> 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 _______________________________________________ Fun and Misc security discussion for OT posts. https://linuxbox.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/funsec Note: funsec is a public and open mailing list.
