Decision Matrix

What it is:
A decision matrix is a chart that allows a team or individual to systematically identify, analyze, and rate the strength of relationships between sets of information. The matrix is especially useful for looking at large numbers of decision factors and assessing each factor’s relative importance.

When to use it:
A decision matrix is frequently used during quality planning activities to select resources, products, services or features, develop process steps and weigh alternatives. For quality improvement activities, a decision matrix can be useful in selecting resources or projects, in evaluating alternative solutions to problems, and in designing remedies.

How to use it:
Identify alternatives. Depending upon the team’s needs, these can be resource/product/service, process steps, projects, or potential solutions. List these across the top of the matrix.
Identify decision/selection criteria. These key criteria may come from a previously prepared affinity diagram, from a brainstorming activity, a recommendation list, or research. Make sure that everyone has a clear and common understanding of what the criteria mean. Also ensure that the criteria are written so that a high score for each criterion represents a favorable result and a low score represents an unfavorable result. List the criteria down the left side of the matrix.

Assign weights.
If some decision criteria are more important than others, review and agree on appropriate weights to assign (e.g., 1, 2, 3).

Design scoring system. 
Before rating the alternatives, the team must agree on a scoring system. Determine the scoring range (e.g., 1 to 5 or 1, 3, 5) and ensure that all team members have a common understanding of what high, medium, and low scores represent.

Rate the alternatives. 
For each alternative, assign a consensus rating for each decision criterion. The team may average the scores from individual team members or may develop scores through a consensus-building activity.

Total the scores. 
Multiply the score for each decision criterion by its weighting factor. Then total the scores for each alternative being considered and analyze the results.


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Thinking About Research?

Thinking about Research? 
Research does not have to be scary! Take the following questions into consideration and ease the process of research. Even though research may differ from field to field, and topic to topic, you can start thinking about research by keeping these questions in mind.

Statement of problem
Purpose of the study-Why have you decided to conduct research on this topic? Why is the topic you have selected important to you and your practice, as well as your learners and the greater community of educators? What is the specific gap that you are hoping to close as a result of the study?
Objectives of the study – What do you hope to accomplish by conducting your study? What are your research questions and sub questions? What information do you hope to gain by posing these questions?

Review of the Literature
Include several resources, especially from peer reviewed journals. Google scholar for example is a great tool for research.

Methodology
Participants (research subjects) – who will participate in your study and how will the participants be selected for the study? Why have you chosen these individuals as the participants for the study? Include basic demographic information (age, gender, and ethnicity).
Procedure – What specifically will you change in your practice in order to conduct your study? What is the sequence of events that will take place? What will the participants in the study experience as a result of being involved in your study?
Research Design – What tools have you chosen to gather the data that you believe will answer your research question and sub questions? Have you thought about triangulating your data in order to increase the validity and reliability of your study?

Once you answer these questions, you will hopefully be more prepared to get going on your research with more ease and confidence!


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Tell Your Story: Part 2

2 More Steps To Sharing and Bonding!

Stage 3: Finding Commonalities while Looking at Diversity (5 minutes prep time, 30 secs/person, plus 15 minutes debriefing)  [Excellent to use with a group that thinks they know each other. Also works with strangers. This has the potential to be very powerful.]

Hand out one note card and pencil to every person. Ask them to think about one moment or experience that changed them and made them unique/different.  It should be something that absolutely no one in the room knows about them.  It can be something that happened to them or something that they chose to do.  It can be something sad or something joyful.  It can be something that makes them angry, nervous, and frightened or something that makes them happy, hopeful, or excited.  They are to write one or two sentences describing the event/experience.  They are not to identify themselves on the cards.  Be sure to tell them in advance that the cards will be collected and redistributed and read out loud (although they will NOT be identified).  This will allow them to really think about whether they want to write something on the card to share with the entire group. Each person will then read the card out loud that they are given.  Debrief by asking people to describe, analyze and apply what they discovered from the experience of hearing the other stories.  Most likely you will hear people say things like: “Wow, I was surprised that there are so many people in the room who have experienced something tragic.” Or “I will be more careful in the future about how I speak about XYZ because I never thought there would be someone right here that experienced XYZ.”  Or “I wrote ABC on my card… that was me.  And I was so surprised that two other people also wrote about ABC.  I thought I was alone, but now I know I am not alone.”

Stage 4:  A Place at the Table (1-2 hours) [Excellent for building a deeper sense of community while discussing uncomfortable issues.]

This activity is based on the notion that not everyone in our society has a place at the metaphoric table of democracy.  Participants and tables are numbered.  For example, if you have 20 participants (no. 1-20) and four tables/sessions (no. 1-4), you will want to make up a session chart placing different people at each table for each session.  This chart should be arranged thoughtfully; mixing participants as much as possible.  Each table/session is given a topic (race, differing abilities, gender, GBLTIQQA, socio-economic, etc.).  Provide general information based on the knowledge level of participants at each table (e.g. barriers, demographic information, struggles, stereotypes, etc.).  Ask participants to discuss accordingly at each table.  Allow them 15-20 minutes at each table. Make sure there is a symbolic empty chair at each table to represent the voice(s) that may or may not be represented by the table’s topic.  Encourage each table to dig deeply and honestly into their own perceptions, stereotypes, prejudices, etc.  Allow time at the end to debrief this activity:  What did you learn from this experience?  How can the table be more inviting and accepting for our diverse brothers and sisters?  What can you do to make this happen in your school, community, family?


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Tell Your Story: Part 1

Luckily, people like to share. 

Through sharing we learn about people and about ourselves. Everyone has a story if only someone would ask. Here is an activity that has been done in community learning before and can be replicated as a bonding activity.

Stage 1: Find the Person (20 minutes; need note cards and pencils) [Excellent for a new community or a new group of people working together.]

Ask each person to write one unusual thing about themselves that they are certain no one in the room knows about them. Tell them not to identify themselves on the cards.  Collect the cards and redistribute.  Then ask each person to try to find the person based on the description on the card they were given.  Once the person is identified; encourage them to share basic information such as name, hobby, etc.  Each person is then responsible for introducing the person described on their card to the rest of the group (e.g. this is Jane.  She once saved someone from choking. She is a math teacher at Lincoln. Her partner and she have three children under the age of five.).

Stage 2: Tell me Your Story (4-5 minutes per person) [Excellent for really getting to know someone and creating a comfortable, safe space to share personal information.]

It is best to give the participants some notice, but not necessary.  Ask the participants to share some personal story with the rest of the group (e.g. what experience motivated or affirmed your choice to make education your career?).  Gather the people in a tight half circle (rows may be necessary) and place one chair at the front of the circle.  Each person takes turns sharing their story.  Be prepared for lots of laughter and tears.

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Welcome To Our New Blog!

For all of you teacher leaders-the ones who continue to make a visible difference-it is important to stick together. The knowledge you have gained and the skills you have acquired should be shared, borrowed, replicated, and enhanced! We have created this blog, just for you, to help you achieve a community of learning outside the classroom. Learning communities are what we do. We believe that experienced teachers can best learn from each other. You are the experts after all! With your collective knowledge and experiences together, the possibilities become infinite!  It is important to us to nurture the passion you have and become a resource for all teachers looking for a way to network and connect. The Master of Education-Professional Development Learning Community Program at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is dedicated to building teacher leaders through our seven strands of best practice pedagogy! This blog is the beginning of a community who will share experiences, frustrations, suggestions and opinions about teaching!

Please connect with us on our website www.MasterTeachersCommunity.org and look for us on Facebook. We look forward to meeting you!