Elliot Eisner on Three Curricula


1.     If there is no longer external reward, students lose their motivation in learning.
-       I can relate myself to the above statement that is mentioned in the paper. External reward comes in various forms. It could be sweets, trophies, scholarships, praise or recognition. For me, it was marks and grades that motivated me the most to study subjects in high school. I tended to study certain subjects – biology, chemistry and mathematics – in which I got high grades, while I avoided studying subjects – especially literatures – that I did poorly in exams; ultimately, I lost my interest in literatures.
-       While reading this paper, I was able to relate myself as to my “fear” in literatures and relate to the reading that was covered in the inquiry class, which was about our current grading systems. Most students, including myself, get discouraged when they receive low grades in their assignments or exams. The main focus of grading students’ works should be on their deeper understating in learning, not just giving them marks. I strongly believe that shifting focus of grading from marks to deeper understanding would encourage students to be active in their learning and motivate them by internal self-reward.

2.     “Competitiveness is not only fostered by the grading system: it is also fostered by the differentiation of classes into ability groups.”
-       Students who highly achieve in academics are given admission to “honours” classes. The word, “honours”, is misused, in my opinion, because it gives a notion that most “average” students are not honourable as their marks are not as high as those in “honours” classes.
-       I think differentiating classes into ability groups is quite harsh for young students. It could lower some students’ self-esteem and lead to exhausting competitions among themselves.

Ways that this might expand our ideas about what is meant by 'curriculum'. How does the mandated BC Provincial Curriculum connect with Eisner's ideas?
-       There are many changes made in the new B.C.’s mathematics curriculum, in which I think it is reflective of Eisner’s description of the null curriculum. The new math curriculum is designed to build upon students' previous learning and ideas. It is consistent across their high school education. Specific focus shifts towards problem solving with real-life connections, including financial literacy and First People's perspectives. Also, it no longer designed in "pathways" with strict pre-requisites, which offers students with a flaxible path through high school math education with the possibility of learning a variety skills.


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