Master Mentor Curriculum

Course Module IV

Section I: Course Outline

Course: Mentoring IV: Fieldwork Internship
Time required: 140-180 hours
Instructor hours: 3 teaching hours per week, 3-6 office hours per week
Credits: 3 credits

Course Introduction
In this course students implement the projects they have worked on in the first three courses of the Master Mentor Program. They submitted a concept to gain admission to the program; they conceived it in detail in Mentorship II, integrating insights from their course work; they finalized it in Mentorship III, undertaking a formal internship agreement with the hosting university. For their last four months in the program they carry out their work in the field with support from instructors and from ongoing discussion with the peers in the program. In most cases the project is delivered with support or collaboration from a regional or state organization with which the student is associated.

Course Description

The main focus for students in the course is to carry out their individual fieldwork projects successfully. However, there is also a strong accent on collaborative learning as students share progress reports on their project with their peers in the program and respond to each other with comments and suggestions. In addition, students continue their exploration of portfolio as a mentoring tool, by compiling the mentorship component of their portfolios. Students are also expected to reflect on their overall progress in becoming master mentors as they apply their skills and insights to independent work.

Pedagogy

Success with this project is really determined by the thoroughness of preparation work that has gone into setting up both the concept and the details of execution. However, the structure is in place to support students as they work through unexpected events that may occur. The main supports are, as always, faculty and the cohort of peers with whom they share the progress of their own projects, and their insights into internship in general.

Students work independently on a day-to-day basis but they also have e-mail access to the instructor to support them in handling any issues that may come up. They are also provided with some structure to help them balance out the workload of an unfamiliar task. They must log the hours they work and are encouraged to complete about half of the course hours allotted by about the end of October. They are counseled to spend an average of two to three hours a week on group discussion and performance reports and eight or nine hours a week on their project.

Internship students are also invited to make some connections with the incoming cohort of students. This opportunity is provided partly to bolster interns’ own sense of how far they have come in their skill development and in part to provide mentors and models for incoming students.

Assessment and Grading

Four Performance Reports 20%

Every three weeks students submit performance reports outlining the activities they have undertaken and assessing their effectiveness. They also provide and account of their overall progress towards their goal. One report must be submitted in the form of a video showing the student conducting a mentoring activity. The video is accompanied by a written analysis of the mentoring performance captured that provides enough detail for peers to comment.

Discussion postings 30%

Students are expected to make about four postings per week except for the weeks in which performance reports are submitted. They comment on the work or comments of others, discuss internship issues or post comments to the new student cohort. All postings must be helpful and show evidence of reflection.

Weekly log 10%

Students are required to track their hours to meet course attendance requirements. They are encouraged to log comments on their activities to help them generate performance reports. However, the log format is the student’s choice and is marked only on a “done” or “not done” basis.

Mentoring Portfolio and Capstone Report 40%

Students may integrate their mentoring portfolio samples with their capstone report or may submit them as separate assignments. In the capstone report students are asked to reflect on all that they have learned about mentoring, and about themselves as a result of participating in the program. Their reports should identify six or seven key concepts or ideas they have retained, compare their learning outcomes with their initial learning objectives, describe how what they have learned has changed them as mentors and indicate their plans for future learning and practice as a mentor. The mentoring portfolio must capture evidence of the student’s overall competence in mentoring others.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students will be equipped to:

design and implement projects to enhance interpretation services available to deaf and hearing consumers
synthesize an extended and multifaceted learning experience and apply it to mentoring practices
devise an ongoing professional self development plan for mentoring skills
define criteria for assessment of mentoring portfolios
define criteria for evaluating success in mentoring projects
handle all aspects of mentoring activities in real life settings
teach mentoring knowledge and skills to others
practice collaborative learning approaches
network with state agencies and other organizations to address problems and opportunities in the interpreting field

Section II: What We Did

In this section of the course module we lay out details of how Mentorship IV was run in the pilot program. We detail the work projects carried out by the first cohort of Master Mentor students.

Fieldwork Project Descriptions

The following are thumbnail descriptions of fieldwork projects undertaken by the first cohort in the Master Mentor Program. In each case the student was required to work out all the details of funding and resource accumulation as well as clarify issues of jurisdiction and responsibility with sponsoring or partner organizations. Some students were able to build their projects around their current jobs.

Project One:

Provide training for 15-20 interpreters this summer to mentor other interpreters
next fall.
- This training will incorporate specific features of the TIEM training such as sensitivity to cultural differences, forms of feedback, relationships, contracts, release of information and a lot of hands on looking for and discussing patterns.
Network with interpreters in Idaho needing mentoring and oversee four long distance mentorships.
- I am still receiving responses about who is interested in being mentored via long distance technology. When the mentees have been identified, the mentors and myself will meet again to discuss the logistics of the fall mentorships. I will set up a weekly theme to discuss based on the readings.
Provide support for educational interpreters who are mentoring ISU soon-to-be graduates in spring of 2003.
- Due to specific graduation requirements for internships, the mentoring will be under the direct supervision of the Interpreting Training Program Directors. During this time I will continue to offer myself as a support and resource.
Lead a weekly discussion with the mentors out in the field during the fall of 2002.
- I will facilitate the dialogue process during our initial implementation of mentoring long distance (fall 2002.) A bulletin board will be used if possible. If not, we will REPLY TO ALL on specific topics during the week. This will require approximately 3 hours per week.
- I will conduct two mentorships myself- one long distance and one locally. I want to be familiar with what the other mentors are going through. This will require not less than 6 hours per week.

