Handbook for the Digital Mentor Program - …...Introduction This handbook has been created by the professional development committee of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association. The

American Orff-Schulwerk Association

Handbook for the Digital Mentor Program

Compiled by Professional Development Committee of the AOSA National Board of Trustees

Jay Broeker and Lisa Sullivan, Co-Chairs • Joshua Block • Kay Judson • Betsy Kipperman

• Pam Yanco, Committee Members

Steven Calantropio, Education Director

Created Summer 2012; rev. Jan 2016

Introduction ThishandbookhasbeencreatedbytheprofessionaldevelopmentcommitteeoftheAmericanOrff-SchulwerkAssociation.ThehandbookprovidesanoverviewofAOSA’sDigitalMentorProgram,forbothmentorsandmentees.OneofAOSA’sprimarymissionsistopresenthighqualityteachereducationtrainingintheformofsummertrainingcourses,annualconferences,andsupportoflocalchaptermeetings.However,itisclearthatOrffSchulwerkteachersneedcontinuedsupportwhentheyreturntotheirprofessionalteachingpositions.Processteachingprocedureswhichseemedperfectlyclearandlogicalwhenexperiencedwithotherin-serviceprofessionalsmayappearlessobviouswhenanindividualimplementsthemintheirclassroom.LevelIgraduatesmaybenefitfromtheadviceofamoreexperiencedteacherwhenlessonsdonotgoasplanned.LevelIIandIIIgraduatesmaybenefitfromguidancewhenpresentingmoresophisticatedmusicalskillsandconceptsforthefirsttime.Researchshowsthatdirectandconsistentcommunicationbetweenaqualifiedmentorandmenteecanyieldpositiveandbeneficialresults.TheobjectiveoftheDigitalMentorProgramistopairexperiencedOrffSchulwerkteachers(mentors),withnewlytrainedOrffSchulwerkteachersorteachereducators(mentees),forthepurposeofimprovingthepracticeofthosewhorequestmentorship.Becausethe21stcenturybringscost-effectiveandinnovativewaysofcommunicatingacrosslongdistances,discussionsbetweenmentorandmenteewilloccurprimarilythroughdigitalmedia(suchase-mail,onlinechatsessions,videoconferencing,anddigitalvideorecordings.)Thisdoesnothowever,ruleoutliveobservations,iftheyarefeasibleforbothparties.RequirementsforPotentialMentees1. PotentialmenteesmusthaveacurrentAOSAmembership.

2. ApplicantsshouldhavecompletedanAOSAapprovedlevelcourse(LevelI,II,III)withintwoyearsoftheapplicationdate.

3. Individualswillcompletetheonlineapplicationtobeconsideredfortheprogram.Menteesmayrequestamentorfromtheapprovedlist.

4. UponapprovaloftheapplicationbythePost-Level3Committee,thementeewillbepairedwithamentorandcontactinformationwillbeprovidedtoeachparticipant.

5. Astheybegin,thementeeandmentorhavetheopportunitytocraftthegoals,typeofinteractions,andscheduleoftheexperienceinamutuallyagreeablefashion.Thisincludes:

a. Expectationsforascheduleofcommunication,observation,andinteraction.

b. Observationformat–digitalvideoorliveSkype/FaceTimeexchanges

c. Procedureforexchangeofdocumentsandfeedback(lessonplans,writtenreflections,onlinediscussion)

6. Uponcompletionoftheprogram,theparticipantswillbeaskedtosubmitareflectionstatementandevaluationoftheirexperience.

Therearethreepossiblebroadareasoffocusduringmentorshipexperiences.

ProjectOrientedThesementorshipswillfocusontheskillsneededinpreparationofaparticularproject.SuchprojectsmightincludethepreparationandperformanceofaSchulwerkorientedconcertordemonstration.PedagogyOrientedThesementorshipswillidentifyareasofpedagogicalneedandworkspecificallyonimprovingthementee’spedagogicalpreparation,process/deliveryandevaluationofcontentmaterialinaspecificcurriculumareaorgradelevel.Goalscaninclude:expansionofrepertoire,lessondevelopment,and/orevaluationandimprovementofcomposition/arrangingskills.OrganizationalOrientedThesementorshipswillfocusonbuildingimportantorganizationalskillsinareassuchasclassroommanagement,musicalensembledevelopmentandmanagement,andequipmentcareandmanagement.

