Answer to Question #234197 in English for Gaskin

Question

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. For instance, on page 302, in the third full paragraph, Eisner asks questions but does not immediately or directly answer them. 

I want you to go back through the article 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.

Answer 1

The first of the paper's questions is found on page 301, where Eisner (2016) asks, "What connections are students assisted to draw between what they learn in class and the world outside of school?" He goes on to state that one of the primary goals of school should be "transfer of learning," as defined by psychologists. Eisner argues in the context of his piece that there is little or no link between what students learn in class and how they apply it in the real world because the focus is typically on test results. Everything strikes me as particularly impressive is his argument that "if what pupils learn is used solely to improve their grades, we may win the battle but lose the war." This comment is relevant in and of itself because, in certain nations grappling with the issue of educational access, regurgitation of subject knowledge and national assessments have become the final aim.

“When something is worthy of learning, it becomes meaningful.” The second question is found on page 303, first paragraph, where Eisner (2016) asks, “Do students participate in the appraisal of their own work?” If that's the case, how?” Students are largely passive consumers of tests rather than critical makers in most circumstances, especially in public government institutions where high test scores are the final goal. IB MYP students, on the other hand, are not only critical drivers and owners of their own learning, but they also decide on the "what" and "how" of their learning evaluation to judge their progress. In the case of Personal Project, for example, a year 4 and 5 (Grade 9 and 10) student works on a year-long product-based individual inquiry and establishes success criteria to measure the outcome against. Teachers frequently use self-evaluation checklists, peer assessment methods utilizing a rubric, and reflection methods to guide students toward self-improvement, depending on the assignment and different skills.

In the second line of page 303, Eisner (2016) poses an essential issue about professional growth, asking, “To what extent is professional discourse an integral component of what it means to be a teacher in the school?” He goes on to say that it's critical to meet the "true needs of teachers." The reality is that different educational systems have different perspectives on teaching and learning.

The goal is not to arrive at a single standard response to the different issues posed by Eisner (2016) because there are numerous ways to answer them based on personal experiences, country-specific case studies, and sophisticated research. In order to ensure the conversation on curriculum and education, it is critical that issues are voiced, especially in times of fast change.

Reference

Eisner, E (2016). 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.