AVID Tutoriology 101 - Jose Medrano

COURSE TEMPLATE
DESIGNER: JOSE MEDRANO
COURSE TITLE: AVID TUTOROLOGY 101
DATE: OCTOBER 6, 2009

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will familiarize new tutors with the AVID program and teach methodologies that have been proven to enhance student achievement at the high school level. Tutors have limited opportunities to before the start of the school year to learn what is expected of them. This course will train them early in the year in order for them to apply AVID methodologies during tutorial sessions.

COURSE INSTRUCTIONAL/LEARNING STRATEGIES:
This course has been chunnked into four sessions. The sessions are listed below.

Class 1. : This class will cover the history of AVID, and how tutors will be part of a program that can ultimately change student's lives. Testimonials and videos will be presented.

Class 2. : This class will cover job expectations. Topics to be discussed are punctuality, professional attire, appropriate tutor & student relationships, and legal responsibilities.

Class 3. :Tutors will learn efficient ways of conducting tutorial sessions. These include note taking strategies, higher level questioning, and strategies to help students find answers to their own questions.

Class 4. :This class will introduce the tutors to a communication system that will facilitate communication between trainers, tutors, teachers, and each other faculty members.

These lessons have been arranged in a logical order that starts with the introduction of the AVID program, and finishes with the introduction of a communication system that will facilitate professional interaction between AVID staff members. The San Diego County Office of Education's AVID center provides the curriculum. The curriculum includes videos, job aids, and opportunities for reflections. Tutors will undergo this training within the first two weeks of the school year in preparation for the rest of the school year.

COURSE MEDIA PLATFORMS:
Since AVID teacher's can not take the time away from their classes in order to train tutors, each tutor will have to use a campus computer in order to go through each session. Since the AVID program can not pay each tutor for them to work from their homes, they will have to use their normal working hours to complete the training. The media platforms that will be used are computers equipped with the training material from provided by AVID center. Our communication system will be a web based blogging system such as Google's blogger. Here tutors can ask questions, and interact with each other.

COURSE PROVISION FOR LEARNER AUTONOMY:
Part of this course consists of job aids. As tutors work in tutorials, they may use these job aids in order to turn a simple student question into deep analysis of the topic at hand. These job aids will consist of questions tutors can ask students in order to help them deeply understand the subject of the tutorial session. The goal is for tutors to no longer need these job aids after a month of self contained tutorial sessions.

COURSE PROVISION FOR STRUCTURE:
The course will have a website with a listing of the course syllabus, course goals, readings, assignments, and activities. Each student will follow the list and post their reflections on a web page that they will create using Googlepages.

COURSE COMMUNICATION:
Communication will take place between tutors and the AVID teacher during actual tutorial sessions and through the established blog and e-mail systems.

ASSESSMENTS (MAJOR & MINOR): Trainers will conduct one formal observation per semester. Following the observation, the observing trainer and tutor will meet and discuss the findings and the plan for performance improvement. Informal observations will be conducted regularly.
Minor assessments include the trainer or AVID teacher reading tutor's reflections, and responding to them. Tutors will also have the opportunity to assess one another once actual tutorial sessions with the high school students have begun.