4. What is Mapping?
Calendar based curriculum mapping is
a procedure for collecting a data base
of the operational curriculum in a school
or district.
It provides the basis for authentic
examination of that data base.
It replaces curriculum committees with a
site based cabinet.
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5. All discussion, debate, and
decisions will be based on:
What is in the best interest of our specific
clients… the students in our setting:
Their age
Their stage of development
Their learning characteristics
Their communities
Their aspirations
Their needs
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7. What information do we
collect on the Map?
Content
Assessment
Skills/Thinking
Processes
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8. Your design elements:
Choice of CONTENT: the type of format
and the nature of the subject matter.
Choice of THINKING PROCESSES: the
precise technical and thinking skills.
Choice of ASSESSMENT: the product
or performance to demonstrate
learning.
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9. Content can be designed in
different formats:
Discipline Field: with
integrity; focus on
the knowledge and
specific problem
solving tools.
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10. Content can be shaped in
different formats:
Interdisciplinary:
combination of two or
more disciplines to
examine a common
focus.
Student Centered:
content is focused on
investigation of student
generated interests
derived from their
personal interests and
needs.
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11. Skills and Thinking Processes
are displayed on the map:
Note the difference
between broad based
thinking processes:
analysis, synthesis,
decision making,
creative, critical, etc…
and
Specific techniques:
comparing, contrasting,
using sentence variety,
etc.
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12. Assessments are the Major
Products and Performances:
Assessment is a
demonstration of
learning
Assessment is
observable evidence
They must be nouns
Tangible products
Observable
performances
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13. Some questions to think
about:
What is possible with these data?
What would you be able to do if you
had these data?
How would your school be different if
you had these data available now?
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14. Editing, auditing, updating and
creative development tasks:
Gain information
Avoid repetition
Identify gaps
Identify potential
areas for integration
Match with learner
standards
Examine for
timeliness
Edit for coherence
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15. Gain Information
Underline every place in
the map where you
learned something new
about the operational
curriculum.
This expands the
teacher’s understanding
of his/her students’
experience.
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17. Edit for Gaps
Examine maps for
gaps in:
Content
Thinking processes
and skills
Assessments
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18. Locate potential areas for
integration
Peruse the map and
circle areas for
integration of
content, skills, and
assessment.
These can serve as
the springboard for
curriculum planning.
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19. Validate standards
Search the maps for
places where
students are
completing
performance tasks
that match your
standards.
Identify gaps.
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21. Edit for timeliness
Review the maps for
timely issues,
breakthroughs,
methods, materials,
and new types of
assessment.
Be vigilant about
technology.
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22. Edit for Coherence
Scrutinize maps for
a solid match
between the choice
of content, the
featured skills and
processes, and the
type of assessment.
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23. Procedures
PHASE 1: collecting the data
PHASE 2: first read-through
PHASE 3: small mixed group review
PHASE 4: large group comparisons
PHASE 5: determine immediate revision
points
PHASE 6: determine points requiring some
research and planning
PHASE 7: plan for next review cycle
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24. PHASE 1: Collecting the Data
Each teacher in the
building completes a
map
The format is consistent
for each teacher, but
reflects the individual
nature of each
classroom
Technology simplifies
data collection
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25. Collecting Content Data
Types of focus:
Topics
Issues
Works
Problems
Themes
Configuration:
Discipline field based
Interdisciplinary
Student centered
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26. Collecting Skill and
Assessment
Enter the skills and
assessments
FOREGROUNDED
for each unit of
study or course.
Precision is the key.
Enter skills and
assessments that
are ongoing through
the course of a year.
Portfolio checks
Early Childhood
assessments.
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27. PHASE 2: First Read-Through
Each teacher reads the
entire school map as an
editor and carries out
the “tasks”.
Places where new
information was gained
are underlined.
Places requiring
potential revision are
circled. (repetitions,
gaps, etc.)
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28. PHASE 3: Mixed Small Group
Groups of 5 to 8 faculty
members are formed.
Groups should be from
diverse configurations
(I.e. different grade
levels and departments)
The goal is to simply
share individual
findings.
No revisions are
suggested.
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29. PHASE 4: Large Group
Review
All faculty members
come together and
examine the
compilation of
findings from the
smaller groups.
Session is facilitated
by principal and/or
teacher leader.
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30. PHASE 5: Determine areas
for immediate revision
The faculty identifies
those areas that can
be handled by the
site with relative
ease.
The specific faculty
members involved in
those revisions
determine a
timetable for action.
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31. PHASE 6: Determining those areas
requiring long term planning
Faculty members
identify those areas
that have
implications beyond
the site with other
sites.
Faculty members
identify those areas
where research is
needed.
