How Things Work:
Online Mentors

Online
Mentors


Taking a traditional class means blocking out the prescribed hours, completing most, if not all, communications with the instructor during class time and relying on the course instructor to set specific due dates for completion of assignments. Generally, a traditional class has multiple students, perhaps as many as 30 or 35. Conversely, learners in The Online Academy for Teachers participate in an ongoing process where the learner takes responsibility for structuring their time and decides, within a broader time frame, when it is appropriate to complete assignments. Thus, "class time" and "work flow" depend heavily on the online learner. Learners do not depend on the instructor to tell you what to do when. Neither do they depend on fellow classmates. Learners are never trying to catch up to or wait for classmates. Instead, Online Academy learners have a great deal of flexibility - flexibility in starting and completing courses and in shaping their learning activities around their other life commitments. With the benefit of this learner flexibility, however, comes the responsibility for managing learning and interactions with the online mentor.

When learners enroll in courses in The Online Academy for Teachers, they do not enroll in a class nor do they have a course instructor. That is, there is never one person managing and interacting with everyone enrolled in a particular course. Instead, The Online Academy for Teachers uses Online Mentors. Each person registered for a course is a learner of one and is assigned an Online Mentor. Whenever possible and appropriate, an Online Mentor and a student work together through the entire program.

An Online Mentor has a number of roles:

First, they use the same checklist that you use to keep track of what assignments have been completed and to help you follow your targeted learning goals. When everything is complete, they notify the University that you have successfully completed the course and are eligible for graduate credit. They will help you notify the Program administrator that you are ready to begin the next course and to follow proper registration procedures.

Second, the Online Mentor reviews all the assignments you submit, makes suggests if the assignment is incomplete, and responds to your ideas and/or makes suggestions for ways that you might refine your work to construct a more convincing argument or create more powerful learning oopportunities. Rubrics are provided for all assignments. They are for your use. They help you understand expectations and to judge your work as you produce it. The rubrics are also for your online mentor. They will use the rubrics as a foundation for providing you feedback. In this way, both you and your online mentor share criteria for successful learning outcomes.

Third, the online mentor will often ask you questions about what you are thinking or learning about. It is really important that you respond thoughtfully to these emails. The conversations you have with your online mentor are an important part of the course. In many ways, the real learning in The Online Academy occurs within the frame of learner/mentor discussions and interactions not so much as a result of assignments completed.

Fourth, your Online Mentor is your ally! This is the person you contact when an assignment does not make sense, when you are having trouble making the technology work for you, or you are stuck for a good teaching idea.

As you complete assignments, it is important that you follow the RATS rule - that is, 'Read All The Screen' - or print out of the screen and carefully read the printout. Most of what you need to know is probably there. Sometimes, however, it just does not make sense or it is just not working the way you want it to. Just email your Online Mentor; help will be on its way! In fact, we suggest that you spend no more than 20 minutes trying to figure a problem out. If, after 20 minutes, you are still stumped, it's time to email your Online Mentor.

To make the most of your online learning experience, working with your Online Mentor is very important. Check your email daily, answer all email prompts from your Mentor, and watch for helpful hints or responses to your dilemmas. Ask your Online Mentor about the course, about implementing your ideas, and about how to make technology work for you. Tell him or her about all your victories. The extent to which you interact with your Online Mentor will, to a large extent, influence how much you learn and how successful you feel.