Curriculum mapping is often used to help teachers keep track of their work and what still needs to be done in the classroom. If you have no idea what curriculum mapping is or what it entails, you have come to the right place. This article will discuss the definition of this process and what it is used for. We will also mention a few curriculum mapping tips that you can use to make the process more effective and efficient.
What Is Curriculum Mapping?
In short, curriculum mapping is a process that teachers use to track what they have taught in class, how it was taught, and what still needs to be taught. After the process is completed, the educator will be left with a document called a curriculum map – this usually contains illustrations, such as a table.
Purpose
Teachers often use curriculum maps to compare their curriculum with national standards or other educators. After the map has been created, the teacher will be able to analyze their work. On top of this, they will be able to communicate instructions that they have already implemented.
More so, curriculum mapping helps improve overall coherence between the different grades. For example, if a grade 1 class educator uses a specific method to teach the students, the teachers of higher grades can look back at their map to keep standards the same in their lessons. This will make the work much easier to understand for the students, as the teacher will use terms and methods that they are familiar with.
Curriculum Mapping Tips
If you are looking to create a curriculum map, there are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind to make the process as effective and efficient as possible:
- Use authentic data. It makes no sense to use information and data that is not accurate when creating a curriculum map. For this reason, it is essential that you only document what happened in the classroom.
- Make sure that the learning outcomes are precise.
- Explain how outcomes were achieved. You must be as descriptive as possible. This will make reading and understanding the map much easier in the future.
- Consider using software. There are various apps and tools that you could use to make creating a curriculum map easier.
Concluding Thoughts
A curriculum map is used and created by teachers to document their lessons and how they taught work to their students. These maps can be used for several purposes. When creating a map, teachers should use authentic data and consider using special software.
