Knowledge needs to be built

Traditions and old assumptions about education are a thing of the past. We are in a new century and times have changed so much – but education appears to be the same in many schools. What education catered for in the past has now changed and children need to be prepared for their future in THE NEW WORLD – not the world that has passed by. However, having said that, I am adamant that certain things, like spelling, need to be adhered to as in the past. You may ask the reason for this and may state that we have computers to check spelling etc. However, some things cry out for explanations - and I think spelling is one. No matter how much technology can do, we will always need to be able to read. Even though we have calculators that can give instant answers in maths, it is good for the brain to understand how and why the answers given by a machine are correct.

In the past one went to school to be educated. However, a child can now be educated using a computer and certain programs. In the past knowledge was contained in things called subjects – these were isolated chunks of knowledge given to children by the all-knowing teacher. This knowledge needed to be almost learnt by heart and the child’s MEMORY was tested. Many children are nervous before tests and exams and their mind goes blank – forgetting what they had learnt. Once outside the exam room, their memory returns and they are able to regurgitate, word for word, what they had learnt. So the acquisition and demonstration of acquired knowledge was never really tested.

It is my opinion that knowledge can never be given – it should be built or constructed by a person. Sure, one can pass on knowledge but the foundations for that knowledge need to be ‘built’ on paths which have been effectively laid. Knowledge needs to be inter-related – that is why thematic teaching is such a good thing. For example - in the past the syllabus dictated that a particular section of knowledge belonged in history lessons. So, for arguments sake, let’s take the Boer War. In the history period the class would learn about the Boer War. However, on the same day in the same class the Geography lesson could be about Iceland. Is it not much more effective if at the time we learn about the Boer war we also extend and expand the knowledge to include learning about the country the war was fought in, reflect on the feelings of the people, discover the effects on the terrain and the economy, research the design of the army gear and weapons, methods of attack etc.?

Knowledge can be built by doing research on the computer, reading books, examining art, listening to the type of music and the words of the songs in that era, examining the poems of the great poets pertaining to war, reading about the doctors and nurses that played such a huge part in war etc. etc. This type of learning caters for the many types of intelligences and is holistic. The knowledge gained will not be kept in separate little boxes and stored somewhere in the brain.