A Guide to Curriculum Mapping

Book excerpt: "With imagination and serious reflection, the author has generated a detailed resource with exercises, worksheets, staff development activities, and sample maps to assist any staff developer or curriculum designer. This book particularly connects to those who are at the beginning levels of their mapping journey." —From the Foreword by Heidi Hayes Jacobs A step-by-step guide to successful curriculum mapping initiatives! While curriculum mapping is recognized as a highly effective method for serving students′ ongoing instructional needs and creating systemic change, the means for putting this data-based decision-making process into practice may not always be clearly understood. This in-depth resource speaks to teachers and administrators with varying levels of curriculum-mapping experience and describes how teacher groups drive the process by engaging in collaborative inquiry as they review one another′s curriculums for gaps, redundancies, and new learning. The collected data assist in designing month-to-month instructional plans for all grade levels and subjects, resulting in a curriculum that is coherent, consistent, and aligned with standards. Drawing on her experience in working with thousands of educators across the country, Janet A. Hale offers specific steps for coordinating and sustaining strong mapping efforts that become embedded in school culture. The author explores the stages of contemplating, planning, and implementing a curriculum mapping initiative and helps the reader examine critical components that affect a learning organization′s progress through each phase. The book presents powerful tools and features that significantly enhance curriculum mapping efforts: Samples of four types of curriculum maps—Diary, Projected, Consensus, and Essential Guidelines for deciding what type of map to use to begin the process Assistance for selecting a Web-based mapping system Reflective questions at the end of each chapter A complete glossary of terms A Guide to Curriculum Mapping includes extended coverage of the challenges of curriculum mapping, offers encouragement and advice from educators who have successfully implemented a mapping initiative, and provides the necessary clarity to put curriculum mapping into action.