Project Overview

1 - Improved math comprehension and ability
9 - Improved science comprehension and ability
26 - Improved written communication skills
27 - Improved basic research skills
15 - Improved project management skills
17 - Improved collaboration skills

13 - Better understanding of a professional work environment
3 - Improved awareness of post-secondary educational opportunities
5 - Increased desire to research and plan for post-secondary education
19 - Improved awareness of the value of a professional support network

3.48

3 - N/A
6 - Yes
18 - No

4.63

4.41

I would have appreciated an opportunity to see and provide feedback on the actual final presentation. I asked my mentee if he could upload it as a project file, but he said it wasn't possible to do so. If there's a way to facilitate that, it would be great.

N/A

Cameron and David were great. This is probably the best staff I've worked with during the whole telementor experience. The feedback was immediate.

Cameron's messages were frequent and informative. The mentors were clear on what was happening in the classroom and could easily assess where their mentee was performing in the class.

Cameron's frequent group messages and targetted mentor messages made this project easy to assure the mentees were heading in the right direction and reminded the mentor's to instruct, not do.

Can't think of a thing. Cameron planned and executed the project flawlessly, and my student was remarkable.

I felt some of the messages I received were not answering any of my questions causing me to feel like I was wasting my time.

Continue sharing emails from mentors that you identify as examplary. They really help mentors understand what their role should be, what can make the communication successful, how to approach the students. These are of great help!

Felt that often the topic picked by the student didn't quite fit in the framework required by the project. Also need to address how to access expert opinions within a short deadline.

I thought Cameron Shinn did an excellent job communicating any issues and updates pertaining to the class or the project.

I understood the reason for using Survey Monkey for this project and thought it an appropriate solution. However, might want to consider a better means of sourcing the surveys ... maybe an app on the website.

The Survey Monkey approach to asking experts was innovative ... just thinking there could have been a bit more organization as to tasking it (suggestion for future enhancement).

I applaud the frequency & level of detail of the general teacher messages that were sent out. It would have been more helpful to know the weekly expectations for the project and what the specific expectations were for the final project. I felt lost most of the time in directing my student as I did not know what we should be working on. After the first few weeks, I stopped reviewing the project schedule as what she mentioned they were discussing in class did not seem to match the schedule early on. It would also be helpful if the teacher could provide feedback to the mentor when a student is behind and help when the student does not seem to respond to basic questions on the project from the mentor. I was frequently concerned that she was behind and I didn't know how to help her.

Nothing- support from both the teacher and ITP staff was fantastic. Expectations were clearly communicated, and plenty of encouragement, motivation, and support was offered.

At the beginning, I could have used more communication from the project teacher about what was going on in the project each week and what my role was that week. By the end of the project the communication level seemed better, either because there was more or because I was more comfortable with what was going on. I also believe that the students need some more direction and feedback from the teacher - especially early in the project. I felt that as a mentor, too much of the burden for this direction and feedback was placed on me. Specifically, I think the students would benefit from processes to help them choose a topic. Later in the project they are asked to collect data, compile data, and use this data. However, they aren't encouraged to do this kind thinking about their topic choice. I know my mentee didn't have any real thought process or reasons he could articulate for the topic he first chose. I encouraged him to come up with a list of possible topics, criteria for choosing one topic over another, and then to use this information to make a topic choice. I understand the desire to let the students just choose any topic they are interested in, but I believe that desire is inconsistent with the project goal of making a difference. Engineering is all about trade-offs, and there is a trade-off between topic flexibility and the ability to make a difference. It is impossible to completely maximize both simultaneously. In my opinion, the project this semester was very skewed towards topic flexibility at the cost of actually having an impact at the end of the project. I believe that the students would benefit from having to think harder about the real world constraints implied by the goal of actually having an impact, and I believe that doing so would not only increase their learning about the real world but also lead to an increased impact from their projects. I also think that the students would benefit from more intermediate feedback from the teacher throughout the program. A semester if a very long project for a sixth grader. Feedback is a very important correction mechanism in any discipline. As it is currently structured, the program seems to place an awful lot of weight on either the students or the mentors recognizing that some sort of course correction is required.

Encourage the students to follow the course outline and make a calendar of due dates. Share the final project with the Mentor.

As always, letting the mentor know what the expectations are as the project progresses. It is difficult to know if you are on track especially when the timelines change from the original project plan on the site.

This teacher was wonderful - very engaged in the project and he sent a lot of updates out on progress and also to thank us for our participation. He was the exact example of how a teacher should participate in this program and really made a difference in the project for me.

I would have found it helpful to have more insight into my student. What his strengths and weaknesses were as witnessed by his teacher. I say this because I really felt as though I never "reached" Ethan at any time during this project. Something was "missing." Could be that Ethan was just going through the motions as many students do at that age. A specific communication to the mentor as to which approach that might affect the student might work. I feel I was less than effective on this my first mentor experience.

I'm still waiting to see it, and would still like to. I'll search for it in Youtube during the next few weeks.

Extensive suggestions in my most recent message to her - mostly cosmetic.

I think Esteban is great. He just needs to believe in himself more and push himself. I think he can go far!

