MentorED - One Step Closer to Meeting Your Mentors
Today, technology is not just a medium, it is an integral part of our lives. We eat, sleep, and walk technology. From the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed, technology is woven into the fabric of our daily routines. We rely on it for everything from staying connected with loved ones and accessing information instantly to managing our health and streamlining our work processes.
ShikshaLokam is currently bringing technology one step closer to our very own architects of education – the education leaders, in their journey of continuous learning and improvement. While there are numerous student-oriented technological innovations, ShikshaLokam’s focus is on the ones who shape the learning environment of every school and class. The vision is to equip education leaders with the resources they need to enhance their skills, ensure that they are able to come together more effectively, and drive systemic changes in their schools.
MentorED – A new Imagination
MentorED will be a one-of-a-kind platform that will bring educational leaders together, connect them with experienced mentors, and provide the tools they need to thrive. It will serve as a collaborative digital space where education leaders can seek support and guidance from peers through discussions and learn new skills from credible mentors, when and wherever they need it. The vision of MentorED is to eliminate the isolation that education leaders face every day and to offer them a supportive, technology-driven platform to address their challenges.
Key Features of MentorED
MentorED is designed to meet the diverse needs of both mentors and mentees, ensuring a seamless interaction and learning experience. Here are some of its features:
- Declare, Discover, Connect: Mentors will share their expertise and mentees will have the agency to explore the platform to find mentors who meet their specific needs to receive personalised guidance. This will lead to the inception of a supportive community where mentors and mentee will continuously share their knowledge and experiences to overcome challenges together.
- Scheduling and Interaction: Mentors and mentees will easily get to schedule and join sessions using platforms like Google Meet, Zoom, WhatsApp and BigBlueButton. This accessibility will implement a seamless communication to facilitate productive mentoring relationships.
- Group Sessions: Mentors will lead group sessions in MentorED where mentees will support each other to enhance learning outcomes in their classrooms/ schools. Diverse perspectives and experiences will enrich the discussions. Educational leaders will gain a broader understanding to address their challenges effectively.
- Instant Reports: Both mentors and mentees will receive real-time session reports via the MentorED app. These reports will provide insights into session quality and engagement, allowing mentors and mentees to monitor progress and optimise their interactions for greater effectiveness in future.
- Admin and Session Management: Organisation admins will onboard users, assign roles, and manage permissions. Session managers will oversee scheduling and ensure smooth operations leading to a well-organised, efficient, and secure platform.
- Feedback Mechanism: Feedback will drive MentorED’s growth. Both mentors and mentees will contribute insights, enhancing the platform’s functionality and the mentoring experience. This loop will ensure MentorED evolve and meet the needs of the users.
We believe that MentorED will prove to be a significant step in harnessing the power of technology for educational leadership, and eventually making the public schools the best schools in the country. When mentors and mentees will engage and support each other, the concerns of every classroom will be addressed and ultimately our children will benefit from an enriched learning environment.
This is a five-part blog series on mentoring. Discover ShikshaLokam’s role in building the mentoring mission in the previous piece. Start reading from part 1 here.
Meet the Author
Nancy Nikita Samad
Since her childhood, Nancy has been an inquisitive person. Her inquisitiveness drove her to pursue non-traditional career paths and become the person she always envisioned. In places where she doesn't understand the language, she tries to observe the environment and understand the culture. Life stories immensely interest her. She values cultural knowledge and verbal history. Currently, she works as an Associate - Communications at ShikshaLokam under the Ecosystem Development Team. In the past, she has worked with Lal Sakhi, on running social media campaigns. While working with CORO India, her approach to analyzing situations transformed into a multidimensional lens.
Simmi Puri
Simmi is founder of an Edtech startup and has global experience in product design and innovation. At Shikshalokam, she was instrumental in developing Mentor capability, enabling its adoption in the domain of 'Beyond Education'. She was awarded SKOCH Product Award for designing solutions to foster inclusion. She forayed into social-tech to deliver scalable solutions for sustainable impact. Simmi promotes Stem for Girls and has evangelised initiatives like 'Girls Who Code' and 'Digital Equalizer'. Diverse domains and experiences excite her; she is always curious to tread new paths. She believes life is a journey curated by connecting the nodes - each node opens new possibilities.
Nancy Nikita Samad
Since her childhood, Nancy has been an inquisitive person. Her inquisitiveness drove her to pursue non-traditional career paths and become the person she always envisioned. In places where she doesn't understand the language, she tries to observe the environment and understand the culture. Life stories immensely interest her. She values cultural knowledge and verbal history. Currently, she works as an Associate - Communications at ShikshaLokam under the Ecosystem Development Team. In the past, she has worked with Lal Sakhi, on running social media campaigns. While working with CORO India, her approach to analyzing situations transformed into a multidimensional lens.
Simmi Puri
Simmi is founder of an Edtech startup and has global experience in product design and innovation. At Shikshalokam, she was instrumental in developing Mentor capability, enabling its adoption in the domain of 'Beyond Education'. She was awarded SKOCH Product Award for designing solutions to foster inclusion. She forayed into social-tech to deliver scalable solutions for sustainable impact. Simmi promotes Stem for Girls and has evangelised initiatives like 'Girls Who Code' and 'Digital Equalizer'. Diverse domains and experiences excite her; she is always curious to tread new paths. She believes life is a journey curated by connecting the nodes - each node opens new possibilities.