Proactive Knowledge, Understanding & Education

Having read nothing more on these topics since our last meeting, here are some thoughts that I toss out for you all to consider and comment on

I think that Proactive Knowledge comes in two varieties (and there probably isn’t a strict boundary): skills and information

Skills

To proactively know a skill one would recognize when the skill was relevant and be, in some sense of the word, compelled to use the skill

For example, reading this is something that you can’t avoid doing if you look at the words. It’s impossible for you to experience an opportunity to read without, in fact, reading. Sadly, there are few other skills that are as unavoidably prompted.

Information

Proactive knowledge of information would involve the ability to recognize when information is relevant in context outside of the domain in which information was learned – the Ohm’s law example would be an example of this.

Understanding

Okay, a way that I’ve been thinking about this is to see if I can figure out what I mean when I say “I don’t understand.” Against what I suggested Thursday, I’m now thinking that we only use “understand” in one way – “have the entire picture.” When I say that I don’t understand the causes of the VietNam War, I think I’m saying that I don’t have the entire picture – which would be all the pieces (which would come from may different realms) and how the pieces fit together (or the multiple way in which the pieces might fit together)


Back to Education

As a teacher, I want students to gain proactive knowledge (of both skills & information) and I also want students to want understanding and to have some tools for pursuing it. I think that the desire for understanding is curiosity.