Master's Notes 4

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Mr. Phillips is preparing for his first day at a new school as the curriculum director. The former director provided Mr. Phillips with the curriculum maps the district had, including the following incomplete map: Month Standards Middle School Science Topics August A1.1–A1.3 Growth and development of organisms September A1.4–B1.1 Ecosystems dynamics, functioning, and resilience October D3.1, F4.2, B1.3 Inheritance of traits November Insert standard(s) Insert topic(s) December Insert standard(s) Insert topic(s) Mr. Phillips knows he and the team of teachers and teacher leaders have a lot to do. He knows if he gives the science teachers this map, they will put it in the bottom of their filing cabinet and never look at it again. They need to know what standard A1.1 includes and what their students should know, understand, and be able to do after teaching that standard. As content needs updating or new resources become available, educators evaluate the curriculum using a process called curriculum mapping. This module focuses on the process of curriculum mapping and how curriculum mapping affects student achievement. Curriculum mapping principles will be identified to help guide the process and ensure positive outcomes for students. It will also compare types of curriculum maps that are used based on the needs of teachers, administrators, and stakeholders. Finally, this module will discuss the elements of a curriculum map and how technology can enhance the process of curriculum mapping. After engaging with this module, you should be able to do the following:  Identify the principles of curriculum mapping.  Compare consensus, diary, essential, and projected curriculum maps.  Describe common elements that compose a curriculum map.  Evaluate technology considerations for curriculum mapping. Principles of Curriculum Mapping Learning Objectives  Identify the principles of curriculum mapping. Curriculum mapping helps teachers and administrators ensure that their lessons and instruction align with standards. Curriculum mapping also allows educators to focus on balancing content across the curriculum and gathering data on redundancies and gaps in learning. Here you will read about the principles of curriculum mapping, which will prepare you for creating and revising curriculum maps in your educational setting. Consider the following questions as you read the materials in this section:  What is curriculum mapping and why is it necessary?  How does curriculum mapping relate to curriculum alignment and curriculum evaluation?  What are the principles of curriculum mapping and how are they used to develop or create a curriculum map? Why are Curriculum Maps Important?

There are many advantages to curriculum mapping, including assisting teachers and administrators in recording content that is actually taught. Knowing why curriculum mapping is valuable for student learning helps educators understand the importance of curriculum mapping. Read " Curriculum Mapping " from the Utah Education Network to learn about the benefits of using curriculum maps. As you read this text, consider the following:  How can curriculum maps help teachers identify appropriate instructional strategies and plan activities that align with standards or objectives?  What are the different ways that curriculum maps provide strategies to assess student progress and achievement? Principles of Curriculum Mapping Curriculum mapping is necessary because it helps teachers and administrators ensure that their lessons are effective and instruction aligns with what students should know and be able to do. As you read Chapter 1 from A Guide to Curriculum Mapping: Planning, Implementing, and Sustaining the Process , focus on the tenets of curriculum mapping and reflect on how these principles are used in the development of a curriculum map. " Curriculum Mapping " from the Curriculum Handbook provides a relevant process for curriculum mapping. Teachers often use strategies such as the teaching/learning mapping strategy to assist them with curriculum mapping. As you read this text, focus on the four reasons described in the text for a systematic approach to curriculum mapping. Think about the reasons why curriculum mapping is needed in your instructional setting. Consider the following questions as you read these texts:  Why are strategies such as the teaching/learning mapping strategy necessary for curriculum mapping?  Why are systematic approaches to curriculum mapping needed?  What are the differences between curriculum maps and curriculum guides?  How does curriculum mapping address instruction and assessment? Types of Curriculum Maps Learning Objectives  Compare consensus, diary, essential, and projected curriculum maps. Curriculum maps are created for various reasons and can serve different purposes. Understanding the characteristics of curriculum maps is important for developing maps that will meet the needs of students and stakeholders. This section will examine the characteristics of four types of curriculum maps: diary maps, projected maps, consensus maps, and essential maps. The purposes and the amount of detail included in each curriculum map will also be discussed. Finally, the maps will be compared based on their characteristics and purpose. As you read this text, reflect on the following questions:  How are the characteristics of the different types of curriculum maps related to their purpose?  Which situations would warrant each type of curriculum map?  Which types of curriculum map might you use? The Four Types of Curriculum Maps Understanding each map's purposes and characteristics allows educators to determine the best map for students and stakeholders. The video "What's the Difference? Types of Curriculum Maps" (1:25) from Janet Hale describes important characteristics of the four curriculum maps to help you determine why teachers or school leaders might use each type of map. Curriculum map is for district wide, what students should know no matter what school they are in. A consensus map would be school wide. Essential maps are for all subjects at different grades. The Four Types of Curriculum Maps To deepen your knowledge of the types of maps, read the descriptions of the four types of curriculum maps in Chapter 2 from A Guide to Curriculum Mapping: Planning, Implementing, and Sustaining the Process . As you read the descriptions of the maps, think about situations when each map may be used. As you read, compare the types of maps based on their levels and purposes.

