Distance Mentorship Project: A Bridge to Better Teaching

Jon Harding, NCDBMegan Cote, KS DB Project

Team Collaboration SitesVideo Exchange Video Conferencing

The Old (Current?) Model of TA:

• A single on-site visit in response to crisis• The “Expert” appears• A large team gathers and waits for ‘the

answer’• Assessments are conducted• Recommendations and Reports are filed• Life goes on

The need for a new model:

• Increased demand for Technical Assistance• Expense of on-site TA (gas, food, hotel, etc.)• Limited resources: personnel, time, $, etc.• Teachers need time to practice, observe and

reflect on new concepts and skills

By the Numbers:

• Currently, there are 130 children (0-21) with Deaf-Blindness in KS

• In 2008, there were 84 identified• A vast majority have additional disabilities

Why Distance Mentorship?

Partners

1: Video Exchange

Video Exchange

• Short video (5 minutes or less) of selected routines/activities.

• Use portable digital cameras (Flip, Coby, etc.)• Student and teacher interaction are filmed.• Clips are emailed or uploaded to video sharing

site (Vimeo, etc.)• Video is embedded in team collaboration site

2: Team Collaboration Site

Team Collaboration

• Wikis: PB Works, Google Sites, Wetpaint, etc.• Electronic “repository” to guide TA• Contains:– Discussions– Videos clips (links or embedded)– Resources (articles, best practices, etc)

3: Web Conferencing