Application of Knowledge.. what is that?

You wonder whether our kids are learning or memorizing... they go on cramming binges and come out of those binges regurgitating the things they memorize... but not knowing how to make sense or see the light over simple things in life, in short apply.

This was in class with 17-year-olds who take Bio, Physics and Chem... somehow our discussion sesat to this. We were talking about migrant workers. Why they came.. etc, etc. So, we talked about poverty. I asked them this... how is the food of the rich and poor different? I had some interesting answers.. high cholesterol and healthy food for the rich... poor people, hmmm poor food-lah! Then I asked them whether or not there is any difference in terms of the physical build between the migrant workers and themselves? Most of them pointed out that they're taller and the migrant workers were generally of smaller build. I asked what could possibly contribute to that where food is concerned. Again.. more interesting answers... ginseng, healthy food....

I rephrased my question... which class of food contributes to the difference in height/growth? The answers... bones, hormones. Bones for food... hmmph! maybe we should blend bones and make it into some juice and drink it. The calcium would be good to help us grow more bones, I supposed. Or drink growth hormones so that we grow taller....

Okay, so we can ingest the bones and hormones so that we can grow. Ginseng too, if I may add. I pointed out that in Biology there learn of the different classes of food... which class... no answer! In the end when I asked them whether protein could be that class which promotes growth and allow the bones to grow so that they can grow tall would be it?? They all nodded enthusiastically! Ah! Enlightenment finally! Ignorant no more, they saw the light! Just as the poor teacher was feeling the hopelessness!!! And they've been learning about the different classes of food since Std 2! *ketuk kepala*

Which brings me back to the original discussion. Rich people can afford meat, poor people can't. Our diets consist of generous portions of meat, people in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia don't eat that much meat. I wanted them to be able to see that.. that the knowledge from their other subjects actually helps them write better and more interesting essays. Unfortunately, students today don't write... they memorize and regurgitate. As a result, they have this writing angst for factual and argumentative essays. Only a small number dare and are able to write such essays. The rest go with descriptive and narrative types. Memorize a couple and then modify and adapt them to the one-liners questions given. Not much thought or reflection needed.

Earlier in the discussion, I had asked them to compare themselves to their grandparents and how the improvement in their standard of living has enabled them to grow taller and bigger... like the Japanese and Koreans.

Knowledge... and application.. two different cups of tea. Knowledge without the ability to apply is basically useless. Like the vomit which we regurgitate... it has this unpleasant properties and is basically useless. Like the stomach which probably only absorbs a little nutrients before the food is expelled, the learning that takes place... only a little is absorbed. The rest all comes out as vomit.... but you still get the A, since something does stay in! It's like being bulimic... you still get nourished somewhat but not enough for you to thrive.

The joy of learning got lost in the chase for A(s)... demands of the society, failings of the education system, distractions, lack of creative teachers, failing ethics..... the list of what ails us is long. Change we must!