[Re]Eisner: The Educational Imagination

While reading the article, I was stopped when Eisner mentions about how "the differentiation of classes into ability groups" can motivate students. Successful academic performances are rewarded both by grades and by admission to honours classes. Such reward system motivates and pushes students to complete tasks. Another part that struck me was the implicit curriculum. What schools advertise is not everything that students and their parents can expect. The implicit curriculum is something that is not advertised but can be even more important than the explicit curriculum. The attitude towards learning or their classmates can be observed and absorbed informally and unintentionally.

The concept of the null curriculum is very interesting because it makes me wonder what the boundary would be for teachers. I agree that what schools do not teach is also important to consider. However, if one starts to wonder what schools have been neglecting, it will be impossible to list all the aspects that need to be emphasized yet have not been considered as important as what schools have already been teaching. Even though what schools do not teach affects students in a way, I believe that the explicit and implicit curricula prepare them for their future.