What the internet killed

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by the_tyrant

what i am saying is, most facts that we learn don't deserve to be memorized
instead, schools should teach students skills
so what i am saying is, don't make students memorize the formula for TNT
instead, teach them how to actually mix chemicals, they can find the formula online

Actually a good deal of my schooling (particularly from the high school level on) was like that. The best of it was, anyway.

For instance "open book tests" were the norm in my science classes.
You could look up all the necessary formulas and facts in the book but if you didn't know which ones applied to the question at hand the book was useless.

Most literature and social science classes at that level, the tests and assignments were of the "essay" variety where you had to demonstrate something beyond the ability to regurgitate facts and figures.

I have no clue what it's like now, of course. I think the most important thing is for kids to be in an environment that encourages curiosity and thinking about things (rather than just memorizing the bare facts they need to get along) well before they enter a structured educational system. If they have that already they will find there are teachers out there who will respond when they see it. If they don't have it, it's an uphill battle for the school system. If a kid's lucky they'll come across a teacher who is excited about the subject matter in a way that ignites something similar in a responsive student.