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Phase 1: Laying the Foundation

In this video provided by Curriculum Designers, Inc., Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs explains what is meant by "laying the foundation." In doing so, she offers a rationale as to why a district would pursue curriculum mapping as an instructional tool. This video runs 2 minutes and 15 seconds.

Summary

In this video, Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs discusses laying the foundation for curriculum mapping with Curriculum Designers Inc, Director of Communications Earl Nicholas. He asks Dr. Jacobs how laying the foundation differs from getting started. While acknowledging using the term "getting started" herself, Dr. Jacobs states there is a difference between laying the foundation and getting started. Using an analogy, such as starting a car and moving, Dr. Jacobs believes you need to stop and first understand what mapping is and why you are undertaking it.

In laying the foundation, Dr. Jacobs believes a school's staff members should

  • assess who they are as a school;
  • determine the faculty's knowledge of technology;
  • have an understanding of mapping terminology;
  • learn how other schools approached instituting mapping;
  • learn about mapping through books and courses;
  • identify the reasons why they want to do mapping and identify issues they may need to address;
  • look at issues associated with software, including what the mapping software vendors offer, and who is going to develop the mapping system (in-house, a not-for-profit source, etc.).

In closing, Dr. Jacobs points out there are an array of things to consider before launching mapping. These include staff resources, student demographics, purpose, knowledge of curriculum assessment, and the nature of any software being used.

This video runs 2 minutes and 15 seconds.



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