techyes science peer mentor guide

8/14/2019 TechYES Science Peer Mentor Guide

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Peer Mentor Guide


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Welcome to TechYES Science!

Did you know science and technology are two elds growing and changing faster thanever in the 21st century? Scientists are looking for new ways to cure diseases, fuel ourhomes, grow food, manufacture goods, and search the skies, and they need technologyto do it. Schools around the country are looking for ways to help their students becomeleaders in science and technology. In TechYES Science, your school is using a powerfulresource to show students the possibilities of technology YOU!

Why YOU?

As a student, you make up more than 90% of your school (adults make up the rest.) Yourgeneration has grown up with technology. It makes sense that students should be ableto help each other learn how to use technology forscientic projects. In TechYES Science, your scienceteacher will teach you scientic concepts, and

you will help your classmates create projects aboutthose concepts using technology. Your teacher canconcentrate on teaching science, not on keepingup with technology, and your classmates will learnmore and practice using science and technologytogether, the way scientists do in the real world.

YOUareaTechYES Science Peer Mentor.

Peer Mentors have three important jobs.

1.Youarealearner:youusetheresourcesinyour

school and on the TechYES Science website to improve your own technology skills..Youareatutor: you help your science classmates learn how to use technology they

need to complete their projects..Youareanevaluator: you assess students nished TechYES Science projects and

decidewhethertheyshowthatthestudentistechnologyliterate.

This guide explains what it means to be an Peer Mentor and how to do the job. Skim itover or read it carefully either way, get comfortable with referring back to it. It is meantto help you become an excellent Peer Mentor. You will have additional training with yourTechYES Science Advisor -- so be sure to ask your Advisor or your science teacher aboutanyquestionsyouhave.


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Essential Peer Mentor Skills

How can you make an impact with technology? By practicing these

skills, youll be well on your way.

Learnabout technology and how to be a good teacherfrom your teachers, other Peer Mentors, and your TechYESScienceAdvisor.

Findwaystosolve problemswith help fromteachers, advisors, other Peer Mentors, and the TechYES

website. Other good resources are the Internet, thelibrary, friends and family, and your own brain!

Peer Mentors are role models and important leaders in theirschools. Before you begin, you must read and understandthe Peer Mentor Contract (check with your TechYES Science

Advisor to receive a copy). When you sign the Contract, youare agreeing to follow the rules set by TechYES and your school

about acceptable use, safety, and responsible behavior. You arealso promising to put your best efforts into your job as a Peer Mentor.

Helpotherstudentsandteacherstry new things and explore ways of learning withtechnology.

Whether you are helping a teacher, evaluatinga students project, or working with other Peer Mentors, always

be responsible,respectfulandfair.

Congratulations! Youre ready to lead!


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Helping OtherStudents Learn

TechnologyTechYES Certication means a student has proven he or she is technology literate-- in other words, he or she knows how to use technology. To become TechYES Certied,each student in your science class must complete two original, creative scienceprojects showing that they understand how to use technology. You and the otherPeer Mentors will help them learn technology skills if they need help. When a TechYES

student nishes a project, you will evaluate it to see that it uses technology to Gather,Organize,Construct, and Share. Your Advisor will talk with you about these terms, and

this Handbook explains all your role in helping your science classmates get certied.

Route to TechYES Certication:

Read Student Guide

Review and sign off onInternet Safety and Ethics (Chapter 2)

and Becoming a Web Critic (Chapter 3)

A Peer Mentor and TechYES

Science Advisor evaluate the

fnished projects

Get technology tutoring from

a Peer Mentor if necessary

Plan and create two

TechYES Science

projects

CelebrateTechYES Certication!

Fix projects if necessary


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You: The Peer Mentor

The TechYES Student you are helping: The tutee

Introduce yourself to the tutee.Giveyourtuteeyourundividedattention.

Listen to your tutees. Let them think and speak. Let your tutees know you care about them by showing trust,

respect, and acceptance. Praise them for things they know and skills they already have. Dont be afraid to challenge tutees to do their best work. Never let your tutees struggle with their answers to the point of

frustration.Donttrytoteachtoomuchatonce.

Let your tutees know that you are human too. Its okay for bothof you to make mistakes or say, I dont know.

Know your schools rules and expectations and abide by them.You are a role model! That means following your schoolsAcceptable Use Policies and being a criticalweb user.

Ask for help when you need it. It can befun to learn a new skill together!

Donotgiveyourtuteesorders.

Be patient!

Tutoring Hints


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Gather, Organize, Construct, ShareWhat to Look For When You Evaluate a Project

Organize

Look for: Creating a spreadsheet Sorting things into folders

Using a word processor Using an image library Working with a graphic organizer

Thingstoask: Where did you save your les? Did you get permission to use these

pictures? Show me the outline for your project. What sites did you nd that helped

you?

