Curriculum mapping helps teachers and the administration formulate a plan as to what is to be taught, how to be taught keeping in mind the gaps from past experiences. Assessments, textbooks to be prescribed, assignments, lessons and instructional techniques all are part of curriculum mapping.
An effective curriculum is well organized and facilitates learning. It has definite objectives and goals sans academic gaps and is well aligned across lessons, subject areas, assignments, assessments and meets the academic expectations of the subject at a particular grade level.
The following specific strategies can be kept in mind while designing a curriculum-
Vertical coherent curriculum- This will cover topics ensuring what a student learns in a lesson, course, or grade level prepares him for upcoming lessons, course, or grade level.
A horizontal coherent curriculum means that the students follow the same curriculum across all sections of a particular grade level.
Subject-area coherent curriculum implies that the students receive the same course material and instructions across all sections of a particular grade despite having different faculty for a subject.
The interdisciplinary coherent curriculum focuses on the overall improvement of students across various subject areas wherein children develop skills and work habits needed to succeed in a particular academic course or discipline.
However, building an outstanding curriculum can be challenging. A lot of effort and research goes into making one. As a teacher, understand your student’s abilities, study styles, behavioral patterns, etc before formulating a plan. Teachers should not hesitate from discussing with the administration regarding the institution’s vision of helping students develop their curricular and extracurricular skills. It will help them design and prioritize their teaching initiatives. Teachers should choose their handbooks in tune with the textbooks that will help them make each lesson lively and keep the students interested. Set your teaching pace and expectations according to your students’ capabilities.
The above may seem like a herculean task but if your institute is equipped with a smart school management system providing curriculum management features, data reports, etc, this task can be accomplished without much ado.
Source: EdTechReview
