Mentoring Session #4 - Final Session

As I look back on this mentoring process I am grateful for what I have gained. Through the challange of navigating a new technology, I gained insight on how to better explain it as well as how to approach learning it myself. Through the success of completing the base outline for Jennifer's site I gained confidence in my ability to jointly accomplish set goals.

I learned through this process that the mentee's learning style is very important to consider when preparing for sessions and discovering how they learn best is a nessecity for achieving success. I also learned that as a mentor I sometimes can fall into the role of care-taker/note-taker and I need to be careful to not assume tasks that the mentee should be doing.

In reflecting back on our sessions together I would say that my style as a mentor did shift slightly in tone and task. After the second session I made more of an effort to learn the technology on my own, I found tutorials to offer as guides for my mentee in our time apart, and I attempted to more greatly direct our focus in our time together. This mentoring assignment was worthwhile for many reasons but the most important reason for me was the effect it had on my ability to empathize with my mentee. This process helped me to see yet another angle on how to approach teaching a new piece of technology.

With this added ability, if I were to do go back and do anything differently I would have started creating action plans after the first session. I think not only verbally concluding our sessions but also creating a tangible document to reference was extremely helpful and could have been utilized earlier.

Overall, if nothing else, I know I was helpful to Jen in helping her find her way through Google Sites. I wish I would have been more in tune with her learning style sooner so I could have provided better guidance earlier. However, I think we were still able to meet our goals and the process was beneficial to the both of us.

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At the conclusion of our final mentoring session Jennifer and I went over the following questions together:

How did you feel about the process as a whole?

Jennifer felt as though the process was very helpful. Without the assistance our sessions provided she stated that she would have been much more burdened about her project.

What did you learn about the mentor/mentee process?

The accountability was very important for Jennifer. She shared that for her, knowing that she would be meeting with me and that I had specific expectations about her progress helped her to stay focused on her project a bit more than she would have on her own. Moreover we both learned that setting expectations at the forefront was crucial for our success. The goal setting we did at the beginning of our sessions was vital in that it assisted us in refocusing and readjusting as we moved through the process.

What did you learn about yourself as a mentee?

As we began to explore new areas of technology, Jennifer stated she came to the realization that she knew a lot more than she thought about technology. However, she also saw that there is still so much to capture in regards to the many, many idiosyncrasies of the Internet and coding. Over all she stated that she is more comfortable with technology and learning how to use it.

Do you feel that the goals of the process were met? Why or Why Not?

The goals for the process were most definitely met. We originally set out to accomplish the broad task of helping Jennifer become more comfortable with online technology so she can use it to her advantage. We later set the more specific task of creating a skeleton website for her Capstone project using google sites. Both goals were reached through our time together. Jennifer now has the design, navigation, and general layout completed for her project and also feels quite comfortable working on her own to spice up her site. She has become much more relaxed with the google sites applications and hopes to continue to utilize technology where it fits best in her personal and professional goals.

Is there anything else you can share with me that would help me understand your perception of this process?

Since playing the role of mentor is a part of Jennifer’s day to day routine, as a director of student affairs, she explained that she often found it difficult to be the mentee. Specifically, it was hard for her to maintain the mindset of a mentee. For example she often found herself trying to find ways to make my job as her mentor easier instead of asking for help even if it created more work for me. Likewise, focusing on learning the technology in the time between sessions was challenging for her but she noted that outlining our tasks for each session was extremely helpful. It kept us on track throughout the process by acting as a reference point when we would assess our status in relation to our timeline.

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Personally, I found it quite helpful to play around with google sites on my own time because it helped me to empathize with Jennifer’s learning process. It also provided me the opportunity to reflect on how I best synthesized the application so I could plan out ways to better help Jennifer with her progress.

I really enjoyed this opportunity to mentor someone in their journey through learning a new piece of technology. I look forward to having the chance to do so again soon. Until then...

Mentoring Session #3

Our goal for this session was to work through creating a “skeleton” frame for Jennifer's site, decide on what her main menu will consist of, and what deeper elemental layers she would like to add to her site.

