“[It] destroys memory [and] weakens the mind, relieving it of…work that makes it strong. [It] is an inhuman thing.”There is an article today on the astounding results coming out of Jerry Mangus' textbookless classroom.
The sentiment above is from Phaedrus - Plato quoting Socrates in 500 B.C. Greece. The “it” in the quote is writing.
Socrates was nervous since his information technology of the day, memorization, was about to be aced out by a new information technology, the stylus.
Mr. Mangus uses computer based activities to teach fractions to fifth and sixth graders and at the end of the year, the scores for his sixth grade class were 20% higher than for any other sixth grade class in the school-- including that of the gifted students!
Rather than working math problems the wrong way, students receive instant feedback and learn the correct way each time! What a concept!
We must press forward with innovation although those educated in the last century may not agree. We are not educating ourselves.
Although premier thinkers may disagree with the use of the laptop and the computer -- the paper and pen, laptop and keyboard, memorization -- those were just the medium for information. As long as the information is being taught and is relevant to students -- they will learn!
After all, if folks had listened to Socrates, we would still be memorizing everything we wanted to read!
Move ahead!
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