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32. PHASE 7: The Cycle
Continues
The district cabinet
meets 3 times annually
for review.
Task forces report on
their timetables.
The site based council
continues its review of
the maps through the
course of the year and
into the next.
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34. Mapping is a Communication
Tool
Between teachers in
a building.
Between teachers in
feeding and
receiving sites.
For parents.
For students.
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35. Mapping is a Planning Tool
For curriculum reform.
For meeting date
standards.
For ordering materials,
software…
For coordinating events.
For assessment reform.
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36. Mapping is a Pedagogical
Tool
For the new teacher.
For the special
education teacher.
For the new student.
For seeing the
operational
program.
For designing staff
development.
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37. Mapping needs to be tailored
to your locale
The school and
district culture.
The decision making
process.
A deliberate
timetable.
Available time.
Leadership at each
site.
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Editor's Notes
Based on a workshop by Heidi Hayes Jacobs, in July of 1999 at Teacher College, Columbia University.
Book reference: Mapping the Big Picture: Integrating Curriculum and Assessment K-12
By Heidi Hayes Jacobs, 1997. ASCD.
Students are being assessed by old guidelines made by a curriculum committee who know nothing of what really is going on!
Many times educators make decisions based on little, no or erroneous information about the kids. Many times teachers look at guidelines and standards, and give them ER treatment (quick diagnostics and make the student fit into guidelines whether they need it or not!). This is one of the causes of poor reading and problems in school. When people don’t have information in education, unfortunately they make it up! Ultimately, the only person who has the real data about a student (daily contact) is the teacher!
Mapping data (Fenwick in the ’70s) started looking at the issues. We can collect data and have people report real time data thanks to the computer. We now have access to real information and find out what really is happening. All teachers have to fill out the data for this to be really efficient.
Mapping is authentic opportunities to take a look at what kids are doing! This movement is a consequence of assessment results.
There are software programs being developed especially for mapping. The improved communication allows for more consistency across the grades. Computers also allow for quick revisions!
Knowing what other teachers are doing is the best way to help the student!
Data entry can’t come from a committee, it has to be individual. It has to be quarterly! We can’t try to map out the whole year! We have to always be re-evaluating our work, adjusting.
The secret is: that every year you should be a new teacher. We’re looking for quality of information.
Always think of the STUDENT’S best interest.
Teachers show their cards. If you don’t tell the truth, you get caught! You are made to be really accountable. You have to say when and how you did what you said you did.
Curriculum mapping is always a work in progress. It never stops.
Mapping is your manuscript. It doesn’t start with standards, it starts with what you are REALLY doing!
Really think about who your audience is. What specific needs do they have? How can you best help THEM?
By 2002 the USA will need 2 million new teachers! How do we get quality people?
There are two types of maps:
Projective map: enter what you anticipate will happen and adjust it as the year progresses.
Diary map: do it as you go (easy when you have a computer wired to the District in your class).
The first data entry should be done ALONE (or it will homogenize the data).
How much detail should be put in the data?
Let teachers work in small groups to discuss these questions. Allow 7 minutes.
Share ideas with the whole group.
You honor the student’s and other teacher’s work by referring to it and working with it. You can only do this if you know what they did or are doing!
Target where gaining information is useful to you! Where it can help in staff development.
Repetitions lead to gaps. You’re leaving things out already. If you keep repeating, the gaps will be even wider.
The goal is to identify repetitions and gaps in my school:
Skills gap
Content repetition
Standards are written for all the kids, they are very general. They are written for skills.
Have the same template to be able to analyze the different data.
This is not a time consuming activity. One hour maximum, except for Language Arts K-2.
This is more revealing and takes time (around 4 to 6 hours).
Tip: look at a lot of maps to avoid putting too much or too little detail.
Don’t solve problems! Do as an editor does. Just SHOW the places that need to be revised. Don’t fix them.
This replaces old-style decision-making with research and real student data analysis.
YEAR 1: (3 – 5 month time frame) is the most labor intensive.
Do it during release time (professional days, holidays)
2 days/year for mapping (to be negotiated with District)
Use of substitute teacher
Prep time: should be task oriented
Faculty meeting times
Summer (give teacher stipend and disk)
The first read-through should be immediate! Mapping should be dynamic and revised constantly so ideas are fresh in your mind.
The map shows what the student experiences.
Map + assessment data are very powerful tools for really evaluating your school curriculum design. It is very eye-opening.
Set aside traditional curriculum guides when mapping.
The first read-through of a map should be done individually, and of all the maps.
Somebody from the outside can always give new insight on things you don’t see!
Mapping should be replacing other meetings.
Technology is creating a new type of educational planning.
