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Re: Ejamacation - More Failure 

By: killthecat in FFFT | Recommend this post (2)
Sun, 15 Dec 13 8:51 PM | 53 view(s)
Boardmark this board | Food For Further Thought 		Msg. 58951 of 65535
(This msg. is a reply to 58949 by Zimbler0)
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ZIM:

I am no way against rote memorization as a teaching technique. One of my most valuable classes anytime was 8th grade world history taught by a crazy old lady who had us read and reread our history book all class long, except on Thursday, when we gave oral presentations to each other. I remember more from that class than any other. No homework was required.

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The above is a reply to the following message:
Re: Ejamacation - More Failure
By: Zimbler0 in FFFT
Sun, 15 Dec 13 8:32 PM 		Msg. 58949 of 65535

Interesting article KTC.

I think you said something a little while back
that bothered me . . something about teaching our
little kids 'how to think'.

I thought perhaps you were against 'rote memorization'.

Anyway, I keep thinking back to my earliest educations,
at Holy Trinity (Catholic) elementary school. I remember
learning about such subjects as geography via
'rote memorization'.

I used to know all the States and their capitals . . .
and I can find Afghanistan or Somalia on the map . . .
How many of our 'younger generations' can?

First, one has to have a 'body of knowledge' - obtained
through 'rote memorization' then one can learn to
think using that knowledge.

Example: First I learned what numbers were and what
they meant. Then I learned addition and subtraction -
largely through memorizing the 'addition tables'.
Followed by multiplication and division via the
times tables.

After which I had the tools to learn to do word problems -
which is where 'learning to think' happens.

If one does not have the material to think about . . .
if one does not have the historical perspective and
the knowledge of what happened, and why, . . . One
could have all the 'thinking ability' in the universe
and still not make the correct decisions.

Example 2. In post invasion Iraq, a WMD was used as
an IED. The WMD was a binary nerve gas artillery shell and nobody got killed when it went off.
If one does not know what the acronyms mean and is
clueless as to what 'binary' weapons are . . . well,
Clo and OCU are prime examples of what a lack of
knowledge produces.

Zim.

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