Consider the following as you review these resources:  What do you notice about the purposes of each map and its level?  What are the common characteristics of each type of map?  Why might a consensus map look different in various schools?  What are the purposes of and what is the information needed to create diary and projected maps? Common Curriculum Map Elements Learning Objectives  Describe common elements that compose a curriculum map.

Basic curriculum maps typically contain information on content, skills, assessments, evaluations, standards, and resources and include a visual aspect illustrating intra-alignment. More advanced maps may include specific strategies, modifications or activities, essential questions, and supporting questions. In this section, you will continue exploring curriculum maps and identifying crucial mapping elements. You will also read about the four elements of alignment and how to leverage them to improve your mapping skills. Consider the following questions as you read:  What elements are currently present in your curriculum maps?  What elements would you like to add to your curriculum maps?  How well are your curriculum maps aligned?  How could you use the four areas of alignment to improve your curriculum mapping practice? Common Map Elements Now it is time to take a closer look at the elements contained within curriculum maps. Maps contain many important pieces of information that must be aligned with one another. It is also important to note that curriculum maps are deliberately kept to brief descriptions of the most important curricular aspects. Maps do not replace lesson plans but may serve as a tool for guiding and organizing lesson plans. Chapter 2 from A Guide to Curriculum Mapping: Planning, Implementing, and Sustaining the Process discusses the common elements of curriculum maps. Map alignment is also crucial for a successful mapping initiative. Aligning curriculum maps may also serve as a valuable component of broader horizontal and vertical curriculum alignment initiatives. The " Curriculum Map Elements: An Overview " section from A Guide to Curriculum Mapping: Planning, Implementing, and Sustaining the Process focuses on specific map elements and their alignment. As you read these texts, consider the following questions:  Which elements of curriculum mapping are most critical for your instructional setting?  Which elements of curriculum mapping would you like to incorporate in the future?  What is important about each type of alignment for successful mapping? Review the following sample maps. Each map is unique to a set of educational circumstances. Explore the maps to search for the elements you learned about earlier in the learning resources.  High School Biology Map  Second-Grade Science Map  Fifth-Grade Math Map Consider the following questions as you explore each map:  Which elements occur consistently across the various types of maps?  Which elements are unique to specific types of maps?  Which elements that are not currently present will you incorporate into your mapping practice? Curriculum Mapping Simulation Complete the Curriculum Map Simulation for practice on identifying common map elements. What Are the Four Types of Curriculum Maps? Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information. —Samuel Johnson Curriculum, in Latin, means a course or path run in small steps. Curriculum map is a generic term used to refer to a document that represents a small step in a student’s learning path. Since a student’s path involves numerous teachers over a journey of 13+ years, it is advantageous when teachers have instant access to the maps that represent each small step. Curriculum maps are never intended to be regarded as static documents. They are the living, breathing database of a learning organization’s current and past curricular history that serve as a catalyst for ongoing curriculum dialogue and decision making (Jacobs 2004b). While coordinators and administrators often map professional development and administrative roles, the explanations in all chapters preceding Chapter 10 focus on teachers mapping student learning. Regardless of whether a map represents administration, professional development, or student learning, it can be classified as a specific type of map. FOUR TYPES OF CURRICULUM MAPS There are four types of curriculum maps. As mentioned previously, a Diary Map represents the students’ operational curriculum; it is the only type of map that documents actual learning. Although there is some variation in the names used for each of the remaining three types of maps by the mapping system companies, the common terms used are Projected Map, Consensus Map, and Essential Map. These curriculum maps represent students’ planned learning. Figure 2.1 provides a brief overview of each map type and its purpose. Figure 2.1 Four Types of Curriculum Maps When traveling, road maps become more specific the closer you get to the main destination. The main destination in curriculum mapping is the empty chair—the students in a particular classroom and course of study (Jacobs 2004b). In curriculum mapping, the concept of more specific translates to more detailed data within each type of map. An Essential Map has the least amount of detail, whereas the Projected Map and the Diary Map have the most detail representing monthly learning. A teacher’s daily lesson plans contain the greatest amount of information or level of detail (see Figure 2.2).