Unfortunately, we were unable to successfully accomplish all the tasks we had listed for our session. In retrospect, I think we failed to set ourselves up for success by not creating a concrete action plan for our time between sessions. We ended up moving into this session without having built upon our work from our last session. This setback, coupled with our lack of foresight in regards to how expansive the detail work is for Jennifer’s project-website led to us a place of opportunity growth rather than forward progress.

In an attempt to remedy our predicament from this session and to avoid future setbacks, Jennifer and I will jointly create an action plan for our time between sessions. This action plan will include specific tasks and also thinking prompts to better prepare us both for our next session.

We both feel good about the process and our sessions so far. Likewise, we are encouraged by the adaptability of the process; sessions can not fail simply bring to light areas for improvement.

In our next session Jennifer and I will begin creating her site. Layout, design, titles and word-smithing will be our focus. If we work through those tasks easily then we may move towards adding her work and media choices.

Mentoring Session #2

Our goal for this session was to decide next steps in regard to design and layout of Jennifer’s site. Likewise, we wanted to brainstorm options for additional media to use for her site.

Fortunately, we were we were able to successfully and productively talk through possible options for her menu and header layout. We talked through her likes and dislikes in other sites she has seen. We also focused on the different possibilities for additional media she may use as well as which examples she might exclude from using additional media.

We both feel good about the progress we've made and are excited to move forward with the design elements. Jennifer will focus on attempting to ticker with Google Sites on her own time this week and I will be available for assistance should she need it.

In our next session, Jennifer and I will work through creating a “skeleton” or frame for her site. We will decide on what her main menu will consist of and what deeper elemental layers she would like to add to her site.

Until next time...

Mentoring Session #1

I recently had my first mentoring session with my mentee. I feel quite blessed to have found a good friend with which to experience this venture. She is also finishing her Master’s degree in Student Affairs at Azusa Pacific University and as luck would have it she has to create a sort of e-Portfolio showcasing her work as she rounds out her final semester just as I do.

I must say, luckily, she is able to use an open source form of web creation like Google Sites to create her portfolio so we won’t be overwhelmed with the complexity of learning/teaching something like Dreamweaver at the same time.

I think this will end up being a great pairing for multiple reasons.

First, we happen to be old friends living about an hour away from each other but who never get together, so the simple fact that we will get to see each other is nice. I’ll note we do have to schedule 1 hour for mentoring and about 2 hours for “Catch-Up Time”.

Secondly, I have now attained a great enough level of technology know-how that navigating a place like Google Sites is quite intuitive. For her, however, it’s still a bit foreign. With this matching I will have the opportunity to reflect on my own learning experience as I guide her to her own level of understanding.

Plainly, it also seems fated that we can each fill such distinct needs for each other as we simultaneously wrap up our Master’s Programs. We will have the opportunity to reflect on our programs seperately and impart the knowledge we have both experienced through this time of personal development as well as efficiently help each other with a requirement for graduation.

Lastly, (and I’ll admit I can already see how I will need to keep this in check) I hope to impart a bit of the excitement and enthusiasm for technology that I have now gained through my own experience. Now, I well know that some folks just DO NOT enjoy technology – I can not expect her to either. However, I hope that by providing a learning environment that is comfortable and manageable with a bit of challenge to establish the sense of ownership, I will inspire a bit of technology focused self-directedness in her that will lead to an enhanced interest of what technology has to offer.

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Upon our initial meeting, Jennifer and I reviewed and answered the following questions to help guide our process:

What are your goals for growth in using technology?

Jennifer’s main goal is to become more comfortable and familiar with online technology so she can use it to her advantage when she needs to like applying for jobs.

How do you feel you best learn?

Jennifer feels she learns best when she is provided with a collaborative environment where she can try things herself, have someone observe and instruct, and when she can dialogue with someone about the things she’s experiencing. She also likes to be challenged and likes the idea of trying new things so long as she has a resource to go to should she have questions.

What concerns do you have?

Jennifer has no concerns at this time.

How will we communicate if a session needs to be delayed or re-scheduled?

Jennifer and I will communicate via email or texting when it comes to the scheduling or rescheduling of sessions.

What do you feel should happen at the next session?

At our next session Jennifer hopes to work on organizing her portfolio documents in a way that makes them easy to find and upload to her site. She would also like to brainstorm ideas for adding various media to her site ie photos, possibly slideshows, and maybe even mp3 files.

