(April 16, 2013 at 9:40 am)thesummerqueen Wrote:(April 16, 2013 at 9:26 am)whateverist Wrote: As you say there is so much information coming from so many places that it can really be overwhelming.
One thing that irritates the shit out of me is that schools do not include classes on how to actually sort through information and tell the good from the bad - especially now when we have access to most of human knowledge via the internet. Critical thinking skills are more important than ever.
Could not agree more. Education shouldn't be about packing in maximal info or competing to get your conclusions accepted. It should be about preparing young people to sort for themselves. Perhaps values need to be taught too but I've never been comfortable with that. We all sort of exhibit what we value every moment. That's enough for me.
That is why I like teaching maths. Making sense in math is so much simpler than in other areas, more black and white. But in the process you develop some idea for what follows from what and what is a valid conclusion. Math is the gold standard and should encourage humility toward certainty in most other areas.
