Getting Started with CurryCMS

Welcome to CurryCMS! This guide introduces the platform, explains core concepts, and helps you get started based on your role.

What is CurryCMS?

CurryCMS is a curriculum content management system built for curriculum publishers and educational organizations. It helps you create, manage, and publish structured educational content.

Key benefits:
- Structured content: Define custom hierarchies (courses, units, lessons, activities)
- Reusable templates: Create structures once, use them for multiple curricula
- Variant management: Adapt content for different audiences or regions
- Standards alignment: Link content to educational standards frameworks
- Team collaboration: Role-based access for different team members

Who Uses CurryCMS?

CurryCMS supports different team roles with specific responsibilities:

Not sure your role? Check with your account administrator or look at the top-right corner after logging in—your role appears there.

Core Concepts

Understanding these concepts helps you use CurryCMS effectively:

1. Structures (Templates)

A structure defines the shape of your curriculum—what types of content it contains and how they relate.

Think of it as: A blueprint or template

Example:

Structure: K-12 Mathematics
├── Course (root)
│ └── Contains: Units
├── Unit
│ └── Contains: Lessons
├── Lesson
│ └── Contains: Activities, Assessments
├── Activity (leaf)
└── Assessment (leaf)


Who creates them: Administrators and Designers
Who uses them: Authors select a structure when creating a curriculum

Key characteristics:
- Reusable across many curricula
- Defines allowed content types
- Enforces hierarchy rules
- Cannot be changed after a curriculum uses it

2. Node Types (Building Blocks)

Node types are the content types defined in a structure.

Common examples:
- Course (top level)
- Unit (collection of lessons)
- Lesson (single class session)
- Activity (student engagement)
- Assessment (evaluation)

Each node type has:
- Name (what authors see: "Lesson", "Activity")
- Attributes (data fields: title, description, duration)
- Hierarchy rules (which types it can contain)
- Visual identity (icon for easy recognition)

Who creates them: Administrators and Designers
Who uses them: Authors create content nodes of these types

3. Attributes (Data Fields)

Attributes are the data fields you fill in for each content node.

Common attributes:
- Title (required text field)
- Description (optional text area)
- Duration (number in minutes)
- Learning Objectives (formatted text)
- Thumbnail (image or URL)

Attributes come from:
- Attribute Bundles: Reusable collections applied to multiple types
- Direct attributes: Added specifically to one type

Who creates them: Administrators and Designers
Who fills them in: Authors when creating content

4. Curricula (Content)

A curriculum is an instance of a structure filled with actual educational content.

Think of it as: A book built from a template

Examples:
- "Grade 3 Math - 2024 Edition"
- "AP Biology - California Standards"
- "Kindergarten Literacy - Spanish Version"

Key characteristics:
- Based on exactly one structure
- Contains hierarchical content nodes
- Aligned to one standards framework (optional)
- Can have child variants

Who creates them: Authors (with Author, Editor, or Admin role)

5. Content Nodes (Actual Content)

Content nodes are the individual pieces of content in your curriculum.

Example hierarchy:
```
Curriculum: Grade 2 Math

Course: Grade 2 Mathematics
├── Unit 1: Place Value
│ ├── Lesson 1.1: Understanding Tens and Ones
│ │ ├── Activity: Place Value Practice
│ │ └── Assessment: Place Value Quiz
│ └── Lesson 1.2: Comparing Numbers
│ └── ...
└── Unit 2: Addition
└── ...
```

Each node:
- Has a specific type (Lesson, Activity, etc.)
- Contains attribute values (title, description, content)
- Positioned in the hierarchy
- Has a workflow status (Draft, Published, etc.)

Who creates them: Authors

6. Variants (Adaptations)

Variants let you create adapted or localized versions of a curriculum while maintaining a connection to the parent.

Use cases:
- Regional adaptations (Texas version of national curriculum)
- Translations (Spanish version of English curriculum)
- Differentiated versions (Honors, Standard, Remedial)

How they work:
- Start with all content from parent (inherited)
- Override specific nodes to customize
- Add variant-specific content
- Parent updates can flow to inherited content

States in variants:
- Inherited (blue): From parent, updates automatically
- Overridden (amber): Customized in variant
- Added (green): Only exists in this variant

Who creates them: Authors (with Author, Editor, or Admin role)

7. Standards Alignment

Standards alignment links curriculum content to educational standards frameworks.

Supported frameworks:
- Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
- State standards (Texas TEKS, California, etc.)
- Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
- Custom standards

Why align:
- Meet compliance requirements
- Track coverage
- Make content discoverable
- Generate reports for stakeholders

Who does this: Authors when creating content

Quick Start by Role

For Administrators

Your first tasks:
1. Design a structure - Define your content hierarchy
2. Create node types - Set up content types
3. Set up attribute bundles - Define reusable attributes
4. Invite your team - Add team members and assign roles

Learn more: Admin Overview

For Authors

Your first tasks:
1. Create a curriculum - Start with an available structure
2. Add content nodes - Build your content hierarchy
3. Align to standards - Link content to standards (if applicable)
4. Create variants - Adapt for different audiences (optional)

Learn more: Author Overview

For Editors

Your tasks:
- Review content created by authors
- Edit any curriculum for quality and consistency
- Approve content for publication
- Cannot create structures or manage team

Learn more: Author Overview (Editors use author features with broader permissions)

For Viewers

What you can do:
- View all curricula
- Browse structures
- Read content for review or approval

What you cannot do:
- Create or edit content
- Modify structures
- Change team settings

Learn more: Team Management for role details

Your First Login

1. Access the Platform

Navigate to your CurryCMS instance URL (provided by your organization).

