Curriculum Mapping

Curriculum mapping is a tool that is used to build cohesive learning communities. For instance, in District Five the teachers were noticing that the change in student population required the curriculum to be changed to create high expectations for all students. In order for this to happen the same way throughout the entire district, District Five leaders felt that curriculum mapping was the way to go.

Curriculum mapping allows teachers from the same content area from different schools to plan out what information they will teach each month so by the end of the school year all 4th grade students will have learned the same information. Although there are state standards, if there are too many standards teachers begin to pick and choose what they want to teach. The problem with this is that every teacher does not pick the same standards to teach, so by the end of 4th grade, each class could have covered some of the same information and some different information. Curriculum mapping stops teachers from picking and choosing what they want to teach, and creates more of a uniformed curriculum.

I suppose we curriculum map in my district. My curriculum is so old that I don't think that it has been mapped in at least 15 years. However, this year during my PIP meeting with my principal I was discussing creating a new grading rubric for the phys. ed. department. After talking this process through my principal decided that my best option may be to curriculum map so I know what I really want the students to know. Once I have this information it will be easier for me to create a grading rubric. I have not begun the curriculum mapping process yet because of the homework I have been doing this semester. I will probably start this process in January when I have more time.

While District Five was curriculum mapping the teachers were noticing gaps in learning throughout the grade levels. For instance, at one of the professional development days when the teachers were in mixed-group and like-group they discovered that the high school teachers feel that reading is what will make a student extremely successful. It was also discovered that reading skills were not taught past the 3rd grade. By discovering this the district was able to plan the curriculum in such a way that reading skills were taught throughout all grades.

Curriculum mapping can bring out the strengths or weaknesses in the curriculum being taught. Is what the teachers are teaching aligned with the curriculum? These are questions that can be answered when curriculum mapping. When weaknesses appear it is an opportunity for the district and school to change the curriculum so it becomes a strength.