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Harvesting Cooperation:
Pennsylvania State University
Provocateur Questions
and Responses
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Questions From Jorge Recinos (Verònica Donahue & Paul Longo)
In your case response you propose the kind of hands-on, problem-solving-oriented approach to learning that I prefer. I agree with you that it would be of immense value to my group of students if your team were to fashion a "design that, with the appropriate
structural support, puts them in the driver's seat." My own thoughts on youth mentoring reflect such an orientation. However, it is the "with appropriate structural support" phrase in that statement that concerns me. I have two questions...
1. How will the identification, selection, and supervision of the mentors that the students will work with take place? and
2. In addition to the amount of time required for on-line learning activities, how much time can each student expect to spend networking throughout the community (conducting interviews, collecting data, and collaborating in general)?
Jorge Recinos
Response to Jorge from PSU:
1. How will the identification, selection, and supervision of the mentors that the students will work with take place?
One of the first task of the development team should be to develop a list of outside resources required, i.e., people expertise. Along with this list of requirements, time commitment, roles expectations, etc.,. should be documented.
The instructional leaders should probably be Billie and Jorge. We assume that they both have some mentoring skills already and Billie should have enough technical knowledge and potentially community knowledge to be the main facilitator with the students. Others from the initial group (Sam, Joe, etc.) should then be asked to submit names to fulfill technical expertise roles , e.g., their willingness to participate, other members of the community that they know would fulfill the roles, etc. After a list is generated, the people on the list should be contacted individually to assess their interest, and then potentially have a group meeting to discuss the entire project. Jorge will act as the principal facilitator between mentors and the students. Regularly scheduled meetings or phone follow-ups will be used as a way to provide a bridge between mentors and the projects. Once roles have clearly been defined to community mentors, assessment of student understanding should be communicated between mentors and facilitators.
2. In addition to the amount of time required for on-line learning activities, how much time can each student expect to spend networking throughout the community (conducting interviews, collecting data, and collaborating in general)?
This will all depend on the solution they would like to generate, how much informal time they may spend when working or talking with their family members, friends, etc. in the community. It will probably also be important for the mentors to set some time limits so that community members are available for specific lots of time. Initially, we see the students spending 3-6 hours a week in order to network, conduct interviews, and collect data. As the project continues, this time will fluctuate. Some students, may find it necessary to continue to do interviews and collect data. Other students may begin to design and assemble the instructional materials.
Questions From Billie Redmond (Michael Lachance)
Community involvement: Just how do stakeholders become more directly
involved?
Are role playing scenarios an important aspect of the project?
What are possible educational goals that can be reached in 200 minutes of
instruction?
Why aren't insect and disease sampling skills plus crop loss assessment seen
as key issues when outcomes were listed?
Response to Billie from PSU:
1. Community involvement: Just how do stakeholders become more directly involved?
see above, develop a list of needed technical expertise, identify potential resources, contact, invite to community center overview, maybe advertise over the radio show that the center is looking for volunteers and these are the requirements. . .
2. Are role playing scenarios an important aspect of the project?
Role playing scenarios could indeed play an important part in preparing the students to meet with, work with, and interview agricultural professionals.
3. What are possible educational goals that can be reached in 200 minutes of instruction?
That is difficult to say. This project is a long term project in which the students will be taking on an essential problem. As with any major project, much of the initial work will involve discussing how best to approach the problem and what resources are available to solve the problem. The students will certainly begin to better understand how to organize themselves in order to tackle a long term project.
4. Why aren't insect and disease sampling skills plus crop loss assessment seen as key issues when outcomes were listed?
As the Hispanic students work with subject matter experts in order to better understand IMP and the needs of the community, they will establish appropriate outcomes and goals for the resources and educational materials that they will be developing. One of the problems that the students face is determining what the community (farmers) need to know about IMP. If the students found that they needed to learn the specific skills (insect-, disease sampling, crop loss assessment) to "solve the problem", the design team have to make sure that they build the content links into the web site to support that need.
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