Blog 1 - My Mentoring Philosophy

“The proper aim of education is to promote significant learning. Significant learning entails development. Development means successively asking broader and deeper questions of the relationship between oneself and the world. This is as true for first graders as graduate students, for fledging artists as graying accountants. “

(Laurent A. Daloz (20th century), U.S. educator. Effective Teaching and Mentoring, ch. 9 (1986).)

The statement above epitomizes my philosophy on personal success. That is to also say that I believe continual learning is the key to being a well balanced, successful individual. Consistently evaluating and subsequently learning from what you assess has tremendous value in developing one’s self. Nonetheless, even the most self-reflective folks can use a mentor; someone to listen to them, to synthesize with, to glean from, and from which to learn. Of course, in order to find someone capable of mentoring well, one must find an individual who is reflective themselves; not an easy task if you ask me. However, discussing the benchmarks that define a mentoring relationship I find a bit easier to accomplish.

First and foremost are the skills necessary for a mentor to possess: adaptability, a good listener, the ability to assess the big picture, open-minded, and self-reflective. I view these skills as necessary because without them, it is much easier to fall into the common pitfalls of a mentoring relationship.

The unfortunate truth is that many of us find it hard to sincerely evaluate ourselves; to take a step back and really look at whether or not our behavior and interactions are the best they can truly be or if they need improvement. It is genuine self evaluation, married with the ability to synthesize the larger picture that creates a mentor able to provide a sound, successful environment for growth. Without these traits the relationship can often turn sour; mentors feel overwhelmed, mentees feel like a burden and remain unchanged. People are complicated creatures and relationships, especially mentoring relationships, need the flexibility for open communication and subsequent change when necessary. Moreover, when a mentor lacks the ability to sagely see the big picture in how their mentee relates to the world around them, they set themselves up for an unsuccessful mentoring relationship. However, if the mentor is a good listener and can amalgamate the subtleties they hear from their mentee along with pulling from what they already know, then they can easily side step yet another common pitfall. Lastly, providing a welcoming, sincere, and truthful environment for the mentee is crucial. If the mentee is reluctant to begin with (which as I stated before is not uncommon as most individuals find even self-improvement to be a battle, not to mention having another person help) than any environment that isn’t completely welcoming will most likely end in failure. That’s not to say that the mentor should not ever challenge their mentee but building a strong foundation first through providing a welcoming environment is key to creating a successful mentoring relationship.

As I see it, the nature in which a mentoring relationship is born is all encompassing. Friends, family, teachers, coaches, bosses, co-workers, all are possible mentors. The factor that sets a mentoring relationship apart is its endless reciprocity; the give and take, dialogue and discourse, sincerity and caring that promotes a rich environment for both involved to grow and flourish.

In this age of technology, the act of mentoring faces both challenges and opportunities. Essentially it is up to us to decide if we will utilize all we have before us, technology or otherwise, to further develop our ability to be self-reflective and self-directed in our personal development. For, as I stated, the key to creating a truly sustainable, positive mentoring relationship is through each individual’s ability to challenge their own thinking. Technology can either help or hinder this goal.

There is much to question where technology is concerned. It has distanced some of us from the face to face interaction which has proven to be quite helpful in learning about one’s self and others. Conversely, technology has opened up endless opportunity for individual’s to display themselves more freely than what’s normally possible in day to day interactions through the development of profiles within networking sites and games that use customized avatars. However, as much as technology has encouraged people to express themselves, we must utilize our own initiative to view and digest those we encounter digitally, as we would face to face, to further our personal development. Put simply, it’s up to you.

Beyond this philosophical view, I believe technology creates even greater opportunity for mentoring relationships in regards to interaction and chances for growth. The key is being aware of how technology differs from other forms of interaction especially when used for mentoring purposes. To begin, since much of our communication is done through body language, technology can create a breeding ground for miscommunication and misunderstanding if left unaddressed. However, if the issue is addressed effectively a new opportunity arises. Creating a dialogue surrounding the fact that technology might hinder clear communication creates a consistently open talking point focused toward better understanding. Moreover, technology provides individuals the occasion to communicate exponentially; if clear communication is a continual focus, than technology simply provides more opportunity to do so which leads to more involvement and thus more mentoring.