Gracie delivered a high quality well thoughtout project. Every step of the way, I felt how much energy and enthusiasm she put into her work. She is phenomenal!

I saw a website, but not sure it was the final project. I sent a whole page of suggestions, but never heard anything after that.

Rachel's powerpoint was amazing. I was quite impressed at how she put together the final product.

Hannah's final project was very good and she was quite happy with her results.

I did not see the final project. I think more emphasis could be placed on spelling and grammer in the students' messages. Do the students have spell check like the mentors have? If they do, it seems to rarely be used. While texting may have its own language, the students should understand in the professional world poor spelling and grammar can seriously influence peoples' opinions of you and your opportunities for being successful in any endeavour.

Outstanding - one of the best I've seen. The use of a website/blog rather than the usual Powerpoint or poster was a stroke of genius.

I was not able to see the final project as the website was not published and he didn't send me any other details of a draft.

Johnny's web site looks great, he organized it well in several sections, good comparative powerpoint to summarize his research and learning. The video is nice, could have been a little more convincing but not bad for an 8th grader.

I think Abbie picked a creative topic that required a lot of non-standard responses. Corralling all the possible angles to come up with data and then turn it into real conclusions was not as obvious as some topics buti think she stuck to her basic premise.

I think it was well done considering his lack of resources. I thought Kaden's final project incorporated his passion for his project and my suggestions about presentation techniques and how to grab an audiences attention.

I cannot say as I did not see the final project.

Patrick did a great job. He showed talent in conveying a message and using media to support that message. He could improve his overall approach by taking a more 'systems' view of processes, thus I would recommend more study in areas where one solves problems through modeling - economics, ecology, etc.

I was really impressed with the appearance of the article and the way she used photos & graphics to capture her audience's attention. I liked how she gave her audience some ideas for ways they can make a difference every day in helping to save the polar bears. Good use of facts that she learned through your research & survey results. I liked the different ways she used to engage the reader in the information she presented. I was happily surprised at how well done her project was based on the messages she had shared throughout the project.

Student did not allow much time for revision and feedback, and did not act on many questions and suggestions from mentor. Final project was completed on time, but may have been improved if drafts had been sent earlier and more time had been allotted for revisions. A clear expectation to share drafts early on by specific dates may be helpful.

I was impressed with my student's development over the course of the semester, and I was impressed with the quality of his final project.

My student was better organized than I was at times...what a joy!

I did not received the final project. The student seemed to struggle all throught out the project. He did become more aware on his subject and seemed to have learned a lot from it.

He did a great job.

My student made a final presentation and a video. I have not yet been able to see the final presentation but did discuss the content with my student. The video she made was great! It really showed her passion for her subject and was impactful and sincere. I'm so glad I got to see her final work. When things are wrapping up and the end of projects, the mentors don't always get to see the final result but in this case it really was good to see the fruit of all her efforts and feel proud of our collaboration on it.

I am not sure if I saw Ethan's FINAL presentation as he told me he had some changes he had to make then told me he had given his report but not received a grade.

4.11

0 - No
27 - Yes

My mentee was very active about writing to me (sometimes 3 messages a day, but I loved his enthusiasm!) and the teacher was both informative and appreciative in his messages to the mentors. As a result, this was a particularly rewarding experience for me. I am already on the waiting this for this teacher's next project. As far as mentoring new students in the future, the satisfaction that comes with mentoring is the reward for me.

Yes, I would. It's great!

I had a great experience with Telementors!

I think this is a great program and it amazes me to see the kids grow through this type of mentoring.

It is good to be of service to others, and I feel I learn, too. It can be a challenge, but it is fun, too.

Yes, if the subject matter was something I could help with.

Why quit after 12 years? (Just kidding. It continues to be hugely rewarding. I think the teachers and projects are better screened for practicality, and the students seem to be more motivated and supported than ever.

I will likely shift to working with older students. My experience working with 6th graders is their communication skills are low and my best work may be done with more communicative and more mature students.

I enjoy helping the students.

Great experience, I am learning more myself with each new project.

I love mentoring middle and high schoolers. They constantly bring me out of my comfort zone and force me to look at things from a different angle.

I found sixth grade a bit challenging for me as many times working with the student was like herding cats.

I feel mentoring makes a difference to students and helps elevate learning to beyond the classroom ... a sort of virtual field trip to see what is after school.

Regardless of my experience with this project, I truly value the program & the opportunity to help students.

Experience was rewarding and format of program allows me to fit this around my schedule. Enjoyed making and deepening connection with student over the course of the project.

I'm impressed with the positive impact of this program on the participating students.

I would like to continue helping other students. I believe is important to give back to our youth.

I enjoy seeing the children develop in their communication skills.

Again, this was a great project - the teacher was engaged and kept us fully updated on the stage of the project. The student was engaged, fun and willing to learn. Collaborations like this always make me want to mentor more students.

I think the program is awesome in what it is trying to do. I have enjoyed being part of a process that considers the "product" important. Being able to encourage a student to step outside the box and think further than the end of their nose is exciting.

I appreciate hearing from my mentee that I have made a difference in how s/he views things, and that my time was well spent. Getting that feedback confirmed by the teacher and ITP staff is nice too.

