Foreign Language Curriculum Mapping

1
Foreign Language Curriculum Mapping

• Deborah W. Robinson, Ph.D.
• Debbie.robinson_at_ode.state.oh.us

2
What IS Curriculum Mapping?

• A tool for communicating the Big Picture for
  curriculum decision making.
• Documentation of content, skills, assessments
  of students actual learning experiences in the
  classroom, by the calendar.

3
Additional Map Content

• Unit Themes or Topics
• Essential/Guiding Questions
• Learning Activities
• Vocabulary and Structures
• Materials and Resources

4
The Mapping Process

• Phase One Collecting the Data
• Phase Two The First Read-Through
• Phase Three Mixed Group Review
• Phase Four Large Group/Job-Alike Review
• Phase Five Determine Immediately
• Revisable Points
• Phase Six Determine Points Requiring Study
• Phase Seven The Review Cycle Continues

5
What Are the Benefits of Curriculum Mapping?

• 1. Involves all teachers in the curriculum
  development process through constructing,
  reading, comparing maps.
• 2. Ensures horizontal and vertical articulation
  within/among departments through discussion about
  key concepts, skills, assessments.

6
Benefits (Continued)

• 3. Promotes interdisciplinary connections.
• 4. Serves as a monitoring device about whether
  standards are being met in each classroom.
• 5. Ensures that the textbook cannot become the
  default curriculum.

7
Academic Content Standards

• Importance of Verbs gtgtgt Cognitive
• Engagement with Material
• Importance of Nouns gtgtgt Content

8
How Do the K-12 Academic Content Standards Fit
with Mapping?

• Begin with the grade-level appropriate
  indicators.
• Level One starts in Grade 7? Use Grade 7
• Level One starts in Grade 9? Use Grade 9
• Level Two? Use Grade 10

9
In Addition

• Include Lower-Level Indicators in Activities,
  Formative Assessments
• Groundwork
• Foundational Tasks
• Scaffolding Tips

10
Mapping Misconceptions

• 1. We Must Develop Generic Maps for Level One,
  Level Two, etc.
• Problem Content ? Same
• (vocabulary, structures, cultural information)
• Skills and Assessments May Be The Same
• Solution Maps for Each Language, with Dialog on
  Common Skills/Assessments.

11
ExampleTheme Family

• Chinese
• Vocabulary
• Nuer, erzi,
• Structures
• Tamen shi wo nuer, wo erzi, he wo.
• Cultural information
• Number of Children Limited or Pay Fees

• French
• Vocabulary
• Fille, fils
• Structures
• Voici ma famille ma fille, mon fils, et moi.
• Cultural information
• Government Encourages Having Children

12
Skills and Assessments

• SKILLS
• Describe Your Family.
• Identify members
• Physical/personality
• description
• Professions
• Favorite Pastimes

• ASSESSMENTS
• Create a ______About Your Family.
• - oral presentation
• - book
• - multimedia presentation
• - poster

13
Mapping Misconceptions

• 2. Our maps are being used as check-off sheets
  for the FL Academic Content Standards.
• Problem Indicators are functional and repeat
  throughout year.

14
Example

• Engage in oral, visual or written exchanges to
  obtain and provide information related to target
  language cultures or topics from other content
  areas.
• (Grade Seven, Indicator 1)

15

• Solution Make a scatter plot to reveal gaps and
  redundancies.