Torace was built to collect information on mentors and mentees that has not been previously collected before – in one place, in one tool – to make better mentor matches. This blog and the video highlight the different ways an Event Administrator can use Torace’s features: Pools, Characteristics, and Preferences, to make the best matches for their participants.

(View on YouTube)

Pools

Pools or categories for matching (e.g. grade levels, subject matter, program type, etc.) are established by the Event Administrator during account setup and can be edited as needed. Participants can select the pools that they identify with. Pools are used to initially filter and guide matches. If there are not enough candidates or a participant did not select the right pool, the pools filter can be turned off and matches can be made outside of the recommended pools.

Example:

Teacher A (Mentor) selects the following pools: 6th – 8th, Math, and Science

Teacher B (Mentor) selects the following pools: 6th – 8th, ELA, and Social Science

Teacher C (Mentor) selects the following pools: 9th – 12th, Math

Student Teacher 1 (Mentee) selects the following pool: Math

Student Teacher 2 (Mentee) selects the following pool: 6th – 8th

Torace will automatically recommend Teacher A and Teacher C for Student Teacher 1 and recommend Teacher A and Teacher B for Student Teacher 2.

Characteristics

Characteristics information is collected when participants complete an Event Profile. All participants will be asked questions about Basic Information, Professional Characteristics, Mentorship Characteristics, and Placement Characteristics. As an Event Administrator, you can access this information alongside pools to make more informed matches.

Example:

Continuing from the Pools example. Torace used the selected pools to automatically recommend Teacher A and Teacher C for Student Teacher 1. The following information, or Characteristics, is what the participants shared in their Event Profiles. The Event Administrator can easily view this information when making matches and use the information to make the best match. What match would you make?

Teacher A (Mentor) shared the following information on their Event Profile:

Basic Information: 3 years in current role as a Math/Science Teacher

Professional Characteristics: Strong at designing single lessons and sequences of lessons

Mentorship Characteristics: A very directive mentor

Placement Characteristics: Is excited to share their approach to project-based learning

Teacher C (Mentor) shared the following information on their Event Profile:

Basic Information: 7 years in current role as an Algebra I, Algebra II, and Pre-Calculus Teacher

Professional Characteristics: Strong at making innovative use of technology

Mentorship Characteristics: A more hands-off mentor

Placement Characteristics: Runs the Math Club and Anime Club

Student Teacher 1 (Mentee) shared the following information on their Event Profile:

Basic Information: 3 years’ experience as a classroom aide

Professional Characteristics: Would like to grow in making innovative use of technology

Mentorship Characteristics: A dive-in and learn-as-I-go learner

Placement Characteristics: Excited to gain exposure to creating deep learning experiences

Preferences

Preferences is a Torace feature that can be turned on by the Event Administrator for each Event. Preferences can be toggled on in three ways: 1) Mentors and Mentees can each select preferences, 2) Mentors can only select preferences, or 3) Mentees can only select preferences. When Preferences is turned on, participants can view each other’s Event Profile Characteristics (with their names and sites removed) and select up to five favorite matches. The list of participants that they will see will be automatically filtered using the pools they selected.

After the Preferences window closes, an Event Administrator will be able to see the preferences made and the strength of the matches. The following image shows how the Event Administrator views and uses preferences to make the best matches.

Torace was created to be a flexible tool to meet the needs of all of its users. An Event Administrator can choose to use Pools, Characteristics, and/or Preferences to make the best matches for their programs.