Eisner poses many questions in his piece entitled What Does It Mean to Say a School Is Doing Well? which is characteristic of his writing style. Some questions are answered but often, he leaves them unanswered. You will see in the summary of the article, Eisner asks questions but does not immediately or directly answer them.
I want you to go back through the article summary and find three (3) “unanswered” questions and try to compose short answers. Choose three (3) questions that you can expand upon and if you choose a yes/no question, give details for your answer.
Here is an example response to one of Eisner’s questions:
In the summary of his article, Eisner asks, “What opportunities do students have to formulate their own purposes and to design ways to achieve them?” In the context of his article, I think Eisner implies that these opportunities rarely occur. However, in my research experience in English language classrooms, I have seen many Korean English language teachers break free from traditional teacher-directed methods in the hopes of rejuvenating their practice and also engaging students in the lesson. Many teachers employ task-based methods or group activity-based strategies handing over much of the learning responsibility to their students. Objectives are still set, rubrics are still presented, activities are created, and evaluative measures are met but the students are often at the forefront of their learning. Teachers become facilitators so that students can encounter certain skills. demonstrate them and then put them into communicative use. Curriculum guidelines and standardized tests often dictate what a teacher should focus on in the classroom, but many teachers are tired of seeing their students disengage from the learning process. By integrating more interactive and self-directed learning activities, teachers meet the requirements of the curriculum policymakers while helping students see the practical side to their language learning.
Organize your written assignment as an essay with an introduction and conclusion covering three (3) of the “unanswered” questions.
Your paper should be 2-3 pages in length, exclusive of the reference page. The paper must be double-spaced and cite at least 1 additional source in APA format. The paper must be well-written using Times New Roman, 12-point font. Check all content for grammar, spelling and to be sure that you have properly cited all resources (in APA format) used
Rubic:
Analyses three
questions based
social constructs
influencing
curriculum theory
and development –
Analyzes three
questions with
connections to social
constructs influencing
curriculum theory and
development and
provides details and
examples.
Written
communication –
No syntax, spelling or
grammatical errors
making the paper very
easy to read.
APA Formatting –
Accurately uses APA
formatting consistently
throughout the paper,
title page, and reference
page.
Resource
Requirement –
Uses more than the
required number of
sources with correct
APA citation format.
Number of pages –
The paper is 2-3 pages
in length.
Reading: Eisner, E. (2001). What does it mean to say a school is doing well? In Flinders, D. J., & Thornton, S. J. (Eds.), The Curriculum Studies Reader, Fourth Edition, pp.297-305. New York, NY: Routledge.
- Elliot W. Eisner is highly revered when it comes to discussions about curriculum reform and in this article, he talks about rationalization and its role in the American education system. He further explores standardized testing and what he believes it reveals about students. As you read, many of you may recognize narrative echoes of or resonances to your own educative situations especially in terms of “out-of-classroom” professional knowledge landscapes. Eisner is also an advocate for creativity in the classroom and arts education.