The Teaching Matters Way

Phase 1: Planning

Phase one begins with an assessment of what is possible. Teaching Matters' takes an inventory of current equipment, talks with teachers to determine their level of technological skill and expectations, and learns about the principal's overall goals for the school.

Phase 2: Implementation

Teaching Matters designs a customized plan for professional development based on the needs of the particular school or classroom. Teaching Matters and the principal strike an agreement about what can be realistically accomplished within the allotted time frame.

Levels of Use a seven-stage diagnostic scale*

	1. Pre-entry Teaching in traditional ways without technology	2. Preparation Finding purpose and motivation to become proficient	3. Novice Working at a beginning level to gain confidence	4. Routine Establishing a pattern of regular use
	5. Integration Making changes to bolster student achievement	6. Collaboration Working with others to increase mastery	7. Invention Creating new ways to use technology as a teaching tool.

Phase 3: Evaluation

The evaluation of progress and new competencies is ongoing and involves a constant process of fine tuning and adjustment of methodology.

Core Values

A humanistic philosophy and core set of beliefs drive Teaching Matters' approach to professional development: Affirming professionalism - Critical first steps involve establishing mutual trust and respect with teachers and recognizing the realities of their day-to-day lives. Finding the compelling reason - Teachers are motivated not by technology itself, but by the expectation that their students will learn more, better, faster, and with greater enthusiasm. The teaching is in the learning - Teaching Matters takes responsibility for how well people acquire new knowledge. In other words, if it hasn't been learned, it hasn't been taught, and Teaching Matters looks for a better way. Reflecting on practice - Teaching Matters' educational consultants think critically and creatively about both their progress and how they address the obstacles they encounter. They continually seek new ways to turn pedagogical theory into informed classroom practice. Cultivating habits of mind - Essential to new thinking and new teaching is an environment that is alive with good questions. This kind of setting stimulates boundary-crossing conversations in which participants can see new avenues to excellence through an expanded vision.

*adapted from The Research and Development Center for Teacher Education, University of Texas at Austin.