Overview

Table of Contents
Testimonials
Research

By Mark E. Moran and Angela Maiers

Contact: MarkEMoran@GMail.com

 Overview
• A self-paced, online professional course for educators that takes about 8
hours to complete. It includes an implementation guide and
classroom-ready materials for students. Watch the launch video.

• A “Genius Notebook” encourages reflection, so that learning becomes

wisdom. Group activities make the Course ideally suited for use on a
professional development day or a student retreat.

• The course proactively addresses the root cause of bullying, self-harm,

substance abuse, and disengagement: the feeling that we don’t matter.

• The student materials easily integrate with student-centered learning

programs such as Genius Hour, Student Advisory, and Capstone Projects
already in place in many schools. It changes the focus of them away from
presenting a year-end project and towards developing a lifelong calling.

• Educators will change the way they view their students, and themselves,
and their respective place in the world. They will learn to intentionally
notice, value and honor students for who they are now.

• Students will learn to become the self-aware, empowered, empathetic,

collaborative, innovative and passionate citizens this world needs.

 Why This Course?
• In a 2011 TED talk titled, “You Matter,” Angela Maiers spoke of how
“these two words can change minds and change lives, if we
understand them and we leverage them in the right way.”

• This talk has been viewed by hundreds of thousands of people and ignited
a global movement of people who reacted powerfully to the message
and its “call to action.”

• Angela and her Choose2Matter co-founder Mark Moran have presented

the message at hundreds of education conferences and school
districts globally.

• They witnessed life-changing transformation, evidenced by this

student-created documentary of the first live event, and this student
reflection piece.

• This course was created to enable a deep. comprehensive

understanding of the message, infusing it into the everyday life of
educators and students everywhere.
 How Do I Implement the Course?
• The course includes a self-paced professional development course for
educators, and a Classroom Implementation Guide and materials
ready to present to students. Most of the student material is presented in 25
videos that run 3-8 minutes each.
• We expect that it will take educators 8 hours to complete the professional
development part of the course. It includes group activities and discussions
and thus is well-suited for professional development days.
• It is also well suited for teachers in training, and other college students.
• We expect that students will need between five and 25 hours of classroom
and homework time to complete the lessons. The course includes videos,
short reading and reflection questions, so much of it can be completed at
home.
 How Do I Register?

• The course is hosted on D2L’s Open Courses web-based platform.

• Click here to register for the course.
• One you register for the course, you will have access to it for one year.
• The course is self-paced. It takes about 8 hours to complete; there are 25
segments that require an average of 20 minutes to finish.
• The implementation guide and student materials are available from within
the online course.
• Contact MarkEMoran@GMail.com with questions or for bulk purchases.
 What will participants learn?
The Course develops and promotes:

• Empathy - by instilling a habit of noticing, valuing and honoring others,

and demonstrating how to "see clearly" and "listen loudly to" other people.

• Empowerment - by challenging them to discover, develop and make their

unique contribution to the world.

• Self-awareness - by guiding them to explore their unique attributes,

experience and perspective.

• Innovation - by encouraging them to think about ways to solve a problem

in a way that no one has before.

• Authentic, collaborative learning and problem-solving - by

challenging them to solve "real world" problems that matter most to them,
establishing that we are smarter together, and connecting them to experts
and mentors who are eager to guide them.

• All of these skills and attributes are essential to flourish in the

world into which our students will graduate. 

 What is the Cost?
• $59 per educator, but use code dollars20 to save $20 until June 30, 2018, for
a cost of $39. For 100+ licenses, email MarkEMoran at Gmail.
• This includes access to student materials for up to 30 students in a class.
• Contact us to purchase more student licenses, for a modest fee.

How Much Class Time is Needed?

• We provide materials for students to directly interact with all of the
lessons, but we expect that some educators will share all of the materials,
and some will share only parts of it.
• The entire course material should take about 25 hours of classroom/home
time, but students would be greatly enriched by spending even 10 hours
of student time with the materials.
• Much of the student material is video-based, making it ideal for students to
view on their own time.
• The world-changing activities that the course fosters could keep students
learning and growing the whole school year.

 Testimonials for the Course
"The lessons in the Choose2Matter course furnish outstanding insight
and advice on how I can  model and encourage bravery, vulnerability,
curiosity, risk-taking, problem-solving, and persistence. Students have
responded in kind, demonstrating these traits in our work together.  The
exercises in the course have helped me slow down, and  become more
intentional about my interactions with my students, my family, my
colleagues, and others. I find myself being truly present, and listening to what
they are saying, verbally and non-verbally.” - Kelli  Etheredge, Director of
Teaching and Learning Resources, St. Paul's Episcopal School, Mobile AL

“This course has helped shape my philosophy of teaching. I want to be

the teacher that kids remember as the one who took the time to understand
them, to listen to them, to invest in them, and to cheer them on when they did
great and helped them when they needed it.”

