Spring is the time for some deep cleaning. Sometimes, it involves more than just clearing cobwebs and washing windows to let the bright sunshine in. Closets, bookshelves, cabinets, binders… all get purged, tossed, or reorganized. If you are careful, you will still have everything you need next fall. Curriculum Trak has some helpful tools when it -comes to “Spring-cleaning” your curriculum plans. You certainly want to make sure you have cleared the cobwebs and allowed the light in while not throwing away too much. Let’s look at those tools.
Last-updated Timestamp. Curriculum Trak now stamps the last date a curriculum map has been updated. In the maps view, every unit title will now include the date the unit was last changed in any way (starting 11/29/2017). This information can also be included in the Scope and Sequence report (in the Reports icon). This is a great way to know if your maps are being maintained. It may be time to check the shelf-life of your unit plans to make sure they are current.
Curriculum Mapping Progress Report. When it comes to unused data, empty boxes, or shelves that are only collecting dust, the Curriculum Trak equivalent can be discovered through the Curriculum Mapping Progress report (in the Reports icon). When you run this report, you can see at a glance which fields in your mapping template are not getting used. This color-coded report provides a great way for teachers, departments, and administrators to see just how much data they have collected in what areas of their maps.
Email Notifications for Deleted Units. If you are not careful, it is easy to get overzealous in your Spring cleaning efforts. Sometimes even teachers throw away too much. In Curriculum Trak, one of the most underused tools in this regard is the email notification tool for deleted units. Sometimes teachers who are no longer planning to teach their current courses mistakenly believe they can delete all of those unit plans. When the teacher taking over those courses in the fall log in to review the curriculum they find nothing but an empty shelf where the curriculum guides should be. Curriculum Trak does allow deleted unit plans to be restored, but only for up to eight weeks (which is slightly less time than the average summer break). So, we highly recommend that at least one of your Curriculum Trak administrators should seek to stay informed of what is being deleted from your account. To do this, make sure that the “Email Notifications for Unit Deletions” option is turned on in the Users Database. This will provide an email summary of every deleted unit which then allows the administrator to consider restoring that unit as they seek to promote the instructional legacy of your school. To check this setting for your users, here are the steps you can take:
- Click on the Admin icon and select “Users Database.”
- Click the “Search” button to populate the list of all of your Curriculum Trak users.
- Click on the blue edit pencil next to the person who would like to monitor unit deletions.
- Scroll to the middle of the permissions area and make sure the “Email Notification for Unit Deletions” option is check.
- Click “Save.”
Deleted units can be restored in the Admin area under “Unit Plan Archives.”
If you have any questions about Spring cleaning in your Curriculum Trak account, please contact support. We are happy to assist you in your efforts.