2. Log In

• Enter your email and password
• Or use OAuth (Google, Microsoft) if configured

First time? You'll receive an invitation email with a link. Click it to set up your account.

3. Explore Your Dashboard

After logging in, you'll see:

Navigation bar:
- Content: Access curricula
- Schema (Admins/Designers only): Manage structures
- Standards: Browse standards library
- Account switcher: If you belong to multiple accounts

Dashboard widgets:
- My Curricula: Your recent work
- Available Structures: Templates to use (Authors)
- Team Activity: Recent team actions (if enabled)

4. Switch Accounts (if applicable)

If you belong to multiple accounts:
1. Click your account name in the top navigation
2. Select a different account from the dropdown
3. Your view switches to that account's content

Common Workflows

Workflow 1: Create Your First Curriculum (Authors)

1. Navigate to Content → Curricula
2. Click Create Curriculum
3. Fill in:
   • Name: "Grade 4 Science - 2025"
   • Description: Optional context
   • Structure: Choose from available templates
   • Standards Framework: Select framework (cannot change later)
4. Click Create Curriculum
5. Add content nodes to build your curriculum

Full guide: Creating Curricula

Workflow 2: Build a Structure (Admins)

1. Navigate to Schema → Structures
2. Click Create Structure
3. Enter name and description
4. Click Create
5. Add node types (Course, Unit, Lesson, etc.)
6. Configure hierarchy rules (which types contain which)
7. Create and apply attribute bundles
8. Test with sample curriculum

Full guide: Designing Structures

Workflow 3: Create a Variant (Authors)

1. Open the parent curriculum
2. Click Create Variant
3. Enter variant name and description
4. Choose standards framework (same or compatible)
5. Click Create Variant
6. Override content as needed for customization

Full guide: Using Variants

Workflow 4: Invite Team Members (Admins)

1. Navigate to Settings → Team
2. Click Invite Member
3. Enter email address
4. Select role (Admin, Designer, Editor, Author, Viewer)
5. Click Send Invitation
6. They'll receive an email to join

Full guide: Team Management

Key Terminology

New to CurryCMS? Here are essential terms:

Full definitions: Glossary

Getting Help

Documentation

By role:
- Admin Overview - Platform administration
- Author Overview - Content creation
- Glossary - Key terms and definitions

By task:
- Designing Structures - Create templates
- Creating Curricula - Build content
- Standards Alignment - Link to standards
- Team Management - Manage users

Ask Your Administrator

Contact your admin for:
- Account setup or access issues
- Questions about available structures
- Permission or role changes
- Standards framework questions
- Integration or configuration needs

Common Questions

"Where do I start?"
- Admins: Create a structure first, then invite your team
- Authors: Create a curriculum from an available structure

"Can I change my curriculum's structure after creating it?"
No. The structure is locked when you create a curriculum. Choose carefully or create a test curriculum first.

"What's the difference between a structure and a curriculum?"
- Structure = Template (blueprint)
- Curriculum = Content (house built from blueprint)

"Who can see my content?"
- Your curricula: Everyone in your account with Viewer role or higher
- Other's curricula: Depends on your role (Editors and Admins see all, Authors see only their own)

"How do I submit content for review?"
Complete all required fields, then click Submit for Review on the content node.

Best Practices for Getting Started

Start Small

Don't try to do everything at once:
- Create one simple structure first (Admins)
- Build one test curriculum (Authors)
- Add just a few content nodes initially
- Expand as you learn the platform

Use Real Examples

Base your work on actual content:
- Admins: Design structures around existing curriculum organization
- Authors: Create sample content from real lessons
- Don't design for theoretical use cases

Test Before Rollout

Before inviting your full team:
- Create test structures and curricula
- Try all workflows (create, edit, delete)
- Verify permissions work as expected
- Document any issues or questions

Document Your Decisions

Keep notes on:
- Why you chose specific structures
- Naming conventions for your content
- Team roles and responsibilities
- Process guidelines for your organization

Next Steps

Ready to dive deeper?

Administrators:
1. Admin Overview - Understand your role
2. Designing Structures - Create your first structure
3. Team Management - Build your team

Authors:
1. Author Overview - Understand your role
2. Creating Curricula - Create your first curriculum
3. Working with Content - Build content nodes

Everyone:
- Glossary - Learn key terminology
- Explore the platform using test data
- Ask questions as they arise

Related Documentation:
- Admin Overview - Administrator guide
- Author Overview - Content creator guide
- Glossary - Key terms and concepts
- Team Management - Roles and permissions