kitchen table math, the sequel: download this

Friday, November 30, 2012

download this

I just checked out one of the articles Barry quotes and found this:
Paula Tommins asked, “How are we training the teachers and supporting the teachers because they’re going from downloading to coaching.” By “downloading” she meant imparting knowledge, she later said.
Parents question a new method for teaching math
Published: Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Just the other day I was thinking about the download scenes in The Matrix.

Neo would be in mortal danger so he would dial up the home computer and ask the guy they left back on the ship to download How to Fly a Getaway Helicopter into Neo's skull, and in under 5 seconds -- voilà. He could fly.

I was thinking those scenes are evidence that everyone's folk theory of learning encompasses the fact that knowledge stored on Google is not the same thing as knowledge stored inside your brain. I mean, the Warchowski siblings could have written the scenes differently, right? (If they'd gone to Teachers College, maybe they would have.) They could have had Keanu Reeves Google "How to Fly a Getaway Helicopter" and then have Google read him the directions really, really fast.

They didn't do that or anything like that because everyone understands that when it's a matter of life and death you have to know the instructions by heart.

p.s.: 'Downloading' new skills into our brains like characters on The Matrix set to become a reality, say scientists

p.p.s.: how to learn things automatically

1 comment:

Tlumaczenia Biznesowe said...

The Internet (or any other network) is a great resource for any piece of knowledge. Hoever, while in danger, I would count on those knowing something by heart, because you may be off-line in this given situation. Anyway, even the smart one with Internet skills and connection at hand is still a fool, if s/he does not know how to use this knowledge.