Figure 2.2 Levels of Detail in Curriculum Maps A Visual Comparison Figures 2.3 to 2.5 provide a visual snapshot of one month of learning at three different map levels. Notice that the data included in the Essential Map remains in the Consensus Map and the Diary Map. With each level, greater detail regarding learning expectations is included. Essential Map This planned learning map documents required learning throughout a learning organization. There are two imperatives when implementing this type of map: • An Essential Map is never meant to be designed exclusively by administration. A curriculum-mapping tenet states that teachers are involved in designing the curriculum. If a teacher-based task force is not involved in the design of an Essential Map, there will be a high probability of little or no teacher buy-in since they may feel neither trusted as leaders nor honored as curriculum designers. • An Essential Map is never meant to contain excessive detail. This takes away from the autonomy of a school site or an individual teacher. This map is not intended to be a scripted day-by-day or week-by-week pseudo pacing guide or record of lesson plans. When correctly designed, an Essential Map informs schools of the obligatory learning determined to have the greatest impact on ensuring student learning success. When an Essential Map is published within a selected mapping system and is ready for implementation, a school-site teacher team replicates the appropriate grade level or course as a Consensus Map, using the Essential Map’s data as the baseline for student learning, and includes additional planned learning, as represented in Figure 2.4. Consensus Map The term consensus indicates collective agreement. For this type of map, curriculum agreement takes place within a particular school site. For example, if a district has four elementary schools, it would have one Essential Map and four Consensus Maps. A Consensus Map can be designed by teachers with or without other types of maps in existence. If an Essential Map exists, it serves as the foundation for a school site’s Consensus Map. If no Essential Map exists, but Diary Maps do, teachers come to agreement on planned learning by reviewing the existing Diary Maps and revisiting the appropriate standards to design the Consensus Map. If no maps exist, a teacher team may design a Consensus Map by (a) reviewing current or past school- or district-generated curriculum documents that can be adapted to a map element structure and/or (b) enlisting the breaking apart standards procedure, which is explained in Chapter 9. When Consensus Maps are designed without incorporating data from Essential Maps, they are not considered complete when first drafted. A critical step in the design process is to conduct vertical comparison reviews across grade levels or courses. Grade-level or course-specific teams review the drafted Consensus Maps to ensure no gaps, repetitions, or absences are present in the planned learning. Once the Consensus Maps are published and in use, teachers can still expect times of revision and refinement. Ongoing adjustments often take place during the first few years of publication, especially when Essential Maps are later published because this may affect a particular school site’s established Consensus Maps. Figure 2.3 Social Studies Essential Map Month Figure 2.4 Social Studies Consensus Map Month Figure 2.5 Social Studies Diary Map Month Projected Map and Diary Map These two map types are in fact the same map in that they provide data regarding an individual teacher’s learning environment. They are differentiated simply by real time (i.e., calendar months) and purpose. Let’s say it is February. Mrs. Murnighan’s Grade 5 mathematics curriculum map includes detailed data for each month of the school year. The data for September through January is referred to as her Diary Map. Mrs. Murnighan has reviewed the data each month and has made certain that the information included accurately reflects the operational learning for the current school year up to January. The detailed data for the current month through June is referred to as her Projected Map since these months currently provide evidence of the planned learning for the remaining months of the school year. If a teacher designs a personal map without the existence of other types of maps, the teacher will base student learning on grade-level or course-appropriate national, state, or local standards and, if applicable, established curriculum guidelines. If a Consensus Map exists, a teacher’s personal map will be based on the collaborative map’s data, as represented in Figure 2.5. Curriculum Maps Versus Lesson

