Discussion+One

In the article, "Education 2.0: Never Memorize Again?", Sarah Perez quotes Don Tapscott as saying, "Kids should learn about history to understand the world and why things are the way they are. But they don't need to know all the dates. It is enough that they know about the Battle of Hastings, without having to memorize that it was in 1066. They can look that up and position it in history with a click on Google," he said.

Do you agree or disagree with the above statement? Why or Why not? Please elaborate...

I am a proponent of this logic. As teachers who "teach" the material it is imperative that we have a rich and in depth knowledge of our content. I am sure that most history teachers remember the dates of historical events that they teach about. When you do something year in and year out it is natural that a person would remember it (it is committed to long term memory). However, if that same history teacher were asked to recall terms that are second nature to a science teacher I would be willing to bet that history teacher would struggle (During what period of history did dinosaurs roam the earth?) That is because when things are memorized they are, in most cases, not committed to long term memory. Without the date appearing in the prompt I would not have been able to recall the date of the Battle of Hastings. I goggled it, just for fun, and found out everything I wanted to know and more about the Battle of Hastings, including the dates of the battle in under a minute..

Example: http://www.battle1066.com/

I do believe that memorization is an important skill to teach kids but it should be done actively and in context. I believe the days of starting a unit by defining 30 terms before the lesson is taught is a waste of time and energy. The tools for gathering information have evolved to a point that teaching as if they did not exist is irresponsible. Being able to recall the date of the Battle of Hastings is important for people who teach history. Learning lessons from past historical events is important to everyone.

This response is meant to act as an example. All opinions (and that is what this is) are welcomed. Please be professional and do not take the banter personally. You were provided with log-in information that is anonymous. That is because I wanted to create and environment where people felt comfortable expressing their opinions.

DON KANAVY ** hhttp://www.battle1066.com/ihttp://www.battle1066.com/s is the story of the Battle of Hastings that was fought on the 14th October 1066. An event so significant, it completely changed the course of English history. To speak of this battle without recourse to the events that came before, would be an injustice to the people of this island who have fought and died for her. What makes this event so important to the English is the immutable fact that it was the last time any foreign power was to conquer her. Without doubt, a lesson that became indelibly etched into this island race - for ever. This must surely be the one conflict that every British student and adult alike can recount - hopefully, along with the naming of the two main protagonists. **
 * his is the story of the Battle of Hastings that was fought on the 14th October 1066. An event so significant, it completely changed the course of English history. To speak of this battle without recourse to the events that came before, would be an injustice to the people of this island who have fought and died for her. What makes this event so important to the English is the immutable fact that it was the last time any foreign power was to conquer her. Without doubt, a lesson that became indelibly etched into this island race - for ever. This must surely be the one conflict that every British student and adult alike can recount - hopefully, along with the naming of the two main protagonists. **