Exit Slip: Homework on Elliot Eisner

     This reading introduced me to the idea of explicit and implicit curriculum. What schools formally teach that's described in lesson plans and curricula is the explicit curriculum. Eisner highlighted research that demonstrated how schools restrict kids' intellectual development by placing a strong emphasis on factual information rather than critical thinking. In the classroom, I believe the emphasis on topic knowledge frequently leaves little opportunity for individual expression or originality. I also gathered that educators must understand that how they select and deliver material has a significant impact on how well children learn. Presenting the notion that a well-rounded education should encourage creativity and moral judgment. On the other hand, the unwritten and relaxed lessons that learners pick up from around their everyday lives and the school environments are referred to as the implicit curriculum. Although not specifically included in the class lesson plan, this hidden curriculum delivers values and behaviours that are essential to the growth of the student. Students were taught more about compliance and conformity than about critical thinking or creative thinking as a result of classroom layout and school policies. It says that students may discover, for example, that excessive questioning hinders the flow of instruction.

     What schools decide not to teach is known as the null curriculum, and Eisner contends that this is just as significant as what is taught. Schools convey the idea that some subjects are less important or unrelated by leaving them out. Eisner, for instance, points out that many curriculum pay little attention to social justice, the arts, or varied cultural histories. According to studies, students from underrepresented groups or those with alternative learning styles are marginalized by this exclusion, even if they could succeed in these underutilized areas. Schools cause gaps in pupils' worldviews by concentrating on a limited number of disciplines. According to Eisner, kids are denied the chance to cultivate a variety of skills and passions, which may restrict their options in the future.   

    A competency-based approach is emphasized in the BC Provincial Curriculum, which supports Eisner's call for a more comprehensive, all-encompassing approach to education. It emphasizes not just academic knowledge but also abilities like critical thinking, communication, and personal growth, all of which are in line with Eisner's need for a curriculum that develops emotional intelligence and creativity. The emphasis on adaptability and individualized instruction in the BC curriculum reflects Eisner's worries on the null and implicit curricula. Its focus on inquiry-based learning and student choice highlights the need of encouraging curiosity and engagement, which Eisner feels is frequently compromised by conventional evaluation techniques.