Project Two:

The goals for this program will be:

to provide comprehensive training to a group of Deaf and hearing people who will, in turn, become mentors
to provide ongoing support for these mentors.
to indirectly enable mentors to work with thirty mentees -interpreters in the state (both community and educational-based.)

Mentors will:

gain exposure and understand techniques of assessment.
learn strategies to provide effective coaching and feedback.
define and formulate a reporting process to use with this program.
be exposed and demonstrate effective one-to-one and group mentoring.
develop a training plan that addresses the individual needs and scaffolds the learning process for mentees.
identify training techniques and resources.
Be able to write effective lesson plans.
structure the learning processes and plan in order to prepare for mentees’ obtaining or upgrading certification.
embrace the need and draft a plan for a portfolio for their mentees including components such as language, interpreting, ethics, and identification of short-term current position and long-term/career goals.

Project Three

During the 2002/2003 school year, I will provide mentoring to educational interpreters working in the K-12 setting in a rural area. At the same time, I will mentor a certified interpreter who will eventually become a mentor in the K-12 setting as well. This project will begin in August, 2002 and continue through June, 2003. The first goal is to provide mentoring services to a population of interpreters who rarely get an opportunity for mentoring and professional growth in their local area. The other goal is to train a colleague to eventually provide the same services as I do in educational settings in rural areas.

The settings include: a Deaf program in a high school, a Deaf program in an elementary school, a mainstream setting in a high school and a mainstream setting in an elementary school.

The interpreters I will be mentoring range in age from 22 to 62 and they have a variety of experience and educational backgrounds. Some have completed an Interpreter Training Program (ITP), some are currently in an ITP, and others have no training at all. Two-thirds of the interpreters have deaf family members (parents, children, or siblings).

During the school year I will conduct monthly or bimonthly meetings with the interpreters. We will discuss a variety of topics at each meeting including ASL vocabulary, features of transliterating, ethical situations, processing time and short-term memory improvement, interpreting resources (books, tapes, etc.) and a variety of subjects based on the needs of the group. The last phase of the mentoring program will be to develop a professional development plan for the interpreters. I will meet with the interpreters individually to discuss their goals. I will combine their personal goals with areas that I have noted in their observation and evaluation reports and incorporate all of this information into their professional development plan.

Project Four

The approach taken in the design of this project is based on the “Each One, Teach One” pedagogical tradition prevalent among culturally distinct communities. The goal is to provide an opportunity for Interpreters who are People of Color and are emerging or experienced mentors to expand their theoretical knowledge base and increase their skills in mentorship.

Objectives:

Identify and recruit culturally diverse interpreters to be involved in the project.
Provide a forum for addressing concerns and providing moral support.
Secure qualified trainers for the onsite segment.
Secure incentives to encourage participation in the training
Provide orientation on the use of a web delivery system for instruction and peer interaction
Serve as co-trainer during an onsite intensive seminar.
Provide requisite closing course through the WebCT

Timeline

August 19 - September 13, 2002: orientation to training via WebCT
September 24 - October 19, 2002: orientation to mentoring course delivered via WebCT.
November 14 - 15, 2002: intensive face-to-face seminar
November 17 - December 2, 2002: closing forum for discussion and evaluation.

Project Five

The project goal is to reinforce language and interpreting skills and techniques taught at to sign language interpreters working in Kansas K-12 school settings during the 4-day educational event offered at the T.I.E.S. summer institute. The plan will help students apply that learning to real academic interpreting situations in the participant’s/mentee’s daily working environment during the fall semester.

Objectives:

Guide and mentor the interpreter/mentee via distance technology and onsite (face-to-face) with regards to signing and/or interpreting skills;
Introduce effective techniques for problem solving, self-assessment, and monitoring;
Assist the mentee in identifying specific patterns in their work
Offer constructive feedback in a non-biased, professional, respectful, and sincere manner;
Serve as a support, resource, and guide for the mentee in his/her journey and efforts to effectively interpret for d/hh students in k-12 educational interpreting situations;
Fulfill the requirements for the Master Mentor Program by modeling and teaching the mentee techniques and effective learning strategies that have been taught throughout the Master Mentor program.

Project Six

Background

I have been involved with the Colorado Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (CRID) Legal Interpreting Committee (LIC) since 1985 and have been interpreting in the legal setting since 1986. Over the years there has been an ever growing need around Colorado for interpreters to work in the legal setting. This has lead to an increased demand on interpreters to sharpen their skills to match the challenges of this highly specialized interpreting arena.

