I just read the article at the link and find it hard to believe that 73.5% of AZ high school students DIDN'T know that George Washington was the first president of the US. I was disturbed to see that 77% couldn't name the 2 houses of Congress and pretty much fell out of my chair when I read that more than 40% couldn't name the ocean off the east coast.
Here's what I see as the main problem:
- Ronald Marx, the dean of the University of Arizona's College of Education, said he wasn't pleased to hear the findings but said he was more concerned than alarmed.
"You don't develop a deep understanding of how government works by knowing the name of the first 10 amendments to the Constitution," he said.
Marx said rather than have students memorize 10 facts about science, for example, the students can be asked one big question — such as how to create a sustainable environment in a water-parched desert — and learn the underlying facts in the process. -
Apparently at the University level - where the system is cranking out "educators" - someone has decided that application should come before rote knowledge. This is about as "bass ackwards" a way of thinking as I have ever heard!
I'd be interested to know if the high schoolers on FLOORT find this study surprising or not and, if Beth is still around, I'd love to hear what she has to say about the methods of education.
