E-mentoring brings business knowledge to the classroom
Pupil 1: Enterprise is creative.
Pupil 2: Enterprise is fun.
Pupil 3: Enterprise is learning useful skills.
Headteacher: Kinross High School has 940 pupils and sits in the borough of Kinross-shire.
Teacher 1: Two years ago we were reviewing the provision of ICT delivery to our S2 pupils. At that point we decided that we would deliver the SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority) unit – Internet Basics. As part of that unit the pupils have to look at use of email and concurrently, with that, under the Determined to Succeed banner, we were looking to foster stronger links with local employers.
We approached Norwich Union, who are 20 miles up the road, and we asked them if they would be interested in joining us in an e-mentoring project.
Pupil 4: E-mentoring project is emailing mentors from Norwich Union and asking them questions and listening to the responses about things like what IT they use in their workplaces and computer programmes they use and relate them to computer programmes you use.
Teacher 1: Employees of Norwich Union volunteer to email a group of pupils on a weekly basis, over an 8 week period and the topics of the emails cover core-skills.
The core-skills are things like:
- Use of ICT in the workplace
- Attendance and punctuality
- Dress and appearance in the workplace
- Time management skills
- Communication skills.
We talked a lot about the differences between informal text language and how that, maybe, wasn’t quite so appropriate for formal emails. For some, that was a struggle to go back to using email using proper business language. But after a couple of weeks, they recognised that they were also getting emails back that weren’t in text language; they were in structured and formal language.
There were issues to think about, like Internet safety, which was also part of the course. So, it fitted quite naturally that we were now asking them, for example, not to divulge personal details, to always copy their teacher into their emails.
We live by emails nowadays, but we forget that, perhaps, the young people in front of us aren’t actually dealing with emails other than to their friends.
Impact is always a hard one to measure, but certainly, from an enjoyment aspect, they're learning suddenly became real and they had really good questions about what was coming from the Norwich Union employees about what it was like to work in Norwich Union and it raised lots of class discussions and, I feel, that it depended their understanding.
Pupil 4: Not only did I learn how to write emails formally, I also learnt about what IT they use and how they use it. Whereas before, I didn't really understand some of the things that businesses use rather than just schools.
Teacher 1: Over 90% of our pupils attend the unit Internet Basics, so it had an impact on attainment as well as their learning experience.
Teacher 2: By getting involved in all these enterprise activities, they're getting a chance to experience working life conditions within the classroom which, normally, would be quite a difficult thing to mock up.
Headteacher: In terms of the value that such a partnership gives to our young people, there's no doubt that there are many of our young people who are now seeking employment in areas that they might never have considered previously.
I think, also, that what it does is it allows them to stretch their own thinking, in terms of moving into other areas and particularly in the business field. I think, far too often we see the opportunity to move into business as something that we do in later life. And, I think, what we’re allowing is our young people to be entrepreneurs.
Teacher 2: As well as being successful learners they can also be effective contributors. They can see where they fit in, not just as an individual, but also in terms of group work activities that they do. They can see what part that each person will play in the bigger, wider scheme of working with groups.
Teacher 1: I believe in effective partnership between schools and employers happens when there’s a win-win situation. And, in this instance, we were winning because email became real to them and they were also learning about work-based skills.
The E-mentoring Project definitely raises their awareness of Norwich Union as a potential employer on their doorstep. For the employees of Norwich Union, many of them commented that they looked forward to getting their emails and finding out about what’s happening in schools, and they just … it was something different for them to take part in.
Headteacher: Undertaking a single project such as the E-mentoring often makes one wonder how we widen that, and there's no doubt that there is an intention to widen. We’d like to widen it, initially, in a local sense and try and get more of our local employers to see that they can provide a role, not only within the school in terms of sharing how they work with us, but in terms of making out young people aware of opportunities within their local employment market.
It would be nice to think that, on the back of this project with Norwich Union, they can see the benefits to themselves, initially, but obviously to the school and the young people of the school.
Pupil 4: Enterprise is a team effort.
Pupil 5: Enterprise is working as a group.
Pupil 6: Enterprise is involving you.
- Posted on 24 September 2008.