Curriculum Mapping Boyer Valley

Standards Nationa sion Team themes How will we find our way? ? ? ? ? This is the first mile in the journey. WE are all on the road together! Our first steps might be with anxious thoughts and feelings about what is coming next, but TOGETHER we can each be leaders in helping Lexington School District Five students continue in schools of excellence of this LIGHTHOUSE DISTRICT!

Old Chinese Proverb says… “Tell me and I'll forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I'll understand” 1) Classroom instruction emphasize hands-on experience and old chinese proverb: "tell me, I forgot; show me, I ......(I forgot what belongs here??); involve me, I understand" applies to everybody so we will do some practices with curriculum mapping right now.   2) that will help you understand what exactly it is like to write one and help you with ur management when working with people who write mappings. u ll have some experience to reflect when helping people going through the process.

Definition “Mapping is a technique for recording time on task data and then analyzing this data to determine the ‘fit’ to the officially adopted curriculum and the assessment/testing program.” -English, 1983 A map is like a school’s manuscript. It tells the story of the operational curriculum. A map can be examined both horizontally through the course of any one academic year and vertically over the student’s K-12 experience. Without a commitment to when a skill will be taught, there is no commitment. Skills are not taught in a vacuum, they are addressed in application to content and they are evidenced in a product or performance by the learner. Mapping provides an opportunity for professional discussion about curriculum articulation and planning. Curriculum mapping amplifies the possibilities for long-range planning, short term preparation and clear communication. The integrity of the process rests on the individual teacher completing a map…

Phase I: Collecting the Data The purpose of this phase is for each teacher to place realistic data about what he or she teaches in the course of the academic year on a macro level Three major elements that comprise the curriculum on the curriculum map: The processes and skills emphasized The content in terms of essential concepts and topics, or the content as examined in essential questions The products and performances that are the assessments of learning It is critical that each teacher completes a calendar based map. The purpose is to collect authentic data about the classroom and genuine information about what students actually experience-not what others think they are supposed to be studying. The purpose of this particular map is to reveal what is actually going on in the curriculum, so the design of the map should reflect themes, The months are a common reference to plot the classroom curriculum. It should take teachers about 1 hour to complete the “content” portion of the map for one school year. Most secondary teachers find it takes about 45 minutes per course per year for content data alone. The most demanding task is the completion of the skills and assessment components of the curriculum. Mapping IS NOT used for evaluation!!!

Map S and B Content Skills EQ Ass Act August September

Phase 2: The First Read-Through Once the maps are completed, each teacher becomes an editor for the map for the entire building Teacher-as-editor reads through the maps to gain understanding. When teachers are looking at the maps they should look for repetitions, gaps, meaningful assessments, matches with standards, potential areas for integration and timeliness. If a teacher finds an area that may need revision they need to circle it. Judgments are to be delayed, meaning teachers should NOT rewrite or make comments. When each teacher becomes a curriculum editor, the professional level of the entire school is elevated. Teachers are to work alone for the first read-through. Teachers will gain an appreciation for his or her role in the flow of curriculum through the years, significantly more detailed knowledge of the school’s curriculum, and insights into the school’s needs. It is reasonable to expect 2-4 hours for elementary; 2-5 for MS and HS.

Phase 3: Mixed Group Review Session These groups need to be comprised of people WHO DO NOT work together Optimum size for these groups is 6-8. In these groups each teacher shares his or her findings from the individual review of the maps. This is a reporting out procedure. This is a reporting out procedure. A facilitator should be appointed to collect and report the findings of each member. A sheet listing the findings is an outcome of this activity and will assist the staff in compiling the data for the next phase.

Phase 4: Large Group Review All members of the faculty attend the group review. Prior to this large group review, facilitators of each small group have reported on the findings of the small group sessions. The leader of the large group review posts the findings and asks the audience to comment on emerging patterns. The key is to delay judgment again and simply compile data using each of the editing tasks. Once overall findings are available to the group, the faculty should examine the list carefully and return to instructional units (grade level teams, house teams, department teams). The faculty is now moving from a review mode to an editing, revising and developing mode.

Tasks within Phase 4 Reads Maps to Gain Information Identify Gaps Identify Repetitions Identify Potential Areas for Integration Match Assessment with Standards Review for Timeliness Reads Maps to Gain Information Identify Gaps Identify Repetitions Identify Potential Areas for Integration Match Assessment with Standards Review for Timeliness

Phase 5: Determine Those Points That Can Be Revised Immediately With the lists of observations, the staff starts to sift through the data and determine the areas that can be handled by faculty members, teams and administration. It is often in this phase that glaring repetitions are found and could be addressed by the exchange of idea between a few faculty members (i.e. 3rd and 4th grade both dealing with Colonial Period in U.S. History). This is a relatively straightforward negotiation.

