#6 Isolation doesn't really work

Okay - I was going to say Isolation doesn't really exist - but that isn't right - but really when talking about topics to learn . . . does teaching something in isolation really work?  It isn't ever used that way. As an adult I don't think that I have ever had a math problem that doesn't have some sort of "story" with it . . . now I am not a mathematician or even a scientists that relies on mathematical equations,  but I am a working adult and I do use math.

For a while I was an actor, and you might think "oh well that person uses one skill" - but no, I had to memorize lines, move around a stage, follow direction, analyze my character and a few (hundred) other things - so why would I be taught all of those things separately.

I can see maybe saying that the foundations of each topic might need special, individualized attention - before you can really get into "figuring" in math you do need the basics of addition and subtraction.  But really, most kids can work this into their regular learning, they really do figure out addition and subtraction as concepts.  (And really we test on that idea of can you do so many math problems in a minute - really this is a test that we do to our kids?!?!?!)

As adult - working adult - do we ever sit down and just do math problems?

Now, maybe I am being a little harsh on math, but let's think about history - don't worry - I am not going to say that we should just ignore history - I do actually think it is valuable to learn about!  However, by stripping away all context and even the stories with it, and having to teach it independent of anything else - we make it SO BORING - and really, kinda useless.  Other than historians, and people who want to go into that field - who really liked history classes in college???  But think - if we had a class that was called "problem solving" and the discussion would be about different methods of creating change.  The class structure would then be to read a specific time in history, a big event, and then the class time would be spent discussing what could have been done differently to change the outcomes.  MAN - think about it, not only would students be reading history, but they would also be identifying ways that they could make changes. . .  what a great lesson that would be!!!

So - my big thought for today is - DON'T teach subjects in isolation - put them in context, teach with real world lessons, even to kids - but really, REALLY work towards putting it altogether for the people that are learning.