Plans Now that we are writing maps, do we still have to write lesson plans? Teachers often ask me this question when they are initially learning how to write a curriculum map. Remember, maps are recorded by months, not days. A curriculum map is focused on recording the what, when, and if desired, a brief overview of the significant hows. Curriculum maps are not meant to replace lesson plans; maps are meant to inform a learning organization about the big picture of student learning (Jacobs 1997). Lesson plans include the intimate details regarding how a teacher specifically and strategically plans to have students experience the learning. Curriculum maps are learning summaries. I do not know of a school or district that no longer requires teachers to write lesson plans after a mapping initiative begins. I have seen changes, though, in teacher requirements. A few examples include (a) tenured teachers not having to turn in weekly lesson plans, but still needing to have their lesson plans available for informal administrative review or substitute-teacher access, while nontenured or probationary teachers still have to officially turn in their lesson plans; (b) when recording or revising a Diary Map, each teacher including three or four lesson plans that truly enhance the students’ learning process; and (c) teacher teams creating collaborative lesson plans and observing one another teaching the lessons to provide peer coaching opportunities. Curriculum Maps Versus Lesson Plans Now that we are writing maps, do we still have to write lesson plans? Teachers often ask me this question when they are initially learning how to write a curriculum map. Remember, maps are recorded by months, not days. A curriculum map is focused on recording the what, when, and if desired, a brief overview of the significant hows. Curriculum maps are not meant to replace lesson plans; maps are meant to inform a learning organization about the big picture of student learning (Jacobs 1997). Lesson plans include the intimate details regarding how a teacher specifically and strategically plans to have students experience the learning. Curriculum maps are learning summaries. I do not know of a school or district that no longer requires teachers to write lesson plans after a mapping initiative begins. I have seen changes, though, in teacher requirements. A few examples include (a) tenured teachers not having to turn in weekly lesson plans, but still needing to have their lesson plans available for informal administrative review or substitute-teacher access, while nontenured or probationary teachers still have to officially turn in their lesson plans; (b) when recording or revising a Diary Map, each teacher including three or four lesson plans that truly enhance the students’ learning process; and (c) teacher teams creating collaborative lesson plans and observing one another teaching the lessons to provide peer coaching opportunities. CURRICULUM MAP ELEMENTS: AN OVERVIEW The number of elements included in a curriculum map varies depending on factors such as (a) the type of map; (b) the length of time teachers have been mapping; (c) collaborative decision making regarding revisions or refinements to existing maps; and (d) past, present, and future curriculum initiatives. Common Initial Map Elements When introduced to the concepts of curriculum mapping and designing curriculum maps, teachers commonly begin by recording the following initial elements: • Content: What students must know • Skills: What students must do in relation to the knowing • Assessments: Products or performances that measure the knowing and doing • Evaluations: Single or multiple criteria that appraise students’ abilities regarding a given assessment or series of assessments • Standards: Proficiency targets that serve as a framework for the knowing and doing • Resources: Textbooks, materials, and references that aid in the instruction of the knowing and doing • Intra-Alignment: While not a literal element (i.e., does not have a specific column or field within a mapping system’s recording template), this is a critical visual component that provides coherency between the included elements Common Additional Map Elements The following are the most common elements that may be integrated into curriculum maps after teachers have become comfortable with mapping the initial elements: • Strategies: Specific criteria that enable students to improve learning • Modifications/accommodations: Content, skill, or assessment adjustments made for general education students or special needs students • Activities: Experiences or lessons that lead students toward independent mastery of learning expectations • Essential questions: Conceptual learning questions that can be generalized beyond specific learning topics • Supporting questions: Conceptual learning questions that address a specific topic focus Both the common initial and additional elements are not meant to be perceived as a sequential requirement. If a school has had professional training in designing units of study based on essential questions and supporting questions and is currently using these questions in instruction and assessment, they should be included when the teachers initially begin to write maps. The point that needs to be stressed here is that teachers experience a learning curve when being trained regarding the wording,

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