Blog 26: EDCI 602 The Need for Calendar-Based Curriculum Mapping

January 30, 2009

    This article was expressing the value of having calendar-based curriculum maps. I found it to be an easy read that clearly expressed this author's belief in this tool. Her reasoning’s for this change were founded in her belief that many teachers do not communicate sufficiently between classes in that same school or among the district teachers of similar subjects. She suggested that, "Data on the curriculum map can be examined both horizontally through the course of any one academic year and vertically over the student's K -12 experience”. She also believed that by having a specific date when classes would teach a skill would increase the probability of that skill actually being taught. Currently there is a push supporting the use of curriculum maps and this author is among the trend setters (Harden, 2001).

    Jackson Public School District has implemented curriculum mapping to a certain extent. I currently teach Biology 1 as well as Science Skills and Reasoning. Science Skills and Reasoning is an entry-level biology orientated science class. This class possesses horizontal level planning through a calendar based pacing guide. Biology, which is designed to be taken after Science Skills and Reasoning also possesses a calendar based pacing guide. Being new to the state, and to the Jackson Public School District,  I am not overly familiar with its horizontal planning levels. However, judging from the elevated level of rigor between the science classes that I teach, I would assume that this District has a vertical and horizontal curriculum map.

    From my limited scope of being a first year teacher of only two classes, I would assume that my District’s pacing guide would be an excellent example of what it could be. The only suggestion that I would provide would be that of requiring every student in every class having a standardized test to pass. This would ensure that every child has mastered the objectives from the curriculum map prior to entering the next level.

    As far as implementing a proper curriculum map for this summer, I see several obstacles that will need to be overcome. The primary one is in the timing. It will be difficult condensing an entire year into a mere eight weeks, despite having longer days to teach the subject. This should be a formidable challenge.

References:
Harden, R. M. 2001. AMEE Guide No 21: Curriculum mapping: a tool for transparent and authentic teaching and learning. Medical Teachers 23: 123-137