Curriculum Mapping
What is…?
- Curriculum is the road map by which educators connect teaching and learning initiatives.
- Curriculum Mapping is the collaborative and continuous process by which educators create the map of what students know and are able to do.
- Atlas is the destination educators go to know the curriculum.
“A curriculum map is exactly that – a map. And maps should inspire possibilities rather than limit options.” - John Spencer
RSU 16 Curriculum Mapping Vision: To create a common understanding of what all students will know and be able to do at each grade level in RSU 16.
An ongoing goal for improving student learning and performance is to design vertically articulated and rigorous curriculum. By reflecting and collaborating on the curriculum mapping process, we improve our capacity to develop effective units of instruction. When we have strong maps, the intended curriculum becomes the taught curriculum, which becomes the learned curriculum.
Curriculum Mapping Principles
- Atlas serves as a central hub that provides a clear vision of what to teach and when; “a place to go to know.”
- Teachers think, write, reflect, and discuss concepts, content, knowledge/skills, and assessments that are aligned strategically to national and state standards, enhancing the learning process.
- Textbooks, kits, and materials are solely resources, not the curriculum.
- Curriculum mapping provides clarity needed to plan effectively and efficiently.
- Horizontal alignment ensures depth and breadth of standards to be taught remains consistent across schools/teachers, providing students a common experience.
- Vertical alignment guides logical teaching sequence to ensure content being taught matches the intended grade level curriculum.
- Having the curriculum mapped out allows teachers to focus on providing differentiation opportunities for all levels of learners.
- Curriculum mapping is ongoing, and teachers will continue to develop and improve curriculum year to year.
Much like gardening, curriculum work is a process. It takes planting, pruning, and weeding: it’s a bit messy and the work is never truly “done”.
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