Kimberly Klotz and Kimberly McKee
Kimberly McKee, associate in the Division of Outreach and Community Engagement, was invited to present at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Teaching with Technology Symposium held in Little Rock on July 24-25, 2014.
The presentation, “Click Here to Change the World: Using Technology to Build e-Mentoring Relationships,” focuses on the development of the University’s pilot program – D.R.E.A.M. Team. The presentation will provide a short overview of the program, a course tour to show how Blackboard is used to host the lessons and a demonstration of the various Web 2.0 tools used to enhance the learning experience. Finally, a short video will feature students sharing their thoughts about the program. The program is cutting edge and has positive implications for using technology to connect students from rural communities to the University.
The D.R.E.A.M. Team program matches “at risk” eighth grade students from a rural Arkansas school district with college students who serve as mentors. The immediate goal of the program is to improve behaviors, school attendance and grades for the eighth grade students. The long-term goal of the program is to raise the high school graduation rate in the school district. This program is unique because it is online. Weekly contact is maintained through the University’s Blackboard. Lessons are developed using the specific topics of Diversity, Responsibility, Engagement, Academics and Mentorship. The Discussion Board is used to facilitate discussion about each lesson. Face-to-face meetings and activities are held approximately every six weeks to support the mentoring relationship. The Division of Outreach and Community Engagement has taken an innovative approach to mentoring and our model has the potential to make a significant impact on the lives of students all across Arkansas.
Last year, Kimberly Klotz, project manager, Division of Outreach and Community Engagement and McKee presented at the UAMS Teaching with Technology Symposium in Little Rock and the Mid-South Distance Learning Conference in Memphis, Tenn., on the topic of Project Management for Instructional Designers.
Klotz and McKee both hold master’s degrees in Instructional Technology from the University of Central Arkansas.