Overview
This paperback reprint of the 1994 edition is a highly regarded curriculum development book by one of the most prominent figures in the field. It is designed to help readers understand the major approaches to curriculum planning and the formation of educational goals. In this edition, Eisner provides a conceptual framework that shows learners the different ways in which the aims of education can be regarded...and, describes their implications for curriculum planning and teaching practices. Coverage is grounded in the belief that the appropriateness of any given educational practice is dependent upon the characteristics and context of the school program, and the values of the community that program serves. Chapter titles include: Schooling in America: Where Are We Headed; Some Concepts, Distinctions, and Definitions; Curriculum Ideologies; The Three Curricula That All Schools Teach; Educational Aims, Objectives, and Other Aspirations; Dimensions of Curriculum Planning; On the Art of Teaching; The Functions and Forms of Evaluation; Reshaping Assessment in Education; Some Examples of Educational Criticism; and A Criticism of an Educational Criticism. For teachers and anyone else involved in planning educational curriculums.
Synopsis
Eisner (Stanford U.) explores both the current state of American education reform, and past efforts to reform our schools. The third edition includes a new first chapter on the current climate and prevailing policy effecting American schools, a major revision of the chapter on orientations to curriculum, and a new chapter on assessment. The majority of the text is written by Eisner; contributions were made to some chapters by three former Stanford graduate students working with Eisner and two of Eisner's educational colleagues currently teaching at Arizona State U. and Purdue. For educators wishing to actively engage in the ongoing debate over educational critique and reform. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)