Curriculum+Mapping



Curriculum Mapping

Heidi Hayes Jacobs, the guru of curriculum mapping, based her approach to curriculum development on what teachers actually do in the classroom. She found in necessary to take into consideration the school calendar as she worked with New Jersey teachers to “refine their curriculum articulation and integration (Hayes Jacobs, 1997, p. 1). Since she knew that teachers regularly used the school calendar as the basic structure for their teaching, she used the school calendar to collect data for collegial discussions about curriculum (1997). Hayes Jacobs said, “Without a commitment to //when// a skill will be taught, there is no commitment” (1997, p. 4). The importance of curriculum mapping began to grow as more data and the technology to interpret it came into being. Hayes Jacobs identifies seven phases in the curriculum mapping process.

Phase 1 – Collecting the data: teachers identify three major elements of their curriculum

 * =====Process and skills =====
 * =====Content =====
 * =====Assessments =====

Phase 2 – The first read through (done vertically)

 * ===== Teachers will see what other teachers are actually teaching in their classrooms =====
 * ===== Teachers should look for gaps and redundancies =====

Phase 3 – Mixed group review

 * =====Allows for a more objective review of the curriculum =====
 * =====After review, each member reports out to the group. =====

Phase 4 – Large group review

 * =====All faculty members attend =====
 * =====The information gathered previously is posted for review =====
 * =====The faculty should comment on any patterns that emerg =====

Phase 5 – Determine those Points that Can be revised immediately

 * =====Negotiations should occur where overlaps of content are found =====
 * =====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">These are the simple fixes =====

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Phase 6 – Determine those points that will require long term research and development

 * =====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">This might occur when gaps exist between different building levels =====
 * =====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Creating common assessments =====
 * =====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Committing to interdisciplinary work =====

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Phase 7 – The review Cycle continues

 * =====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">The work should be active and ongoing =====
 * =====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Review should occur because of need, not a scheduled maintenance activity =====

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">(Hayes Jacobs, 1997, pp. 8-16)
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Reference: <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Hayes Jacobs, H. (1997). Mapping the big picture: Integrating curriculum & assessment K–12. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (K. Landa)

<span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">In the book A Guide to Curriculum Mapping, Janet Hale (2008) points out 10 tenets of curriculum mapping. These tenets are as follows: <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">1. Curriculum mpaping is a multifaceted, ongroing process designed to improve student learning. <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">2. All curricular decisions are data driven and in the students' best interest. <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">3. Curriculum maps represent both the planned and the operational learning. <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">4. Curriculum maps are created and accessed using 21st century technology. <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">5. Teachers are leaders in curriculum design and curricular decision-making processes. <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">6. Administrators encourage and support teacher-leader environments. <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">7. Curriculum reviews are conducted on an ongoing and regular basis. <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">8. Collaborative inquiry and dialogue are based on curriculum maps and other data sources. <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">9. Action plans aid in designing, revising and refining maps. <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">10. Curriculum-mapping intra-organizations facilitate sustainability. <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">(Hale, J. 2008, p. 4) <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Book: <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Hale, J. (2008). A Guide to Curriculum Mapping: Planning, Implementing, and Sustaining the Process. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

==== Currently, my district is in the process of curriculum mapping. I am the facilitator for the science department (k-12). We met once to map content and to look for gaps and redundancies. Then, we overlayed that map onto a map of the anchors. Our next step (on October 11) is to prioritize the standards in regard to the assessments. After that is finished, grade levels or content courses need to take ownership of the anchors and eligible content (January 2011). ==== ==== As a facilitator, I have already experienced the challenge of curriculum mapping. Some teachers have already taken ownership of the various lessons and topics they teach. Many times they particularly love to teach a certain unit or story, etc. Often they have spent years developing their courses of study and when they are asked to change, oftentimes they are reluctant. As facilitator, I must provide evidence for the need to change and how it will benefit the students ==== (K. Landa)

<span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">In my school district we had the honor and pleasure (although many staff members had a different idea) of having Janet Hale present the curriculum mapping approach for our school district. As a yearling teacher (one not quite a veteran, but not a first or 2nd year teacher either) I was very excited about the opportunity for change. During the sessions we had with Janet Hale I became increasingly interested in how the process works and how to use this to better my teaching. From my excitement grew an opportunity to be apart of the district's curriculum mapping cadre. This cadre was a team of teachers and administrators who were volunteering their time to help promote, support, encourage, and teach other teachers the process of curriculum mapping. I learned a lot about staff members and their unwillingness to change. I also learned a lot about educational politics, for once the majority of the staff saw our principal had not yet bought into the idea of curriculum mapping, they too decided they were not going to help "build the plane, while flying" (Hale, 2008; presentation Dillingham, Alaska). <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Curriculum mapping started out as a way to help our district, but in one year it went from being on the front burners with our superintendent, to being nixed the following year. I was saddened, but not for our staff; I was saddened for our students. When we as educators are unwilling to take the leap and try, how can we demand our students do the same? How can we make them better, more productive citizens if we ourselves cannot lead by example? ~ Christy Cole <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Online Resources: <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">http://www.curriculummapping101.com/ <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">~ Christy Cole

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media type="custom" key="7071057" K. Landa

Curriculum mapping seems to be popular model among our group. This is the format my Elementary School recently used to review and organize our curriculum, fill in any gaps, with the end result of forming a new assessment and report card. The teachers were very involved in this process. Having gone through the same, basic process, I think that this model would continue to work well in curriculum design. Helen Adams