Comments on: Tapscott: Memorizing facts is a waste of time

By: Username

Username — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:46:47 +0000

Being a student, I agree. Before a test, I memorize and memorize. Two weeks later, ask me what the dates were that I remembered for the test and I can’t tell you. Knowing and understanding history is one thing. Putting unnecessary stress on students is another.

By: Time On-Text at The Core Knowledge Blog

Time On-Text at The Core Knowledge Blog — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:15:36 +0000

[...] Serious offense? Haven’t you heard? Using technology to get answers isn’t cheating. Dude, it’s a 21st-freakin’-century skill! [...]

By: Blogging About Generational Differences « Virtual High School Meanderings

Blogging About Generational Differences « Virtual High School Meanderings — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:13:30 +0000

[...] Tapscott: Memorizing facts is a waste of time from Education Futures [...]

By: Let’s Teach “Uploading” Skills! « Digital Eyes

Let’s Teach “Uploading” Skills! « Digital Eyes — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:46:11 +0000

[...] to John Moravec at Education Futures for sharing this article about how teaching facts is becoming irrelevant. The article quotes Don [...]

By: Joe Makley

Joe Makley — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 02:22:45 +0000

I agree very much with the general point about individualization, and the reflection above that Internet sources and tools offer a disruptive (and beneficial) trend against the fixed curriculum, a kind of democratization of learning. I am looking for practical ICT-based strategies to help these changes happen in real ways for today’s students… (always looking for screws to loosen in the system.) For me, it’s been very helpful to avoid radicalized positions (Google= no need to remember anything) and to stress the practical applications of the new tools so that traditional people (who provide our funding) can understand the benefits and challenges without it sounding like the Pied Piper offering to get rid of their rats.

By: mikodonnell

mikodonnell — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 21:17:03 +0000

I agree that the learning of certain facts is a waste of time but I also agree with Mr. Mackley that certain memorization is essential. However I am of the view that, while society should provide a generic education package which is mediated through the education system, the individualization of education is necessary. While at school, a teacher advised the mother of my friend that ‘education was not for him’. He did not go to college but became a very successful carpenter. While this is certainly an over-simplified instance of my point, it does illustrate that education must be malleable enough to allow individuals achieve their full potential in whatever realm – be it in engineering, physics, art, technical skill and so on. It should be possible for innovative individuals to pursue entrepreneurial goals, for artists to create works of beauty, for engineers to provide solutions. Hence debates on some of the atomic matter involved in learning such as memorization is wasteful, when matters of larger significance such as the Web2ification (if I can coin a term) of education are more important

By: Joe Makley

Joe Makley — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 23:24:18 +0000

Memorization is a skill that is valuable in itself. What are needed most in the “information storm” are concentration skills, strategies for remembering why you began the research, and making meaning out of what you find there. It is possible for thoughtful adults to lead students in acquiring these skills (and perhaps de-acquiring counterproductive ones) by providing a disciplined environment, where such things as work habits and character and clarity of thought are understood as the armature of the curriculum. It is true that education needs to become more student directed, more relevant and more interesting, and that ICT can help transform the “system” to bring this about. But the idea suggested above (“we don’t have to memorize anything because you can get it all on Google”) is an oversimplification. If your child’s teacher asks him/her to memorize the date of an important battle, I would suggest helping her do just that. It doesn’t actually hurt the brain. And certain key memorization lists (latin cognates for English, times tables, etc.) form a very useful and applicable core for learning in any age.

By: moravec (John Moravec)

moravec (John Moravec) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:16:49 +0000

Tapscott: Memorizing facts is a waste of time http://tinyurl.com/6fwuhj