1997 Annual Convention of the Council for Exceptional Children - Salt
Lake City, UT - April 9-13
A. Proposal Information
1. Title of Proposal
A mentoring program for economically disadvantaged urban
gifted/talented elementary students.
2. Abstract
Twenty university pre-service teachers were matched with twenty students
identified as gifted/talented. Joint social and academic experiences were
designed and implemented. The interns completed a child study requiring
observation, interaction and documentation of the mentee's academic and
personal growth.
3. Type/Format of Session
Lecture / Audience Participation (preferred) Poster (considered)
4. Content Area
Restructuring of Teacher Education as related to support of Underserved
Gifted / Talented
5. Audience
Primary: Gifted Advocates [parents, teachers, university and community]
6. Proposer (see last page, as requested)
7. CEC Status: Member for more than 25 years
8. Program Participation
Yes - Lecture / Audience Participation (preferred)
Poster (considered)
9. Signature of proposer / date (see last page, as requested)
B. 300-600 Description of the Proposal
6. Proposer :
Dr. Colleen Finegan-Stoll
7630 Rozelle Court
West Chester, OH 45069
Joint Presenter:
Dr. Ronald G. Helms
7123 W. Von Dette Circle
Cenerville, OH 45459
9. Signature of proposer / date (see last page, as requested)
Wright State University includes in its mission statement the goal of “working with others to better understand and improve the human condition”. The College of Education and Human Services (CEHS) joined hands with the Greater Dayton metropolitan community to design a program to better prepare new teachers. The resulting collaborative effort, Partners Transforming Education: School - University - Community includes over 430 members. These participants are representative of teachers and administrators in the PreK-12 sector, leaders in business, industry, military, human service agencies, as well as the university.
An alternative model for pre-service teacher education at Wright State University was developed to provide students with an immersion program with actual on-site school experience. Four foundations of education courses are offered at each partner site: Introduction to Education, Education in a Multi-Cultural, Pluralistic Society, Development of the School Aged Child and Learning Theory and Problem Solving. The concomitant field experience offers 120 - 130 clock hours of experience working with students. Actual university courses are taught on-site by professors for two and one-half hour blocks of time each day. The teacher interns spend the remaining time observing, tutoring, participating in small group interaction, and performing various non-academic responsibilities.
In conjunction with this professional partnership model, a mentorship component was conceptualized for young economically disadvantaged urban students. University representatives (professors and interns) met with the principal and the gifted/talented teacher of specific center city schools in the Greater Dayton Metropolitan area (Ohio) to collaboratively design the mentorship program.
Family and community nuturance have a significant impact on the social, emotional, and intellectual development of gifted learners. School, community, extended family networks also influence the student. Gifted/talented programs have been encouraged and promoted by a very vocal, concerned parent advocacy group. State legislators are very much aware of the demands of these parents for appropriate educational experiences in the public schools.
The absence of parent advocacy efforts by some parents of economically
disadvantaged urban gifted/ talented elementary students limits development
potential for this set of students. A mentorship program was initiated
in an effort to provide a support group for a set of students identified
as gifted/talented at the selected center city partnership schools .
Initial conceptualization for this mentoring program began in winter,
1996 to commence during spring of 1996 at one elementary site. Based on
input and evaluation from Wright State interns (mentors), the mentees and
their classroom teachers, the program was revised for implementation at
a second school site during fall, 1996. This program will formally continue
during the winter of 1997, and informally during the spring.
The College of Education and Human Services, Project Able, Bright and Creative { a collaborative project with Wright State University’s Department of Educational Leadership Program, SENG [ Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted ], and a Jacob K. Javits U.S. Department of Education grant.
The actual mentoring program for economically disadvantaged urban gifted/ talented elementary students involved a set of 20 G/T students from E.J. Brown for a 14 week period of time. A second component of the project provided free tuition for the E.J. Brown G/T students in WSU summer enrichment programs.
Preliminary meeting with teaching interns provided an orientation to
activities and responsibilities in E.J. Brown placement as well as an explanation
of possible mentoring activities. The teaching interns received $10.00
a week to assist in mentoring activities. Possible activities include
the following: visit WSU campus,
tour WSU CaTS center, work in the X windows lab { state of the art
computer
lab }, WSU Saturday enrichment courses,research in the WSU library,
attend WSU Nutter Center Events, attend WSU athletic events, explore Dayton
Museum of Natural History, visit Cincinnati Museum of Natural History,
investigate Columbus COSI, visit Sun Watch, explore Deeds Carillon Park,
work at the Learning Tree Project, attend Aullwood Audubon Center,participate
in small group WSU student assignments, participate in summer WSU residential
camps, and participate in WSU InCahoots Children’s Theater.
This session will discuss the planning, budgeting, and implementing
of both the mentoring component and the summer enrichment programs.
University planning involved several different university agencies:
The College of Education and Human Services, Project Able, Bright and Creative
{ a collaborative project with Wright State University’s Department of
Educational Leadership Program, SENG [ Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted
], and a Jacob K. Javits U.S. Department of Education grant.
A second component of the project provided free tuition for the E.J. Brown G/T students in WSU summer enrichment programs.
Preliminary meeting with teaching interns provided an orientation to
activities and responsibilities in E.J. Brown placement as well as an explanation
of possible mentoring activities. The teaching interns received $10.00
a week to assist in mentoring activities. Possible activities include
the following: visit WSU campus,
tour WSU CaTS center, work in the X windows lab {state of the art computer
lab }, WSU Saturday enrichment courses,research in the WSU library, attend
WSU Nutter Center Events, attend WSU athletic events, explore Dayton Museum
of Natural History, visit Cincinnati Museum of Natural History, investigate
Columbus COSI, visit Sun Watch, explore Deeds Carillon Park, work at the
Learning Tree Project, attend Aullwood Audubon Center,participate in small
group WSU student assignments, participate in summer WSU residential camps,
and participate in WSU InCahoots Children’s Theater.
This session will discuss the planning, budgeting, and implementing
of both the mentoring component and the summer enrichment programs.