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TOPICS
- Turn Evaluation in Mentor Training Courses into an Experiential Activity
- Attend a Mentoring Conference or Seminar
- Win a Free Registration to a Mentoring Conference
- Use the Latest Mentoring Literature to Guide Practice
- Training in a Box Available
TURN EVALUATION IN MENTOR TRAINING COURSES INTO AN EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITY
One of the advantages of mentor program services based in educational institutions is that the training can be part of the curriculum, and participants can receive credit towards graduation. Providing such training within a university, school, or college course can reduce costs, ensure a dedicated time, and enable staff to include the training time as part of their normal workload.
At the same time offering the course for credit typically requires that the course conform to curriculum standards and include some form of evaluation or assignments that can yield letter grades. Program leaders and trainers who have made this transition from a non-credit, extracurricular course to a letter grade, credit course often express frustration over finding a way to provide appropriate evaluation. Mostly their concerns center around the relationship between evaluation and openness, judgment and creativity, or internal versus external motivation. Worry about the possible loss of spontaneity and fun were also high on the list of concerns.
One way to reduce the problems associated with the evaluation component is to design it as part of the training and include it as an essential part of the experiential training model. David Gibson of Eureka (www.eureka-tp.com) describes three examples of this integration, all based on the CPR (content, participation, review) model, which was detailed in the January 1, 2004 Peer Bulletin.
1. Ask learners to form teams of two or three. After about 7-10 minutes of leader presentation, ask the teams to from a sentence that summarizes the content. Then ask them to reduce this sentence to three words. From the three words, ask each team to select one word that accurately captures the content. Have the teams share the words and explain why they selected each one.
2. Explain to the course participants that you will be offering some ideas for the next 10-15 minutes and that they should make detailed notes to be used following the idea presentation. Offer the content and ask the participants to form teams of three to five. Ask team members to compare their notes and to add any points other members noted that they did not. Then ask each team to form three closed, that is questions that have a correct or incorrect answer (such as "What are the three key communication skills?"). Ask them to then create three open questions, that is, questions that allow a wide variety of answers (such as "How are the ideas presented about communication today the same or different from what you've already learned?").
To increase participant interaction have one team nominate another team to answer any one of its closed questions. If the team answers correctly, they receive two points. If they answer incorrectly the team asking the question receives two points.
3. For the open question, have each team select their best open question. Ask each team to select a member to read out their question. Select one team to act as the judging team. Have each team read out their open question. Ask the judging team to close their eyes. Ask those judges that thought the first open question was best to raise their hands. Repeat for each team. The team that had the most hands raised could be said to have formed the 'best' open question.
Action Plan: When faced with the dual role of providing information to learners and finding a way to test their knowledge of what has been presented, create an interactive and experiential component that can be integrated with the instructional component.
MENTORING CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS
International Mentoring Association Diversity Conference
April 15-17, 2004
Grand Hyatt, Tampa Bay, Florida
Tel: (269) 387-4174; Fax: (269) 387-4189
cedu_ima@wmich.edu
www.mentoring-association.org
Mentoring Conference 2004: Strengthening Roots and Wings
April 19, 2004
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Foster City, California
Tel: (650) 559-0200; Fax: (650) 368-4475
www.friendsforyouth.org
heather@mentoringinstitute.org
Corporate Mentor Program Development Leadership Seminar
April 22-23, 2004
University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia
Tel: (250) 595-3503; Fax: (250) 595-3504
www.mentors.ca/trng.html
info@mentors.ca
Animating Mentoring Institute
August 27-29, 2004
Courtyard Marriot, Ottawa, Ontario
Tel: (902) 423-8199; Fax: (902) 492-8106
www.cccf-fcsge.ca
info@partnersinpractice.org
11th European Mentoring and Coaching Conference
November 17-19, 2004
Hotel Bedford, Brussels, Belgium
Call for Papers:
David Megginsonm, Professor of HRD
Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield S1 1WB, United Kingdom
+44 114 225 5210
d.f.megginson@shu.ac.uk
WIN A REGISTRATION TO A MENTORING CONFERENCE
Peer Resources has made arrangements with the organizers of the Strengthening Roots and Wings Mentoring Conference which will take place in Foster City, California, April 19, 2004 to give away a free registration for the conference. This is a $95.00(US) value. The winner of this free registration will be randomly selected from all persons who become members of the Peer Resources Network between March 12 and March 31. A one-year individual membership in the Network is $53.50; a student membership is $21.40 for the year, and a corporate membership is $107.00 for a full year.
A membership sign-up form is available online at http://www.peer.ca/PRN.html. Other benefits of membership are listed there and include access to all password protected documents, informative and up-to-date print and email periodicals, and free consultation and coaching from mentoring experts.
TWO STUDIES TO GUIDE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Peer Resources continually scans the professional and popular literature for articles, books, videos and other useful reference materials. They provide a brief synopsis of the work as well as citation details and summaries in a searchable format on their site at www.peer.ca/SearchB.html. Each month the Peer Bulletin includes some of the many citations added every week.
Strother Taylor, J. (2004). Training new mentees: A manual for preparing youth in mentoring programs. Portland, OR: National Mentoring Center.
This free e-book is filled with strategies and training activities that help get youth ready for the mentoring experience and ensure that they are familiar with program rules and procedures. Effective pre-match preparation can improve youth satisfaction and "buy-in," leading to increased participation, greater volunteer satisfaction, and improved program outcomes. Available from www.nwrel.org/mentoring/publications.html.
Stoddard, D.A. and Tamasy, R.J. (2003). The heart of mentoring: Ten proven principles for developing people to their fullest potential. Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress.
While other books examine the technical details of mentoring, this revealing work provides a core foundation for any true mentoring relationship. Providing examples of what goes right and what goes wrong in mentoring relationships, the authors emphasize that mentoring makes a difference when it focuses on the needs of the person being mentored and a process of mutual growth. By identifying 10 principles the authors help readers organize the keys to effective mentoring relationships. The ten principles include: living is about giving, perseverance is paramount, open the door, promote alignment between passion and work, share the load don't create it, practice personal values, expose your character, affirm spirituality, providing a legacy, and take the risk. Also available from Amazon.com or Amazon.ca.
TRAINING IN A BOX AVAILABLE
Oak Training (www.oaktraining.com) provides more than 50 different training modules that can be used in peer assistance, mentorship, and coaching. Each module contains a set of highly interactive exercises and can be customized to include local details such as a company logo and set of examples. In addition every module includes a participant manual that can be used to print multiple copies. Module topics include Leadership, Managing Conflict, Teamwork, Facilitation Skills, Interpersonal Skills, Coaching & Mentoring, Negotiation Skills, and 360 Degree Feedback to name a few.
Des Fitzgerald, the creator of Oak Training had previously provided a 20 percent discount for Peer Resources Network members. But he has sweetened the bargain. Until February 15, PRN members can purchase any module on a two-for-one basis; that is, for every one purchased, a second one is free. The price for any module is $29.95. This is now equivalent to a 50 percent discount for members. And in addition he is willing to contribute a portion of each PRN member purchase to a charity (homeless youth) that has been identified by Peer Resources.
When contacting Oak Training, be sure to mention that you learned about this offer in the Peer Resources' Mentor News in order to take advantage of the two for one offer and ensure that a portion of the sale will be directed towards the charity. Oak Training can be contacted by email at: oakservice@oaktraining.com or one the web at www.oaktraining.com.