I like interacting with the children! They are so great

I loved communicating with Gracie. She is such a bright star! I know she will go far in life.

Watching the growth and reflection of the students as they go through this process. The skills they gain through this program are skills many don't learn until they are adults.

Seeing the excitement in a student's message when it is clear they are learning and having fun.

Knowing that maybe I helped out in some small way.

Communicating with an incredibly bright sixth grader who will definitely make a change in the world.

Exposure to environmental issues and expert.

Helping the student with his proejct

Being helpful and seeing the actual impact of my presence/help on the student.

Always the curiosity and the energy shown by the student.

The most rewarding part of this process is giving advice on a certain subject/topic and then seeing that advice applied to the student's task.

I enjoyed how the student was able to find a topic of interest and appreciate its significance.

When Patrick reported that he was adopting some of the writing methods I had suggested. He has a talent, and those methods will help him grow and keep him challenged.

Seeing the final article all put together. It looks like she did most of the work outside the messages that we exchanged. I was pleasantly surprised by the final product. I was also excited to see that 2 of the 5 responses to her survey were from true experts in the field. When you send messages to an expert with a link to complete you don't know whether anyone has responded.

It is very rewarding to see the students grow.

Seeing student's understanding of topic and project management deepen.

Seeing the development of the student.

It was great to know the student learned something that is important to him and the community.

Seeing change.

The quality of my student's messages was really excellent. She kept me up to date and informed on everything as she went along and I felt we really collaborated well to make a big difference in her project, particularly in the bullying experts that we found who responded to her survey - we got some very interesting and thorough answers from leaders in the field. That was very rewarding to us both. I just enjoyed this project from start to finish and really bonded with my student over this subject.

Being part of program that encourages a student to strive to make a difference in lives. Theirs and others!

For me it was working around the logistics of my business and vacation travel. Fortunately, I had Internet access from everywhere, and I wasn't away from my computer for more than about 24 hours. I did try to keep my mentee informed of my schedule, and I knew worst case that a backup mentor would kick in, but fortunately that wasn't necessary.

Time management

I didn't mind so much because Gracie was so great! I wanted to be able to keep up the pace.

The remoteness.

Working with students who do not want to participate.

Coming into the project mid-stream (taking over another employee's involvement) and trying to establish a rapport with an 11 year old.

Finding time. This was an unusually busy term, and I often woke up on Wednesday or Thursday realizing I hadn't posted a message. I tried to compensate a bit by leaving better and longer messages, but that's not the right answer!

Project communication, clarity, focus.

Feeling like the student was not reading or responding to any questions I Put forth and therefore like I was wasting my time at points.

Keeping track of what the student should be working on that week. Maybe we could have a box at the top of the project message area where the teacher would post what the expectations are for the week for the student and mentor.

The electronic file downloading. My laptop died just before the holidays and I could not see Abbie's files on my mobile. I just managed to get access now.

Getting the student to reflect on the bigger picture, not just the grades at the end of the semester. How will this project affect me, my classmates, the people in my life. Can I make this project have greater impact? Once Kaden accepted that these questions might not get answered he really took off.

The survey for the student was not out in time for

I found sixth grade challenging and difficult to keep the students focused on the project. I would need to change my approach before mentoring this age group again.

Unfortunately, working with my student was the most difficult part. She did not readily respond to questions I asked and rarely provided answers even when asked the same question multiple times. She did not appear to be diligently researching her project early on as she kept repeating the exact same information (2 sentences) of what she knew of the subject over and over, despite learning that some of the information (e.g. polar bears live in the Artic, not Antarctica) was incorrect. She would frequently tell me what research I needed to perform and when I needed to respond by (often the same day or next day). In addition, I was very confused about the expectations for the project and what was expected for the final project. I realized early on that the project schedule did not help me in figuring out where my student was in the project and/or whether she was behind. I contacted the teacher on several occasions about what her progress should be, but did not always receive responses. To be completely honest, this is one of the first times I felt very frustrated with a Telementoring project.

keeping in mind age of the student and understanding quality of messages and work to expect

I put a lot of time an energy into the mentoring. I think that investment paid off, but I think most mentors are unlikely to put in as much time and energy as I did. Some of my suggestions above are related to addressing this by adding a bit more structure / feedback on the class side of the project to provide the benefits of some of the time and energy I put into this project without relying on every mentor to put that much time and energy into it.

The student seemed to struggle and might not have put enough time to the project. It was hard to tell. Also, there were weeks when i was really busy and didn't have time to write as often. It was my first time so I learned a lot.

Finding time to invest.

Saying goodbye! Sometimes you make a real connection with a student and it's very hard to say goodbye to them at the end of the project. I understand the need for safety and not swapping emails but I wish ITP could maintain some sort of bulletin board where mentors and students could leave messages for each other in the future to encourage their students as they progress through school and just keep in touch once in a while. It would be really nice to be able to do that in some cases.

Not actually looking at my students' face during the process of mentoring. When you put a face to a name it seems to me more can be accomplished. Yes, I know it is far fetched but it has worked for me in the past.

24 - No
3 - Yes