Overview:

The Curriculum Mapping Database is a server-based web application that is intended to make the curriculum mapping process easier and more manageable. The database serves only as a searchable storehouse of information that will result from the interactions and dedication of faculty members and administrators who have been trained in this methodology.  The data itself is of no use without a purposeful commitment to the process of finding out what is taught as the school curriculum and how to make it more effective. 

Where lesson and unit planning are generally forecasts or predictions of what will be taught and learned in the days or weeks ahead, curriculum mapping is a retrospective process that records what actually was taught and learned, how it was done, what skills were acquired, how the learning was measured, which resources were used, and what standards were met.

Background:

The processes, methods, and value of curriculum mapping have been extensively investigated and researched by Dr. Heidi Hayes-Jacobs.  This document does not attempt to cover these aspects.  It is merely intended to give the Curriculum Mapping Database users a brief over view of the major sections of the application.

Features of the Curriculum Mapping Database:

The Curriculum Mapping Database is comprised of an interrelated set of data tables that make up a database.  In order to put data into the tables and extract data from the tables, a series of "web pages" was created to allow teachers and administrators to view, add, modify and delete information.  Most of the web pages allow the information to be searched and grouped.  These features are intended to help school decision-makers find out:
  • what is being taught,
  • when its being taught,
  • what Illinois Learning Standards are being addressed,
  • what assessments are being used to measure learning,
  • whether or not there are overlapping curriculum elements,
  • whether or not there are "gaps" in the curriculum

Because the Curriculum Mapping Database is web-based, it is available on an "anywhere, anytime" basis, and supports multiple users doing a variety of different activities simultaneously.

Guest Access:

The Curriculum Mapping Database has been designed with the intention of allowing parents and other site visitors to view the school curriculum through a search interface and through a collection of report screens.  "Guest" access requires no user account, so any visitor that can access the Curriculum Mapping Database from the Internet can view the collective records that describe the school curriculum.

Teacher Access:

The Curriculum Mapping Database will allow teachers to add new records (what I call "map elements") to the database.  Any teacher who will be adding curriculum map elements to the database will be required to use a "username" and "password" in order to gain access to the Teacher Tools. From the Teacher Tools panel, teachers may create new curriculum map elements and modify or delete existing map elements.  Teachers can only modify their own curriculum map elements.  Deletion of curriculum map elements is a two-step process, with a verification pop-up that serves as a safety mechanism to prevent accidental removal of an element.

Admin Access:

The Curriculum Mapping Database will allow a "database administrator" to customize most of the application.  The "Admin Tools" panel allows the database administrator to:
  • Manage Subjects
  • Manage Schools in this District
  • Manage Teachers
  • Manage Curriculum Elements
  • View Grade Levels (Read Only)
  • Manage Weeks of Year Table
  • Set Start of School Date
  • View Reports
  • List Resources

There are many tables of information that are used to make the database fast and efficient.  The various panels accessible from the Admin Tools menu allow the database administrator to define the unique requirements of the school curriculum.  The most important functions performed by the database administrator will be managing the teacher accounts (which are used to gain access to the creating and editing tools), and setting the starting date of the school year, (which is used to perform "week-of-year" calculations for the convenience of the teachers). 

The database administrator does have access to all of the Curriculum Map Elements and can modify the Essential Questions, Content, Skills, Assessment, Resources, and Standards sections, but does not have the ability to modify the other fields in the record. This is to maintain the "ownership" of the record. The database administrator can delete a record regardless of ownership. 

Creating and Modifying Curriculum Map Elements:

The Curriculum Mapping Database includes a powerful text editor that allows teachers to use conventional word processor formatting (such as Bold, Italics, Underline, etc.),when they create the curriculum map elements.  The text editor allow will create automatic hyperlinks whenever a web address is entered, which is a great feature when listing curriculum support resources. The additional features of this editor are too numerous to mention.  It is recommended that teachers be trained in using the editor or be given the opportunity to create trial entries in the database in order to become familiar with the editor.

Illinois Learning Standards:

The Curriculum Mapping Database includes all the Illinois Learning Standards and Benchmarks.  These are accessible via a menu item and also can be opened in a new browser window whenever teachers are submitting curriculum map elements.  The Illinois Learning Standards are fully searchable.

Reports:

The Curriculum Mapping Database includes 5 different Report generators.  These report generators allow the database users to ask questions of the data (queries) and get immediate feedback based on those questions.  The Custom Report generator is a freeform tool that allows the information to be searched by any combination of month, week, school, grade level, subject area, teacher, essential question, content, skill, assessment, or standard.  The other report generators are less powerful versions that only allow record selection (filtering) based on one or two parameters.

Guides:

The Curriculum Mapping Database is best learned by exploration.  Many of the web panels have notes and reminders built in as visual aids to the user. From the teacher's perspective, all that is needed to submit a curriculum map element to the database is to fill in a couple of forms and press the submit buttons.  The database administrator has many more things to manage, but practically all of the management can be done from the Admin Tools menu.

There are 5 visual guides that are available from the Curriculum Mapping Database Home page.  There are buttons that will allow the user to view graphic representations of a User Guide, Admin Guide, Security Levels, Why Map?, and EQ (Essential Questions).  The EQ guide includes 3 graphics that help explain the importance of Essential Questions.  These are suitable for handouts.

Resource Listing:

The Curriculum Mapping Database Admin Tools menu includes a Resource Listing hyperlink that will produce a complete listing of all resources and curriculum materials that are stored in the individual database records.  This listing may be helpful to school administrators and teachers in deciding what materials and resources are in use, which are available for other uses, and which are needed year after year.  The listing can be sorted alphabetically by Teacher's Username, and chronologically by Week of the Year. Teachers are also able to generate listings of content, skills, assessments, and standards from their menu.

 

Last modified by Mark Drone on Sunday June 22, 2003