Eiser suggests that there are three important 'curricula' that are taught in any school:
- The Explicit Curriculum,
- The Implicit Curriculum,
- and The Null Curriculum.
The explicit curriculum is what we typically think of as being taught in school. It is the content that is likely described in a syllabus and assessed at the end of a course. The Implicit Curriculum is that which is taught perhaps inadvertently. It included cultural practices, ideologies, attitudes, and some social skills. The Null Curriculum is all that is not taught. The absence of certain concepts or practices also shapes the students and the community.
Stop #1: On page 93 of the reading Eisner quotes from Mumford's book Technics and Civilization in which he states "The habit of ... of utilizing inventions whether they are useful or not, of applying power whether it is effective or not pervades almost every department of our present civilization." This quote made me immediately think about how widespread the use of generative large language models have become in almost every domain of life. I have personally opted not to participate in this change and it worries me to see so many embrace it uncritically.
Stop #2: Another topic that I am interested in is competition. In my personal experience friendly competition has always been an important part of my life. I disagreed deeply with the statement "The metaphor is apt. One succeeds only at a price paid by another." (Eisner 91) I think that this is a severe misrepresentation of the psychology and sociology of competition itself. In particular, the plasticity and inter-relatedness of human values means that only exceptionally contrived scenarios can be accurately described as zero-sum. Such scenarios do not exist in day-to-day life.
One way that the mandated B.C. Curriculum related to Eisner's ideas is that it, by definition, can only comment on the Explicit or Null Curricula. Any attempt to lay out formerly implicit ideas would make those ideas explicit. Keeping this in mind, we can then rest assured that the educational experiences of students across B.C. will vary as much as the cultural norms, ideologies, and social practices vary.
You’ve clearly laid out Eisner’s three types of curriculum and then pushed the discussion into your own areas of interest, which makes this a lively and original response. I really appreciate the way you connected Eisner’s quote about technology to the rise of generative AI — that shows you’re actively applying the theory to the present moment rather than keeping it abstract.
ReplyDeleteYour strong stance on competition also stands out. You didn’t just accept Eisner’s framing; you argued against it and justified your reasoning with attention to psychology and sociology. That critical pushback is exactly the kind of intellectual engagement these readings should spark.
As a next step, you could go one layer deeper: ask yourself, what does it mean for students when schools frame competition in one way or another? For example, does a classroom that rewards “winners” implicitly teach exclusion, even if competition can also motivate? That would link your personal perspective more tightly back to Eisner’s hidden and null curricula.
Overall a fantastic blog entry, Ben!