Over the past two years, I have taken on the responsibility of co-chairing the LIC and have heard to a much greater extent the complaints from interpreters, members of the Deaf community, and court personnel regarding the need to have skilled interpreters working within the legal setting. Out of this concern has come my Mentorship Fieldwork Project for the fall 2002.

Goals and objectives

Offer a long distance Legal Interpreting Mentorship to interpreters in Colorado.
Work with mentees to increase the accuracy of their interpreting skill in the legal setting.
Work with mentees to increase their familiarity and understanding of legal terminology.
Provide opportunities for mentees to observe and/or interpret in a wider variety of legal settings than what they have previously experienced.
Provide mentees an avenue to discuss ethical and logistical dilemmas they encounter while interpreting in the legal settings.
Allow the Legal Interpreting Mentorship to be mentee-driven.
Encourage interpreters of color to participate in the Legal Interpreting Mentorship.

Strategies:

Arrange for mentees to observe court proceedings.
Provide mentees an online forum to discuss the dynamics of interpreting for a Deaf victim and how to work with a Deaf Victim’s Advocate throughout the legal process.
I will be working with SC:L interpreters who will be my guests in at least two online chat sessions for mentees.
Hold ongoing discussions via WebCT of legal terminology, legal setting protocols, ethical dilemmas, and progress on skill development and mentorship goals.
Take mentees through a self assessment and an assessment process
talk with each mentee to discuss their video taped interpreting work and to formulate goals for their skill development throughout the mentorship.

Project Seven

The project will deliver to qualified mentors in New York State (NYS) a program of and guide for mentoring that will enhance the basic knowledge and experience they have learned and applied one or more times through the NYS Preparation of Educational Interpreters Grant since February of 2001. The project will use summary information from previous evaluations of any and all mentoring experiences through the grant. Additionally, the project will utilize the results of surveys offered and collected during the summer from mentors and mentees as a guide in the design and management of the project contents. Incorporated into the enhanced training will be resources, approaches, and formats made available through the Mentorship I and II courses.

Project Eight

This mentoring project will provide an avenue for professional development to local newly certified interpreters in the Montgomery area by:

Providing a workshop and training in building a professional portfolio for self-assessment,
Providing a workshop and training for guided self-assessment,
Providing a workshop and training in methods of mentoring,
Providing an opportunity to earn at least 3 RID approved CEUs, and
Providing opportunities for participants to mentor other interpreters.

Project Nine

The project will provide significant, ongoing one-on-one or small group training in ASL acquisition and ASL development for educational interpreters in rural areas. Deaf individuals who have a strong understanding of ASL; bilingual/multi lingual competencies between ASL, English and other languages if necessary will provide this training.

Strategies

Recruit two native or near native users of ASL as Language Mentors,
- Provide training for language mentors to develop bilingual competence
- Use mentoring techniques in providing training and activities to reinforce bilingual competencies
- Developing strategies for assessment and evaluation of Mentee’s progress
- Provide Follow up training and in-service
Recruit four educational interpreters as mentees
- Define expectations and commitment required of mentees
- Use:
  - Portfolio
  - Evaluation by mentors
  - Short-term assessment
  - Long-term assessment (EIPA)
Review the success and failure of this project and seek future funding if applicable.

Project Ten

The objective is to produce a Sampler in a book and /or CD-ROM format for mentors and mentees to use as a resource. The sampler will give people an idea of what we have found to be effective and essential components of our mentoring activities here in Minnesota. Although the Sampler will be focused on K-12 mentorship, many of the components will be applicable to mentorships in other settings.

Outline for the Sampler.

Section I: Mentor/mentee Characteristics and Qualifications

This section of the Sampler will contain information that will give people things to contemplate when deciding whether or not to seek out a mentorship, and how to look for an appropriate mentor/mentee.

Section II: Mentorship Agreements

We will include specific examples from work that has occurred in Minnesota that future mentors can start with.

Section III: Documentation

In this section we will look at the various types of documentation necessary for a mentorship. We will again include some sample forms in this section, but more than that, we will discuss some of the reasons behind the need for documentation and offer a variety of suggestions.

Section IV: Mentorship Process

This section deals with the nuts and bolts of how the mentor and mentee go about their work.

Section V: Skill Development.

The activities we’ve collected are quite varied. Some are directly focused on enhancing skills needed for testing, particularly sign-to-voice skills. Other mentees have wanted to work on skills related directly to their classroom work and ASL language competency. Activities have been developed for both one-on-one sessions and small group work, as well as work to be done between mentoring sessions.

Section VI: Evaluation

We plan to suggest using several methods of evaluation. We will promote the idea that evaluation has to be integrated into the mentoring relationship rather than seen as a separate event at the end of the process.

Section VII: Resources

This section is self-explanatory. It will be the place where we list resources cited within in the book and potential places for even more information on mentoring.