"Take, for example, the expectation that students must not speak unless called on, or the expectation that virtually all of the activities within a course shall be determines by the teacher..." (p.90)
I always knew that the school curriculum didn't solely teach the subject contents, but also skills needed in life, such as communication, speaking skills, patience, etc.. However, I never thought to consider that it also in a way shaped us and our mentalities and behaviours, such as when Eisner mentioned how school, knowingly or unknowingly, taught students to be compliant and also competitive. It was interesting to see this perspective on how school shapes us because school has been such a normal part of my own life that I never thought to consider how it might have shaped me to be the type of person that I am.
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"An ability to allow one's imagination to grasp and play with the qualitative aspects of cumming's impression is a necessary condition for recovering the meaning the poet has created." (p.101)
It was very impactful how Eisner was able to glean such a vivid imagery from just two lines of cumming's poem. I was never good at analyzing poetry (and the arts) and the meanings behind it, but I was always did well when it comes to logical structured concepts, such as grammar and spelling and noticing use of alliteration, etc. It reminds me of another reading about grades/marks having an effect on school and how I think it restricts students' creativity, and I wonder if this is also another example of this type of influence in school.
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I agree that school in the past was much more focused on the learning subject specific content when I think back to my schooling in the past. However, now it's more revolved around other aspects/skills, such as communication, building connections, creativity... the more soft skills... A great example would be how some math teachers are now implementing the idea of Thinking Classrooms in their own classrooms. Back in my day, it was mainly lectures, textbooks, and worksheets, but now learning is much more interactive and exploratory and I think the new BC Curriculum has helped to give space for that.
Thanks for these thoughtful reflections on Eisner's article. Isn't it interesting to think back to the ways schooling has shaped us as adults? What would it have been like if certain aspects of school had been quite different? I'm looking forward to your Inquiry project on Thinking Classrooms in this light!
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