways of addressing challenges.

Once filled out, the Summative Evaluation Sheet has to be emailed to the candidate and the CTM Coordinator. When the candidate receives this form indicating that he or she is ready to move on, your mentoring cycle with the candidate comes to an end. Of course, you will continue to have access to the candidate's e-Portfolio and can continue to engage in discussions as the candidate's peer and colleague using the community's discussion forums and your own blog or the candidate's e-Portfolio. However, once the candidate proceds to the next course, you are no longer responsible for their progress and are not required to provide feedback.

We hope that regular contact with the candidate and the opportunities for self-reflection and candid discussion with the mentor will ensure that situations where the candidate is deemed not ready to move on will be rare. However, should you become aware at any point in the mentoring cycle that the candidate may have difficulty progressing to the next course, please share your concern with the candidate and provide specific support. These messages should never be made public (i.e. in the candidate’s e-Portfolio or anywhere in the community where others can see them). They should be communicated to the candidate via email and also sent to the CTM Coordinator.

It is important to remember that these messages should be phrased appropriately so that they are perceived as words of encouragement and offers of support and not as statements of inadequacy or failure. Ideally, they will be perceived by the candidates as opportunities to ask for help or as friendly remiders to get on with the work at hand. Please keep in mind that the CTM is a self-paced and voluntary course, and that candidates are likely to have other commitments that might occasionally take precedence over their CTM work. Any communication about potential difficulties with moving on to the next course should be phrased in the form of inquiries, friendly reminders, offers of assistance, or invitations to discussion.

2.3.5 Final Program Evaluation

At the end of the CTM program, the candidate is awarded the Certificate of Teaching Mastery by the TWB Review Board. The Board will evaluate the candidate's e-Portfolio, and decide whether or not the e-Portfolio reflects a high level of engagement with the CTM content and offers strong evidence of reflection and teacher inquiry. If the e-Portfolio is reviewed positively, the candidate will be deemed ready to receive the Certificate of Teaching Mastery, and the certificate will be awarded. In making their decision, the CTM Board will use the following criteria:

1. Demonstrates understanding and engagement with course material.

   Ready:

   Demonstrates competence in understanding the course material. Learner demonstrates his/her thinking "on paper" in the assignments - one can "hear" him/her wrestling and playing with ideas, posing questions, etc., in assignments and discussions.

   Not Ready:

   Does not show us understanding and critical thinking with regards to the course material. 

2. Applies understanding to classroom practice.

   Ready:

   Actively engages in connecting what s/he is learning to classroom practice. Shows signs of developing on-going activities influenced by new course material.

   Not Ready:

   Planning and execution is disorganized and unchanged; there is no difference or growth in the use of different pedagogical skills. 

3. Connects with wider web of colleagues.

   Ready:

   Listens to and respects the ideas of others; gives effective feedback when assignments ask for feedback and accepts and incorporates feedback in his/her work. Actively participates in "discussions." Demonstrates hospitality, thoughtfulness, gratitude, collaboration and cooperation in actions and words.

   Not Ready:

   Isolates him/herself in the learning process with little engagement with others

4. Takes growth-oriented risks.

   Ready:

   Asks questions when s/he doesn't understand something and asks for help. Learner takes risks in his/her thinking and teaching; stretches him/herself as a learner and as a teacher applying what s/he is learning.

   Not Ready:

   As stuck in non-productive habits and patterns of thinking and action. Narrow range of skills or extension of intellectual engagement. Doesn't ask for help when s/he needs it. 

5. Accomplishes work in a timely manner and with care.

   Ready:

   Promptly gives feedback and communicates regularly with peers in direct relation to computer/internet accessibility.

   Not Ready:

   Delays feedback and communication in an untimely manner in relation to computer/internet accessibility. 

6. Maintains professionalism in local classroom and local community, and within the Teachers Without Borders CTM community. 

   Ready:   

   Candidate’s e-portfolio and interactions in the TWB online community demonstrate professionalism and respect towards the teaching profession and colleagues. Candidate’s work honors the values of Teachers Without Borders. Candidate’s professional practice, as observed and reported by his/her colleagues, attests to his/her professionalism and upholds the values of Teachers Without Borders.

   Not Ready:  

   Candidate’s work does not always exhibit the level of professionalism and respect towards colleagues and the teaching profession that is required by Teachers Without Borders. Please note that any candidate who engages in any type of harassment or inappropriate behavior towards students or colleagues will be put on review for likely expulsion from the CTM program.

    

As you can see, these final criteria are identical to the ones used in the Summative Evaluation Sheet. This is because we want the CTM candidates to be aware of the final evaluation criteria from the very start of the program and to work towards exceeding these expectations.

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Part 3 of the Mentor Manual