Curriculum mapping is a phrase I heard tossed around in my school setting, but I never had a thorough understanding of what it specifically included. I realize there is no one box the every school or district fits into, but the information in chapters 5 & 6 of Curriculum Connections did a nice job of laying out the options clearly. I am both visual and linear, and, as such, I rely on grids and other similar organizers to keep me focused and on-task. The maps presented did much to help me fully grasp the concept of curriculum mapping.
The benefits of curriculum mapping in a school are immense. One of the greatest liabilities I see in my school is the lack of articulation between grade levels. Clear maps for each subject in each grade could eliminate needless re-teaching of certain content areas (mainly science), and all that class time could then be spent more productively exploring new material.
Maps also benefit grade level teams, their students, and the students' families. By mapping each subject for the entire school year, a teacher has a clearer direction where he or she is going and how long must be spent in getting there. This is especially useful to a new teacher or a teacher new to a grade level.
Students benefit when there is a clearer goal. Teachers can make "targets" known, and students can feel certain what is expected of them. Further, parents need to also have a strong sense of what is expected of their students. Curriculum maps consistent across the grade level are useful for parents of twins or parents who communicate with parents of students in other classrooms. The consistent timelines and expectations are necessary for parents to stay involved with their children's work.
But what does this mapping have to do with us as media specialists in school libraries? A lot! One particular facet that I appreciate is how we can work our library standards in with what is being taught in each grade level. We have planning of our own to do, and without knowing the destination, how can we possibly know the best route! School-wide curriculum mapping directly benefits us as it allows us to create our own maps. With each of our standards in mind and the timeline of what is being taught in the classroom for an entire school year, we can plan our lessons for the year and ensure that we teach all skills we are responsible for. The absence of grade level maps leaves us guessing as to what is being taught when and creating extra work in already-tight schedules by trying to reach busy teachers.
Maps should be dynamic and reflective; such maps could be very useful from year to year. If we take the time to make notes following our lessons of what worked well, what didn't work well, and what should be changed for next time, we will save ourselves countless hours of trying to reinvent the wheel. Further, if we allow ourselves to be open to new ideas teachers and administrators bring to us, as well as changes in the standards and curriculum, we will better benefit each of our students each day. We will not have to sit back and wait for our map to be devastatingly outdated and needing an overhaul, leaving our students in the dust in the interim. We will be able to put in fewer hours of re-mapping, and our students never get left behind.
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Serena, I especially liked these two comments from your post, "The absence of grade level maps leaves us guessing as to what is being taught when and creating extra work in already-tight schedules by trying to reach busy teachers."
ReplyDeleteI am already thinking about how I am going to stay in contact with all the grade levels and find out what's going on. I also want to keep up with art, music, PE, and the tech lab to see if we can make connections. An up to date curriculum map would certainly make that easier. Right now my plan is to either 1)find out when each team has their team meeting and plan to attend that meeting, or 2)pick a day of the week for each team and make sure I talk to the team members at some point during that day. Both take time!
"We will not have to sit back and wait for our map to be devastatingly outdated and needing an overhaul, leaving our students in the dust in the interim."
You're right - curriculum maps can get outdated quickly they are not used. While our staff was frustrated when we were told that CMs are never "finished," we printed them, put them in binders, and as a consequence, forgot about them.
I like your emphasis on being reflective and incorporating that reflection into the map and into the future work that is happening in the library. I think that is a critical step and one that too often gets left in the dust as we rush on to deal with the next thing that arises in the library.
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