ConstructLook for a nished product that wascreated with hardware or software.

Thingstoask:Howdidyoumakethis? Show me the steps? Did you have any problems? How

didyousolvethem? Would you do it differently next time? Show me how you edited that le. Did you follow your plan? Why or why

not? How did you check it for problems? Did you follow safety procedures?

ShareFindouthowthestudentsharedtheirproject with an audience.

Thingstoask: Who did you share your project with? What did you do to make it easy for

them to use (or read, listen to, playwith, etc.)?

Why did you pick this technology toshare your project?

Can you think of another technology

to use to share your project? What obstacles did you encounterwhileusingthistechnologytoshare?

Gather

Look for: Use of an Internet search engine

Shootingvideo Taking digital photos Using sensors to collect data

Recordinginterviews

Thingstoask:Showmethesearchtermsyouused.

Wheredidyougetyourdata?Showmehowthecameraworks. How did you get the (sound, video,

measurements, etc.) into the

computer?


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Showmewhereyou

savedthedocument.

Wheredid yougetthatpicture?Explain to me how you fxed

that problem.

Showmethe

websitewhere

youfoundthat

information.

What format is that picture in?Showmehowyoucre

atedthechart.

Canyouemailthatfletomyemailaddress?

Explainhowyoutransferredyourpictures

fromthecameratothecomputer.

Howdidyoumakesurethat

informationwascorrect?

Evaluation Questions

Just like when you are tutoring, when you evaluate a TechYES Science projectyou should never take over or do all the talking for the student. It is their work

and they need to prove they understand it! The questions you ask should help thestudent tell you in their own words about how their project works. Even though

you probably can tell what program the student used or where their les aresaved, the important thing is to make sure that THEY know how all the technologyworks and can show you by themselves. Questions that start with Show me,Explain, or How did you... are the best kind to ask during your evaluations.

Areyousureitslegaltousethatm

usic?Howdoyouknow?


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You should let the TechYES Science student know what is missing or what

the problem is right away. You can help the student out by suggesting

ways in which the project could be improved. If you feel the student willnot be able to complete the project, tell your TechYES Science Advisor

and decide what to do together. Here are some things to keep in mind

when telling a student that his or her project is not complete:

If a Project isnt Acceptable...

DO

Tell the student that lots of projects

dont make it the rst time.Tellthestudentthatheorshehas

not failed. This is not a test.Tellthestudentitdoesntmatterhowmanytimesit

takes to get an acceptableevaluation.Theywillstillget

their Certicate at the end. Tell the student you, your

science teacher, and others arewilling to help the student get

through the process. Tell the student you would be

happy to evaluate the projectagainoncetheconcerns

have been addressed.However, the student isfree to go to another PeerMentor the next time he orshe is to be evaluated.

DO NOT UNDER ANY

CIRCUMSTANCES

Belittle or insult a TechYES student. Instead,give encouragement and positive feedback.Be optimistic about their eventual success.

Tell other students or friends that someonehas failed, or show disrespect to theTechYESstudentorthestudentswork.Yourrole is to help your peers, not humiliate them.Peer Mentors who do this will be immediately

released from their Peer Mentor role.


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Be a Leader -- Change the World!In TechYES Science, students have the major responsibility when it comes to learningtechnology skills. This doesnt mean you have to be a computer whiz to be a good Peer

Mentor. While technology is important in TechYES Science, it is just as important that youlearn how to use technology to think critically, solve problems, and work with other peo-

ple. TechYES Science gives you the chance to develop these 21st century skills by tack-

ling projects that have a real impact on your school.

TechYES Science is about showing the world that students have a lot of tech skills anda lot of great ideas about how to use technology to answer scientic questions andsolve real-world problems. The days of sitting bored in front of a computer are over! WithTechYES Science, you can explore the possibilities, gure out what you know, and take

control of your learning by collaborating and sharing your knowledge and ideas with oth-

ers. You will help other students do the same thing, and you will help your teachers realizethat they have tons of student tech support right in their science classes.

You can push past your comfort zone to learn, teach, and get great things done. This isyour chance to use the technology you love IMing, blogging, making movies, anima-

tion, and web development to make your school and community a better place. Betteryet, as a Peer Mentor, you get to help other people challenge themselves, too. So jumpin, go to work, and show your stuff.

Across the nation young people are doing awesome, creative projects that show adultsthat students can be leaders in science and technology and now YOU are joining them.

What you do is going to make a difference. Be a leader -- change the world!

2008 Generation YES Corp. TechYES, GenYES and Generation YES and logos are trademarks or registeredtrademarks of Generation YES. All rights reserved.


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