APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY

LEARNING PARTNERS PROGRAM

The ASU supervised tutoring program is Learning Partners. Learning Partners provides tutoring in an after-school program for children in a local school and serves as an early field experience for undergraduates in the teacher preparation program. It is a college/school partnership.

The objectives of Learning Partners are: a) to create an activity system which promotes cognitive and social development, b) to assist student in mastering skills and knowledge, c) to deepen our understanding of how social and individual create each other, and d) to provide an activity where undergraduates from the teacher education have the opportunity to connect theory and practice while delivering tutoring services to children.

Locally, our Learning Partners program provides an early teaching experience for undergraduates enrolled in CI/SLP 2800: Teachers, Learners and Schools, an introduction to teaching course, located in the Educational Core of the Reich College of Education. The Education Core is underpinned by a social constructivist conceptual framework that complements the study of specialized majors in the teacher preparation program.

Research on the effects of early field placement reveals a number of problems. First, faculty and inters have difficulty communicating and understanding the expectations of field experiences. Second, the supervisory process does not seem to facilitate interns’ application of formal concepts to the real world of teaching or the construction of meaning. Next, interns seem to reject formal knowledge acquired at the university early in their field experience. Finally, the structure of many early field experiences prohibits the social construction of knowledge about teaching and reflection on teaching experiences. What seems to be sorely needed, then, are new theory and tools to facilitate communication, link university classrooms to field teaching contexts, afford social structures enabling teacher education candidates to engage in the public, joint construction of knowledge and reflective processes.

The use of telecommunications is potentially a powerful tool for creating a social context for active, goal-oriented professional behavior. Telecommunications remove the boundaries of time and distance in communicating. Our expectation is not only to help students construct meaning on a one-to-one basis, but to utilize telecommunications for reflections and communication. We promote student reflections after each Learning Partner experience via the WEB. Learning Partners students are required to communicate with their child’s classroom teacher via email and listservs. Telecommunications can mediate: a) reflection on experiences, b) writing as a tool for both formulation and communication of thought, c) social structures for critical analysis and reflective problem solving, d) communication about jointly addressed field experience problem solving, e) comparison of one’s experiences with others, f) mediate access to networks and information sources, and g) interact with specialists.

Learning Partners students assist children with their homework while providing assistance in reading and mathematics. Each participant is required to provide a lesson plan for each meeting. The lesson plan forms are provided via telecommunications. A variety of strategies for the lesson plans are also provided. Following each lesson, the student submits a reflection.

The program benefits everyone involved. Students at the public school receive one-to-one tutoring and ASU students apply theory to practice.

LEARNING PARTNERS

Our school has the opportunity to participate with faculty and students at Appalachian State University in the Learning Partners Program. The program will provide children (in the public schools) with tutoring in reading and subject matter area. The program will be offered during the school day and after school.

The program begins each semester and will continue until the end of that semester. Children are recommended and scheduled for tutoring through their classroom teacher or by a parent.

The child will participate in the following:

Participation in the Learning Partners is entirely voluntary. The child or the parent may refuse to take part in a particular activity or withdraw from the program at any time.

If you are a parent and would like your child to participate or a teacher with a student that could use some tutoring, contact me through email MT29951@conrad.appstate.edu.

Mary Timothy

Appalachian State University

Learning Partners Tutoring Program

Dear Teacher,

The Learning Partners Tutoring Program is a laboratory for the CI/SPE 2800 course for prospective teachers. The purpose for the undergraduate student (the Learning Partner) is to get exposure to teaching, while the elementary students will be receiving support for academic study. Approximately, twenty-four CI/SPE 2800 students will be coming to work with individual children in the After School Program. Each Learning Partner will work with the same child twice a week (Monday & Wednesday or Tuesday & Thursday) for approximately one hour each session (3:00-4:00 or 4:00-5:00). Doctoral students with extensive teaching experience will supervise the Learning Partners Program.

As supervisors of the Learning Partners Program, we would like your suggestions of students to tutor and your input about their progress. Please use the sections below to recommend students from your class whom you believe would benefit from consistent one-on-one tutoring. In addition, indicate the particular areas of concern for each student recommended. We will make efforts throughout the semester to contact you to get updates on your students' progress. The Learning Partner would also like to observe the student during your class time.

Thank you for your help.

Teacher name and grade:__________________________Name of student_________________

Area(s) needing tutoring Specific skills to work on in tutoring sessions

(check one or more):

Reading Math

Writing Social Studies

Spelling Science

Teacher name and grade:__________________________Name of student________________

Area(s) needing tutoring Specific skills to work on in tutoring sessions

(check one or more):

Reading Math

Writing Social Studies

Spelling Science

Teacher name and grade:__________________________Name of student________________

Area(s) needing tutoring Specific skills to work on in tutoring sessions

(check one or more):

Reading Math

Writing Social Studies

Spelling Science

PLEASE COMPLETE THE FORM BELOW

I give permission for my child (Name)_______________________ to take part in the Learning Partners program conducted during the school year. I understand that videotapes may be make of my child for research and evaluation purposes and may be shown at professional meetings and discussed with teaching interns. I also understand that fieldnotes results may be incorporated into research and evaluation reports. I understand that the name of my child and the school will not be identified in any presentation or discussion. My child and the school will be identified by a number. You may withdraw your child from the research at any time.

___________________________________ ______________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature Date

Please provide the following information.

My child's name: _____________________________________________

Grade: ______________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________

Telephone: __________________________________________________

The best days for my child to attend after-school tutoring is (check one).

_____________Monday-Wednesday

_____________Tuesday-Thursday

The best time for my child to attend after-school tutoring is (check one).

_____________3:00-4:00

_____________4:00-5:00