Comments on: Why Prior Knowledge is Necessary http://synthesizingeducation.com/blog/2010/02/04/why-prior-knowledge-is-necessary/ Working to Integrate the Past, Present, Future of Education Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:02:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: » Why Prior Knowledge is Necessary – Synthesizing Education http://synthesizingeducation.com/blog/2010/02/04/why-prior-knowledge-is-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-3540 » Why Prior Knowledge is Necessary – Synthesizing Education Wed, 05 May 2010 13:41:48 +0000 http://synthesizingeducation.com/blog/?p=303#comment-3540 [...] Regardless of the increase in connectivity and the ability to “Google” answers from an increasing number of electronic devices, it doesn’t eliminate the need for developing a strong frame-of-reference and ability to sort information mentally according to easily retrievable categories. Students need not be versed in every nuance of every class, but there must be a foundation of content knowledge that permits them to draw connections and stimulate further thought when presented with a problem. via synthesizingeducation.com [...] [...] Regardless of the increase in connectivity and the ability to “Google” answers from an increasing number of electronic devices, it doesn’t eliminate the need for developing a strong frame-of-reference and ability to sort information mentally according to easily retrievable categories. Students need not be versed in every nuance of every class, but there must be a foundation of content knowledge that permits them to draw connections and stimulate further thought when presented with a problem. via synthesizingeducation.com [...]

]]> By: Aaron Eyler http://synthesizingeducation.com/blog/2010/02/04/why-prior-knowledge-is-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-3535 Aaron Eyler Wed, 05 May 2010 12:38:41 +0000 http://synthesizingeducation.com/blog/?p=303#comment-3535 Steve, That's a huge component of what new teachers and "progressives" seem to be abandoning in our technology rich environment. If students never have to look inward, then they have no idea what they need to find out or uncover. I don't suggest kids need to know every battle of the Civil War, but being able to evaluate some important historical information (like potential advantages and disadvantages of the North & South) so that they can uncover new information and take their knowledge deeper is an important component of the cognitive process. For some educators to suggest that "everything I need to know Google will tell me" seems a bit absurb and leaves me wondering if they control the technology or the technology controls them. Just food for thought. Thanks as always! AE Steve,

That’s a huge component of what new teachers and “progressives” seem to be abandoning in our technology rich environment. If students never have to look inward, then they have no idea what they need to find out or uncover. I don’t suggest kids need to know every battle of the Civil War, but being able to evaluate some important historical information (like potential advantages and disadvantages of the North & South) so that they can uncover new information and take their knowledge deeper is an important component of the cognitive process. For some educators to suggest that “everything I need to know Google will tell me” seems a bit absurb and leaves me wondering if they control the technology or the technology controls them.

Just food for thought. Thanks as always!

AE

]]> By: Steve J. Moore http://synthesizingeducation.com/blog/2010/02/04/why-prior-knowledge-is-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-3477 Steve J. Moore Tue, 04 May 2010 13:20:04 +0000 http://synthesizingeducation.com/blog/?p=303#comment-3477 Thanks for the great post Aaron. You always move us into such interesting areas of thought. I've been teaching soft research skills in ways similar to what you're describing. My students are doing a lot of "Google searches" but I'm trying to help them understand the importance of what they already know. They need to learn to go inward for the impetus to discover something new. Thanks for the great post Aaron. You always move us into such interesting areas of thought. I’ve been teaching soft research skills in ways similar to what you’re describing. My students are doing a lot of “Google searches” but I’m trying to help them understand the importance of what they already know. They need to learn to go inward for the impetus to discover something new.

]]> By: Damianne President http://synthesizingeducation.com/blog/2010/02/04/why-prior-knowledge-is-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-644 Damianne President Sun, 14 Feb 2010 07:35:26 +0000 http://synthesizingeducation.com/blog/?p=303#comment-644 Nicely put. Reading is not the same as knowing. Accessing information is not the same as understanding it. You've said it more eloquently than I could but prior learning helps us build the connections necessary for our ownership of information and ideas. Nicely put. Reading is not the same as knowing. Accessing information is not the same as understanding it. You’ve said it more eloquently than I could but prior learning helps us build the connections necessary for our ownership of information and ideas.

]]> By: Derek Keenan http://synthesizingeducation.com/blog/2010/02/04/why-prior-knowledge-is-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-623 Derek Keenan Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:15:38 +0000 http://synthesizingeducation.com/blog/?p=303#comment-623 Nice comments Aaron, My learning on this topic came from my first 10-2 class in which I wanted them to gather the information with little input from me. What I realized 20-25 minutes into their 'research time' was that they were so deficient in figuring out related search terms that they simply used the terms I had given and were scrolling through pages and pages of useless results. I used this as a teachable moment with the class, but from that point forward I have been far more proactive in my approach to the infamous 'Google search.' It is absolutely necessary to teach how to search before they try it! Nice comments Aaron,
My learning on this topic came from my first 10-2 class in which I wanted them to gather the information with little input from me. What I realized 20-25 minutes into their ‘research time’ was that they were so deficient in figuring out related search terms that they simply used the terms I had given and were scrolling through pages and pages of useless results. I used this as a teachable moment with the class, but from that point forward I have been far more proactive in my approach to the infamous ‘Google search.’ It is absolutely necessary to teach how to search before they try it!

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