Re: Evil Internet, yet again

["David Harley" <david.a.harley () gmail com>]

> I'm also not a teacher, but I think it comes down to this: 
> it's the world we live in. Teachers can't just expect 
> students to memorize a bunch of facts/dates/elements/etc. 
> anymore, because the answers are at their fingertips. And 
> they shouldn't have to, either, because the answer is at 
> everybody else's fingertips, too.

I don't think rote learning plays much part in modern learning, not after
primary, anyway. There are those who argue that it should/could play a
larger part, but that's not really an argument I want to get into.  What I
would say is that Internet users in general actually lose out if they assume
that the "answer" is always out there somewhere. Lots of data there, but it
doesn't always fall neatly into information (or misinformation). As you
suggest, it's often more important to evaluate data than to memorize it.
However, you can't always assume that everything you need to know is always
available to you on line...
 
> Rather, the students should be taught how to properly use the 
> resources we have, and to actually put thought into it. Why 
> teach kids how to memorize in a world where memorization is 
> basically irrelevent?

I don't think memorization is irrelevant. I think it's an essential skill to
cultivate in some contexts but I don't remember which. ;-)

I agree, though, that education shouldn't be exclusively about learning
facts: it should be about learning how to find, evaluate, and make
appropriate use of information. 

I don't think education should be confused with vocational training, either,
but that's a hobby horse of a completely different colour. ;-)

--
David Harley, ESET Research Author
AVIEN COO: http://www.avien.org 
http://www.smallblue-greenworld.co.uk 

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