Task 3: Understand the Role of Technology
Guideline: Curriculum mapping brings together teachers and technology to produce maps in a useful and accessible form. As it evolves in a district and its schools, the use of a mapping system becomes second nature. Selecting a mapping system is a major decision for district and school leaders.
Critical Points for Purchasing a System
This resource provides a checklist of questions that may be helpful when reviewing curriculum mapping systems. The questions have been extracted from Janet Hale's PowerPoint presentation "Mapping the Curriculum: Curriculum Mapping Intra-Organizations and Actions Plans," slides 38-48.
Curriculum Mapping Systems
This resource provides a list of curriculum mapping systems for information purposes. The Center has neither reviewed nor endorses the systems listed or the organizations offering them.
Noble Public Schools
This link is to the Noble (Oklahoma) Public Schools curriculum and alignment website. It explains how it intends to sue curriculum maps as part of its instructional process.
Redbank Valley School District
The Redbank Valley (Pennsylvania) School District shares its curriculum maps through this website. It is offered as an alternative method of uploading curriculum maps to a website to share with staff members as well as parents and students.
Element 1: Lay the Foundation
Purpose: Applying curriculum mapping within a district or school begins with an understanding of the fundamentals. These include being knowledgeable about the basic concepts, defining a vision for the initiative, and creating a leadership structure to support it. Element 1 outlines these tasks and offers resources for the teacher to gain such an understanding.
Activity 1: Understand Curriculum Mapping Concepts
Activity 2: Create a Shared Vision for Curriculum Mapping
Activity 3: Define the Leadership Structure to Support Mapping
Element 2: Launch the Process
Purpose: Wiktionary dictionary defines launch as "to set going; to give a start to (something); to put in operation." Curriculum mapping is an ongoing process. The process involves creating maps that drive instruction, reviewing and improving those maps over time, and learning how to master mapping strategies. Element 2 outlines these tasks and offers resources for district and school leaders and teachers to launch curriculum mapping.
Activity 1: Using Curriculum Maps to Drive Instruction
Activity 2: Undertake a Review Process to Improve Instruction
Activity 3: Learn How to Master Mapping Strategies
Element 3: Sustain and Integrate the Mapping Process
Purpose: Curriculum mapping is an ongoing process as teachers review and update the respective maps regularly. The process of updating their maps enables teachers to think about how they can improve and update their instructional approaches. The Element 3 tasks address incorporating assessment results into the mapping process.
Activity 1: Conduct Ongoing Strategic Monitoring
Activity 2: Unpack Assessment Data
Element 4: Advanced Mapping Tasks
Purpose: Curriculum mapping is an ongoing process as teachers review and update the respective maps regularly . The process of updating their maps enables teachers to think about how they can improve and update their instructional approaches. The Element 4 tasks address applying new instructional techniques and integrating technology with curriculum.
Activity 1: Update Maps with 21st Century Techniques