“This course will help me lay the foundation of a great human being
before I worry about content.”

“I have made a more conscious effort to notice, value and honor my students
consistently. I hear students making comments to each other, and see the
looks on their faces that tell me this really matters to them.”

“I now realize I need to focus more on seeing my students for who they are,
and listening more closely to what they have to say. I want my students to
realize that I value what they have to say and that I see them as individuals.”

“These strategies will allow me to be more present and joyful in my

interactions. In a classroom, or with my team, I expect people will feel more
appreciated and I will not be as dismissive of my own power and influence.”

 Testimonials for Choose2Matter
We presented the Choose2Matter message at conferences, school districts and
in communities for five years. Here are some of the reactions:

“Choose2Matter helped my team learn important things about each

other we never knew. We also used it as a chance to remind each other what’s
special about each of us.” –Lead teacher, Lovejoy HS

“I’ve been trying to find the right words to capture the energy, the passion,
the enthusiasm, the positivity of the first professional development day in a
long time that actually mattered. The takeaways of our staff have been
incredible. The effects of the Choose2Matter message have transcended the
high school auditorium.” - Steve Figurelli, Edison Township School District.

“Your message inspired me to facilitate a groundbreaking activity with

colleagues and to look deep inside and see my value to the world, to see how
much I matter. It made me a stronger, better person. Thank you.”
Teacher, Ontario, Canada
“Choose2Matter changed the way I see the world. It's made me a global
citizen and shown me that we are stronger when we work together.” - Grace
Miner, Student, East Greenwich High School.

"I can't remember a beginning of the school year with a more positive
tone....I saw more examples of students working with each other
to build a learning community than I can ever remember. Our
commitment to excellence requires us to focus on what matters: relationships
between parents, faculty, staff, community and, of course, with our students.”
Michael Poore, former Superintendent of Bentonville, AR.

“Choose2Matter empowers young people to use their voices, individually and

collectively, to solve problems and spark social change locally, nationally and
even globally. The challenges and opportunities we face today will be
inherited by students, and their involvement in solving problems now
will better position us to achieve meaningful, sustainable
solutions. The insight and personal growth they achieve through
Choose2Matter will benefit them for many years to come.” U.S.
Congressman Jim Langevin, (D-RI), attended two Choose2Matter events.

“Something remarkable Thursday in Estherville that will no doubt influence

ELC students for the rest of their lives. Empowerment is giving power to
others, and tools to change their lives and the lives of others. It’s thinking
outside the box, above offering a unique perspective. We should all try
thinking that way. It just might help us solve the world's problems.”

“Test scores don’t matter in the long run for the kids. What matters is that
they find something that they’re passionate about that can help others. You
can’t put a price tag on it. As a Principal, I’m very proud that my
students are engaging in it.” - Art Campbell, Downingtown STEM

 Research & Quotes on Mattering
“Mattering provides students a “strong foundation of self-efficacy and self-
confidence from which they find a sense of purpose and an enduring
sense of intrinsic motivation and drive for continued school engagement
and academic success.” - American School Counselor Association

“Mattering to others is an existentially reassuring awareness, and,

contrariwise, failing to matter is terrifying….Mattering is a basic
component of social integration.” - Family Matters: The Importance of
Mattering to Family in Adolescence

“We owe all our children safety, support, opportunity and help finding a way
forward. We can start by showing children that they matter….It’s the
answer to a vital question that all children ask about their place in the world,
continuing into and beyond adolescence: Do I make a difference to others?
When the answer is no, kids feel rejected and alone. They become prone to
self-destructive and antisocial behaviors.” - Sheryl Sandberg

“Technological change is stirring an existential fear that is stoking the

wildfires in our politics and society. But when we’re reminded that we
matter, things get better. We’re more likely to act as good citizens. We’re
more likely to be our best selves. We’re more likely to actually solve those
problems. So having a sense of self-worth isn’t some kind of new-age, hippy-
dippy thing. It’s important — and maybe even key to saving democracy and
solving the biggest problems we face.” - Eli Pariser

“Everyone the world over asks the same question: ‘Do I matter?’ They
want to know, ‘Does what I do have meaning to others? To myself ?’‘Am I
worthy?’ If you can come to believe you’re worthy, then your entire life shifts.
Change your mind about that fundamental belief, and you can change your
world, and the world at large.” - Maria Shriver

 Table of Contents

Preface

Module 1 - Accepting Your Genius

Module 2 - Accepting That You Matter
Module 3 _ Accelerating the Message That Everyone Matters
Module 4 - Acting Through Collective Genius

• Video Foreword: Angela Maiers Explains Choose2Matter