Regular updates and musings on curriculum and technology in the Salisbury Township School District in Allentown, PA.
Realted to last month’s meeting….
At our last meeting we had a “didactic” vs. “constructivist” discussion to some extent. Some members of our committee were pretty adamant about the need to establish a base of facts (through direct instruction) in most disciplines before moving on to deeper thinking (through more student-centered environments). Others agreed (somewhat), but argued that in our schools we tend to stop at the facts and never move into the deeper thinking.
In “What Do Students Need to Memorize,” Scott McLeod presents some points that outline a potential future scenario which I think puts the whole discussion in a new light. How has technology changed the “base of facts” that people will need to succeed in this new world? And how should we be preparing for this?
You may also want to check out other posts on Scott’s blog. I find it to be quite good stuff!
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Comments
In response to what do students need to memorize, I went to my daughter’s open house and listened to her 10th grade social studies teacher describe how his course was structured to view American history from the framework of debating large ideas and concepts. I then watched her study or her final exam. She has block scheduling, and the entire test was multiple choice with an emphasis on dates, people, and a host of other memorized facts. Not one essay or written response question was given. Perhaps someone didn’t want to grade it. It was very disappointing to say the least!