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Conley
09-07-2011, 08:52 AM
This is an interesting article and got me thinking about schools today.

It does seem there is too much of an emphasis (especially on younger kids) to just memorize and regurgitate for standardized tests. Perhaps it would be better to teach them how to learn? All that stuff I memorized hasn't done a lot of good, but critical thinking skills and reading comprehension have helped a lot as an adult. Intelligence is important, but so is hard work...and while you might be stuck at a certain intelligence working hard can be up to the individual.

Now that children are back in the classroom, are they really learning the lessons that will help them succeed?

Many child development experts worry that the answer may be no. They say the ever-growing emphasis on academic performance and test scores means many children aren’t developing life skills like self-control, motivation, focus and resilience, which are far better predictors of long-term success than high grades. And it may be distorting their and their parents’ values.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/05/school-curriculum-falls-short-on-bigger-lessons/

Kids who are praised for their work ethic tend to have better outcomes than those who are praised for their intelligence (in most cases simple memorization).

Mister D
09-07-2011, 09:13 AM
I haven't researched it but I'd imagine that rote memorization develops your brain. It's kind of like math in tha respect. When will your average person ever use somethign more advanced than basic math? The reason we learn more advanced mathematics en masse is to develop our minds in the same way that running 20 miles a week and lifting weights develops my body.

Conley
09-07-2011, 11:14 AM
Right, and I agree that later on learning advanced math or history or anything else is more about learning how to learn.

My biggest interest is in the study cited where children who were praised for being inherently intelligent ended up with lesser outcomes than those who were praised for problem solving. It makes sense that when faced with a more daunting task the second group would do better because they still think they have a chance.