Mapping does not purport to create an idealistic vision where all teachers agree, love one another, and gather around a campfire and sing ‘Curriculum Kumbaya.’ What it can develop is a sense of place, of respect, and of new grounds for discussion, disputes, and direction. Heidi Hayes Jacobs Read Quote
In America, we have 19th century school conditions and a curriculum that prepares our kids for the 1990s. Heidi Hayes Jacobs Read Quote
Education is a business – the growth business. It cultivates the growth of our learners, translates the growth of new knowledge, and builds professional growth. Heidi Hayes Jacobs Read Quote
We often assume that all teachers within a discipline address the same curriculum. This isn’t always the case. We frequently find gaps between goals and what is actually taught, and these gaps can have a lasting impact on a child’s learning. Heidi Hayes Jacobs Read Quote
Too often, teachers assume that they are introducing a book or concept to students for the first time. In fact, many units are repeated over the course of a student’s K-12 experience. Heidi Hayes Jacobs Read Quote
The function of a guideline isn’t to tell you what kids have actually experienced; it’s to provide goals. Heidi Hayes Jacobs Read Quote
Schools are launching pads, launching our kids into their futures. Unfortunately, a lot of what we teach now looks identical to what we taught 40, 50, or 60 years ago. There’s a need for both timeless curriculum content and timely content. What seems to be falling by the wayside is timely content. Heidi Hayes Jacobs Read Quote
People in the United States are highly transient. Families move from state to state. So why do we take a full year – in some states, two years – to study state history? It takes time away from more important topics. Heidi Hayes Jacobs Read Quote
Rooted in the word ‘history’ is ‘story.’ And America’s story is exceptional. It’s amazing. Younger students should learn that we have always been and continue to be a land of immigrants – a land committed to bold new ideas. Heidi Hayes Jacobs Read Quote
A curious observation is the uniform way that committees review curriculum for each field of study. Too often, authorities have a knee-jerk impulse to declare that ‘all curriculum areas will be the same.’ In fact, real and significant differences exist between fields of study. Heidi Hayes Jacobs Read Quote
