Educator's Virtual Mentor

The Educator's Virtual Mentor is a resource for educators. This tool provides articles summarizing the best-practice research on 51 instructional strategies. Each strategy is supported with one or more rubrics and video clips of authentic instruction demonstrating the strategy in action.

The "Video Matrix" shows 817 video clips supporting the articles from elementary, middle school/Jr. High, and high school. Each video clip has a set of unique reflection questions that allow the user to consider how they use or could use the instructional strategy in their classroom. The responses to the reflection questions can be printed and or e-mailed to learning teams, the user, grade level peers, the principal or whom ever is coaching the teacher or future teacher. When the video clip is e-mailed or printed a time stamp is activated documenting the length of time spent on this video clip. The video classroom instruction video clips range from two to ten minutes in length. The resource also contains a section for administrators to strengthen their ability to identify the instructional strategies in action. Over 50 video clips that range from eight to fourteen minutes in length are available to administrators. Two text boxes adjacent to the video clips, one for taking notes or scripting what is going on during the instruction and a second for the administrator to share the feedback and coaching they would provide the teacher they just observed. As with the teacher reflection questions, the data collection and feedback can be printed or e-mailed to others. When the reflections questions or administrator data is e-mailed to others the opportunity is provided for digital conversations concerning teaching and learning. Educators have the opportunity to identify what they know and practice, and what they don't know and do not practice.