Eisner's article led me to reflect on the purpose of schooling. I feel I need to know what the expected outcome is so that I can work backwards in trying to figure out a plan of how to achieve the desired goal. Oftentimes it seems like the current purpose of school is to get student's to pass certain tests, but as Eisner reminds us, a better aim is to provide an experience through which students develop the skills necessary to live "personally satisfying and socially productive lives."
To better understand this I am trying to re-imagine my life. What do I think I should have gotten to enable me to have all that I currently want? Starting with the question of what I want, my answer is to be self-actualized - to know myself, to understand myself in the context of the wider society/world, to like myself, to be able to provide for myself (food, clothing, shelter, transportation, continued education, some entertainment/leisure money), to be kind to and understanding of others, to be able to communicate. In other words, I want to be a well-rounded individual who knows enough that I can be employed doing something I enjoy and can interact and form relationships with others. I think that can be narrowed down to employable skills, social skills, and some knowledge of the world.
With the above in mind, I suppose I am saying that schools should serve as providers of access to these skills. In an effort to avoid raising our young to be self-centered idiots, like Parker notes, then it is the school's responsibility to facilitate teaching of the benefits of community, tolerance, and democracy. Where should this fit into the curriculum? This shouldn't be a separate course; it is something that should be infused in every class and throughout the entire school culture. School shouln't just be about content, it should also include a forum to allow students to explore, understand, and evaluate their values.
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2 comments:
Laura,
I completely agree. I have taken numerous courses on Critical Thinking and the issues discussed are exactly what you detail in your comment.
The answer these courses have offered, in my interpretation, is that there needs to be a way of setting aside time during the school day to focus on topics other than academic, such as respect, values, etc. and the way to do this is by forming communities of inquiry. These communities follow an organized friendly conversational form in which the teacher serves as a facilitator in the discussions, not a figure to provide answers.
Having such a program in schools would address such issues (I think!).
I want to comment on the purpose of education...I think that preparing students to become compassionate human beings, life-long learners, and people who care for others as much, or more than they care about money, should be a focus of schools. More and more, schools are becoming responsible for more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic, and certainly more than just standardized tests.
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