Skills vs. Knowledge in Education

Skills vs. Knowledge in Education

Skills vs. Knowledge in Education

Education systems all over the world are based on the idea that students get and remember

information from teachers and books. These systems test this knowledge with standardized tests

which compare students to each-other. They only test the kind of information which is possible

to measure in tests. The goal is gaining information, not developing skills by which to use and

make information. Unlike the old style of education where people remembered things in order to

pass tests and get higher scores than other students, the modern world needs  a new kind of

education in which the focus is on skills like  deep understanding and information management skills.

First, most education systems in the world are designed to make students remember things and understand deeply. If they understand deeply, they do better. One reason is that schools feel the need to compare students. They do this by giving tests. Then they want to be able to give grades and decide which students are smart and which are not. They function as a sorting mechanism for society. From the earliest grades, students are put on tracks that will decide their futures. Another reason schools like to make students remember things is that by doing so they will be able to test their knowledge and determine if they remember or not. They believe that if students remember things, it is the same as understanding those things.

Second important point to focus on for a new kind of education is creativity. All the knowledge in the world is useless unless you are able to use information in creative ways. Einstein said,  “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world”. Knowledge is what other people have created. Understanding is all about what you think about something. Everybody sees, hears, feels, and thinks differently. No two people in the world have the same understanding of the same thing. It is impossible to give tests on a point of view. Because of this, tests are illogical. The only reason tests exist is to label students as “smart” or “stupid.” There are many kinds of intelligence, however. One of the most famous examples in the field of intelligence, Gardner, found at least seven different kinds of intelligence. Intelligence and understanding are related. However, tests only measure one type of intelligence.

In the modern world skills are more important than knowledge. To illustrate, if a person knows many facts, it is impressive, but not very useful. It is of much greater importance to be able to find information quickly, organize that information, analyze and understand the main ideas, put different pieces of information together (synthesize), and create new information. Together these skills make what we call information management and innovation, the skills which are most desired in the business world.

In conclusion, most people in the world believe that education is about remembering things to take tests which measure one’s performance against other people who have studied the same information. However, this idea no longer matches the reality of the modern world in which knowledge is less important than creativity and deep understanding. To be successful in the age of technology, education must focus on helping students gain information management and to innovate skills.

1. Answer questions 1-11 about the text:
2. Identify the method of introduction used in the essay above: (5 points)

The article has employed the use of a surprising fact to hook the target audience. The introductory sentence contains a lot of logic that would entice the reader to unpack the essay and get the purpose of the writing.

2. The thesis statement is incomplete. Rewrite it by following all the necessary rules.

(7 points)

The old style of education required people to remember things to pass tests and achieve higher scores than other students; however, the modern world needs a new kind of education, which focusses on the development of skills in a deep understanding and information management.

3. Identify the topic and the claim of the essay: (5 points)

1. Topic: Education systems all over the world are based on the idea that students get and remember information from teachers and books.
2. Claim: The modern world needs a new kind of education that focuses on the development of skills in a deep understanding and information management.

4. Find the sentence which violates the unity of the first supporting paragraph: (5 points)

“They function as a sorting mechanism for society.” This sentence digresses from the flow of discussion by shifting to society rather than supporting the main points.

5. Find one Change-of-Direction Signal in the essay above: (3 points)

“Because of this, tests are illogical.”

6. Find one Illustration Signal in the essay above: (3 points)

“To illustrate, if a person knows many facts, it is impressive, but not very useful.”

7. Find at least two Time Signals in the essay above: (4 points)

“Unlike the old style of education…”

“In the modern world, skills are more important…”

8. Find one Conclusion Signal in the essay above: (3 points)

“In conclusion,”

9. Fix the parallelism in the restatement (underlined in the conclusion): (5points)

 Education must focus on helping students to gain information management, and to innovate skills for it to be successful in the age of technology. 

10. Identify the method of conclusion used in the essay above: (5 points)

The article concludes through universalization. The writer is comparing the ideologies held by most people concerning education and the real situations in the contemporary world.

11. What is the pattern of development of the essay above? (5 points)

Problem-Solution. The article highlights some of the challenges experienced in the education system and provides the necessary steps to reclaiming the relevance of education in the modern world.

1. Writing Theory – Fill in the blanks with the suitable words: (15 Points, 3 Points each)

1. Chronological order means that details are simply listed as they occur in time.
2. Generalization is one of the mistakes to avoid while writing a thesis statement.
3. In clustering, a prewriting technique, you use lines, boxes, arrows, and circles to show relationship among the ideas and details.
4. Four steps of writing are making a point, drafting, organization and revision.
5. The theme is the most important idea that the writer is communicating to the reader.

1. Each of the sentences below is revised. Choose one of the reasons why it was revised by writing the letter of one of the options below:  (15 points, 3 points each)

1. Verb tense shift     B. Wordiness   C. General    D. Passive   E. fragment

Example: When we finished the game. When we finished the game, we went home.   E. Fragment.

1. They met at 4 P.M. in the afternoon. They met at 4 P.M.   B. Wordiness.
2. She understood everything the instructor had said. But was too shy to raise her hand and ask a question. She understood everything the instructor had said but was too shy to raise her hand and ask a question. E. Fragment.
3.  Space exploration has helped human beings in many ways.  The many benefits of space travel include the invention of fire detectors, calculators, Kevlar, and CAT scan and MRI technologies. C. General.
4. Three finalists for the open position have been selected by the administration. The administration has selected three finalists for the open position. D. Passive.
5. When we finished our lunch, we decide to take a walk.  When we finished our lunch, we decided to take a walk. A. Verb tense shift.

1. Thesis statements below are weak. Rewrite them as strong thesis statements:                                    (20 Points, 4 points each)

1. Companies should maximize the marketing potential of the Internet, and Facebook pages can provide both advertising and customer support.

Companies should maximize the marketing potential of the Internet through Facebook pages, which can provide a platform for advertising and customer support.

1. Online learning is popular nowadays.

Online learning is a sought-after system in this day and age.

1. I like to have friends because they help me.

I like having friends because they give me a helping hand.

1. Stress is bad for students.

Stress is appalling to the life of students.

1. This essay will focus on how using cellphones in an educational environment can positively affect student performance.

This essay will emphasize the relevance of using cellphones in an educational environment to the performance of a student.