Paving the Way: Understanding the Process of Quality Curriculum Mapping

Alexander County Schools

January 2012

What is Curriculum Mapping?

• Curriculum Mapping is the process for collecting and recording core skills and content taught, processes employed, and assessments used for each subject area and grade level.

• The completed curriculum map then becomes a tool that helps teachers keep track of what has been taught and plan what will be taught.

Why Curriculum Mapping?

• allows review of curriculum to check for redundancies, inconsistencies, misalignments, weaknesses, and gaps

• documents the relationships between required components of the curriculum and intended student learning outcomes

• helps identify opportunities for integration among disciplines

• provides a review of assessment methods • identifies what students have learned, allowing

educators to build on previous knowledge

The Road Ahead

New Standards Begin with the End in Mind Overwhelming

Tendency to Skip the Most

Important StageSacred Cows

Four Clear Learning Targets

I can explain stage 1 of the curriculum mapping process.

I can design a plan to support our

curriculum mapping process.

I can identify potential pitfalls in the mapping

process and know how to help teachers

avoid them.

I can use a variety of tools and strategies to

ensure our district builds quality

curriculum maps.

Goals: Alignment and Integration

• When drafts are complete, use them to reorganize and order units to develop opportunities for vertical and horizontal alignment.

• Common templates are imperative to the process.

• Research-based processes are essential to a quality product.

Suggested Support Documents

“To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of

your destination.

It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where

you are now so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.”

-Stephen R. Covey – -The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

How do you design a learning

experience for students?

What do you do first?

What do you do next?

What do you do last?

What is backward design?

• Creating curriculum based on deep understanding, engagement, uncovering answers, and inquiry rather than developing lessons and units around…– Resources (Textbook Crutch)– Activities– Covering the Material

• See Handout

Grant Wiggins Quotes Mae West

“If it is worth doing, it is worth

doing slowly.”

Backward design takes time.

Backward design takes support.

Eye-Opening Moments

Without Backward Design..

• Standards and goals are not driving the planning process

• Integrity of the standards may not be upheld.

• Instruction is designed around materials and resources available

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=square+peg+round+hole&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=moV&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1366&bih=664&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=G_J9lPB-sXYmbM:&imgrefurl=http://www.spaceacts.com/Apollo_13_CO2_filter.htm&docid=2TAIurbRnuX4vM&imgurl=http://www.spaceacts.com/square_peg.jpg&w=153&h=111&ei=2I0ET9HFE8ectwfzxojRBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1164&vpy=234&dur=1095&hovh=88&hovw=122&tx=72&ty=24&sig=114730900127101918374&page=5&tbnh=88&tbnw=122&start=82&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:82

Three Stages of Backward Design

Stage 1: Identify Desired Results

Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence that Students have Achieved Desired Results

Stage 3: Plan Learning

Understanding Stage 1

Contact InformationE-mail: heather.mullins@dpi.nc.gov

Skype: waterlovers3

Phone: 828.244.8759 (H)

Blog: www.mullinshe.wordpress.com

Wiki: www.rt3region7.ncdpi.wikispaces.net

Twitter: @carolinablondie

ReferencesBrookhart, Susan M. (2006). Formative assessment strategies for every classroom. Alexandria, Virginia:

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Brookhart, Susan M. (2009). Exploring formative assessment. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Brookhart, Susan M. (2008). How to give effective feedback to your students. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Brookhart, S., & D'Arcangelo, M. (2008). The power of formative assessment to advance learning. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Chappuis, J. (2005). Helping students understand assessment. Educational Leadership, 63(3), 39-43.

Clark County School District-Assessments & Accountability and Educational Testing Services (ETS). (2007). Using Quality Assessments to Target Instruction.

Cotton, K. (1991). Close-Up #11: Teaching Thinking Skills. Retrieved date, from Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory's School Improvement Research Series Web site: http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/6/cu11.html

Covey, S. R. (2004). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. New York City: Free Press.

Duncan, A., Kryza, K., & Stephens, S. J. (2007). Inspiring Middle and Secondary Learners: Honoring

Differences and Creating Community Through Differentiating Instructional Practices. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Essential questions. (2005.). The question mark. Retrieved November 10, 2009, from http://questioning.org/mar05/essential.html

Essential Questions (2008). Essential questions. Retrieved August 1, 2008, from Spartanburg School District 3 Web site: http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/essentialquest.htm

ReferencesFraming Essential Questions. (1996). Retrieved September 23, 2009, from

www.fno.org/sept96/questions.html (2002). Writing essential questions. Retrieved August 1, 2008, from myprojectpages.com Web site: http://www.myprojectpages.com/support/ess_questpopup.htm

Formative Assessment Workshop. (n.d.). Retrieved September 26, 2009, from http://www.slideshare.net/elliottsfourthgrade/formative-assessment-workshop-presentation

Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., & Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

McTighe, Jay. "Essential questions: Doorways to understanding." Northeast ASCD Affiliate Conference. Northeast ASCD, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. <www.neascd.org/files/Essential%20Questions%20slid

Nellan, Ted (2008). What is an essential question?. Retrieved August 1, 2008, from The Nellan Family Jewels Web site: http://www.tnellen.com/alt/essential.html

Stiggins, R. , Arter, J., Chappuis, J., & Chappuis, S. (2006). Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Doing It Right, Using It Well. Princeton, New Jersey: Educational Testing Services.

Themes & Essential Questions Framing Inquiry & Promoting Critical Thinking. (2004). Retrieved September 23, 2009, from www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ela/6-12/essential%20questions/Index.htm

Westerberg, T. (2009). Becoming a great high school: 6 strategies and 1 attitude that make a difference. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2011). The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High Quality Units. Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development: Alexandria, VA.

References

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design. Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development: Alexandria, VA.

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2004). Understanding by Design Professional Development Workbook. Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development: Alexandria, VA.

Wiggins, G., What is an essential question?. Retrieved August 17, 2008 from Big ideas, an authentic e-journal: Web site: http://www.authenticeducation.org/bigideas/article.lasso?artId=53