Phase 6: Determine Those Points That Will Require Long-Term Research and Development While reviewing maps, groups will find areas that require more in-depth investigation before a solution can be produced. These problems often encompass a range of grade levels or departments, the decisions will likely include structural decisions, or the results of altering the curriculum will have long-tem consequences (i.e. a gap in a series of assessments between the elementary and ms writing program), (in the high school, the possibility of interdisciplinary work for 9th graders means that everyone will need time to examine the implications for the school structure. This possibly means researching external practices and looking at internal needs.

Phase 7: The Review Cycle Continues Curriculum review should be active and ongoing. It should be active and ongoing because new literature constantly emerges, technology is growing etc. NOT EVERY 5 YEARS…

Maps are never finished; they are a work in progress! Documentation Examination Revision Examination Revision Examination Revision Documentation Revision Documentation Keep in mind, maps are never finished; they are a work in progress. Documentation Examination

Refining the Map through ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS Defining the nature of essential questions Identifying the kinds of questions that are valuable for refining and; Organizing the curriculum in the individual classroom and throughout the school Navigators use maps to chart a course. Teachers must make critical choices as they plot a course for their learners. Essential questions are an exceptional tool for clearly and precisely communicating the pivotal points of the curriculum.

What is an ESSENTIAL QUESTION? It is the heart of every curriculum It is the essence of what you believe students should examine and know in the short time they have with you It is a question suggesting investigation and inquiry It is an organizer It is a creative choice It is a conceptual commitment It is a skill to be encouraged in students It is the heart of every curriculum It is the essence of what you believe students should examine and know in the short time they have with you It is a question suggesting investigation and inquiry It is an organizer It is a creative choice It is a conceptual commitment It is a skill to be encouraged in students

Essential Questions and Examples Focus on a broad topic of study Have multiple answers and perspectives. They address “why” or “how.” They are “mental velcro” that helps ideas stick in students’ minds Which is more important-water or air?, What is change?, What if Shakespeare were a woman?

Criteria for Writing Essential Questions Each child should be able to understand the question. The language of the questions should be written in broad, organizational terms. The question should reflect your conceptual priorities. Each question should be distinct and substantial. Questions should not be repetitious. The questions should be realistic given the amount of time allocated for the unit or course. There should be a logical sequence to a set of essential questions. The questions should be posted in the classroom. Each child should be able to understand the question. The language of the questions should be written in broad, organizational terms. The question should reflect your conceptual priorities. Each question should be distinct and substantial. Questions should not be repetitious. The questions should be realistic given the amount of time allocated for the unit or course. There should be a logical sequence to a set of essential questions. The questions should be posted in the classroom.

Content and Examples Content is the essential concepts and topics covered during a month. Content is written beginning with a noun Cultural Diversity, Water Cycle, Hamlet, Local Government Systems, Bicycle Safety

Skills and Examples Skills are key abilities and processes students will develop related to a specific content. Skills are written beginning with a verb Reading a map, writing a play, analyzing non-fiction text, writing persuasive essays, matching words to pictures

Assessment and Examples Assessments are the products or performances that demonstrate student learning. Assessments are what the student does (the actual product or performance), not the evaluation toll used to assess the product Group presentation, brochure, research paper, essay exam, puppet show, debate

Activities and Examples Key activities that lead to acquisition of knowledge and skills. Describe the “how” for the knowledge and skills. Technology should be embedded Writing persuasive letters to local government, water analysis of local pond, ASL translation of selected scenes of Hamlet, analyze brochures in preparation to design one for the spring play, create a 50 states quilt

Curriculum Mapping Boyer Valley This is a journey! But there have been pioneers through the year who have led the way for us to be at this point today. Thanks to all of the course participants Let me begin by sharing several scenarios with you. 1. You are new to teaching with no prior experience. This is your first teaching assignments. Feeling a little overwhelmed? Make a long range plan on what!? 2. You are an experienced fifth grade teacher and you find that it is late April Your social studies scope and sequence covers the first Americans to the Civil War! Help! You are stuck in the Colonial Period! And PACT TESTS are around the corner! When will you get to teach all the content up to the Colonial Period? 3. You are an administrator with teachers of various experience levels. You want to support your staff, train new teachers in curriculum, and unite the grade/subject levels by providing needed training and resources. Whoa! Did you see yourself in any of these scenarios? How do you ensure that your students are getting the required curriculum? What is your guide for ensuring that students are given the required content/standards at an appropriate pace? In today’s session, Cur. Map. will provide you and other staff with a working document to alleviate curriculum frustrations! Join us as we travel the road to Curriculum Mapping!