A debate for the modern educator: Traditional vs. Modern Approaches to Instruction. Where do you stand?
Here is an interesting polemical article by Richard Ullman which asks the same question about school education and all the fashionable learner-centred approaches. He says: “many of these strategies tend to put the critical-thinking-and-creativity cart before the fundamental content-and-skill-acquisition horse” and then goes on to give an example of someone learning how to play a musical instrument: you can’t show your creativity before you have developed the basic skill of playing. I’d take it with a grain of salt, but if you feel that sometimes the pendulum swings too far and learners do not get enough knowledge and guidance, this might be the explanation.