Regardlessofthefocusofthementorship,bothpartieswillmutuallydevelopasetofneedsandgoalstobeaccomplishedthroughthementorship.Digitalcontactbetweenthetwopartieswilltakeplaceatleastoncepermonthduringthedurationoftheexperience,witharecordbeingkeptofthedate,length,andsubjectmatterofeachdigitalcontact.AboutthementorsMenteeswhocompletetheapplicationprocesswillbepairedwithanexperiencedOrffSchulwerkteacherastheirmentor.Eachmentor:

• willbeacurrentmemberofAOSAwhohasbeenrecruitedandapprovedbymembersofthePost-Level3andProfessionalDevelopmentCommittees

• maybepracticingorretirededucators

• willhavecompletedLevel3ofanOrffSchulwerkteachereducationprogram(orequivalenttraininginelementalmusicstudy)andpost-levelIIItrainingthroughMasterClasses,Conferenceattendance,orgraduatestudy

• hashadaminimumof10yearsteachingexperienceinpublicorprivateeducationinthesubjectorgradelevelareasforwhichmentorshipisrequested

• haveagreedtoprovidementorshipinoneormoreoftheindividualgradeandsubjectareasbelow:

o Earlychildhood(pre-schoolandkindergarten)o PrimaryGradesK–3o IntermediateGrades4–6o MiddleSchool(Grades6-9)o HighSchool(Grades9-12)o Recorder(allages)o Movement(allages)

MentorshipProgramTermsThoseparticipatinginthementorshipprogramwillorganizetheirobservationsandcommunicationsasfollows:1)Initialconversation(viaphoneorvideoconferencing):July/AugThepurposeofthiscommunicationwillbetoprovidetheparametersoftheexperienceforbothmentorandmentee.Thegoaloftheexperiencewillbeoutlined,andthemeansofcommunicationwillbeestablished,aswellastheexpectedoutcomesforbothparties.2)Threetofive(ormore)discussionsandobservations:throughoutschoolyearTheseobservationswillincludedigitallyrecordedlessonsorliveobservationsthroughinternetsoftwarefollowedbyadiscussionincludingthementor’sobservationsandfeedback.Thementeewillprovidealessonplanordescriptionofobjectivestothementorpriortoanydiscussionoftheobservation.Suggestionsandrecommendationswillberecordedandgoalssetforthenextobservationasappropriate.Theobservationsshouldtakeplaceregularlyoverthecourseofthementorshipandconcludebymid-April.3)ClosureDiscussion:MayInthisconversation,outcomesoftheexperiencewillbeevaluatedbybothpartiesandrecommendationsmadetothementeeforcontinuedexplorationandpractice.4)Reflection&Evaluation:June/JulyThementorwillsendanarrativereflectiontotheProfessionalDevelopmentCommitteechair.Thementeewillalsofileanevaluationsheetthatwillgaugetheirperceivedsuccessoftheexperience.Technology&EquipmentBothpartiesofthementorshipmusthaveappropriatefacilitywithandaccesstodigitaltechnology,asoutlinedbelow.Useofothertechnologiesisencouragedwhenappropriate.

1. Computer,monitorandprinter-eitherWindowsorMac/Appleoperatingsystems,preferablywithawebcam

2. Broadbandinternetconnection-DSL,Cablemodem,orT1lineaccess

3. Wordprocessingsoftware-MSWordorequivalentwordprocessingprogram4. Videorecording-digitalvideocamera,tabletorphonewithvideocapability5. ChatSoftware–iChatorequivalent6. VideoConferencingapplication-Skype,FaceTime,Google+orequivalent7. PDFreader-AdobeAcrobatorApplePreview8. Ane-mailaccountwithattachmentcapabilities.Itissuggestedthataspeciale-

mailaccountsolelydedicatedtoe-mailcorrespondencebeset-upwithanyfreee-mailservice,suchasGmail,Yahoo,etc.

AdditionalInformation:IfyouhaveadditionalquestionsregardingtheDigitalMentorshipProgram,pleasecontactJimSolomon,ChairoftheAOSAPost-LevelThreeSubcommittee.