// Langwitches Blog

Teachers learn different too...

Differentiated Staff Development.

1. Laying the foundation (Vision)
   Prologue to mapping
   establishing reasons for mapping
   Definition and vocabulary components.
   creating a shared vision/understanding
   identifying your leadership support structure
2. Launching the process/Getting Started
3. Maintaining, sustaining, and integrating it into the system
   consensus mapping, diary mapping
4. Advanced Mapping tasks.

Laying the foundation

Most important thing is to lay the foundation and understand WHY you want the faculty to map. Establish right away the reasons.

• Use the “chair” with the imaginary student, who we are doing this for. What do we want this students to learn.
• What is the best place for us to start?
• conversation, collaboration and laying foundation is an essential part.
• involve the principal (head of school). Let them create a map for professional Development. Let them identify the needs of the students (teachers)
• Some of the reasons why map:
  • Show all the initiatives that you have in place in school
  • Show student load
  • Integration of Resources
  • Evidence of  integration
  • Accountability

Self-Diagnosis

Where are you right now? Let a faculty self diagnose where the school is in the process.
Create a common language among faculty–> go to standards to get those words (unwrap standards)

Mapping is a HUB for other initiatives. You can map Understanding by Design, Literacy Strategy, Differentiated Learning, Integrating Technology. The map houses whatever approach you are using.

Sticky Activity for Teachers

Activity for faculty:

On Sticky notes have teachers:

1. List all the initiatives happening at their schools.
2. Write 3-4 bullet points under Curriculum Mapping how it adds value to the students
3. Pick two initiatives that are top priority at your school, the ones that you are spending the most time on
4. Write 3-4 bullet points under each one of them how it adds value  for students
5. How do those two connect?

Goals and Expectations

Time for Professional Goals

• Clarify goals
• Chunk it down into smaller time sets (20 minutes)
• Get the Professional Development approved

Let teachers know what the expectations/goals for curriculum mapping are. Teachers want to know:

• What has to be completed?
• What has to be turned in?

In a year from now, we are hoping that “we” will have: (What will we accept as evidence that we will have accomplished that goal after a year)

• Clear understanding of vocabulary
• Reasons why we will be doing Curriculum Mapping
• understanding from priorities
• started the mapping process
• deepen understanding
• being able to align activities with Higher Level thinking skills
• upgrade assessments to include digital tools
• Do a read through (mixed grade level and resource teachers)