Saturday, February 2, 2008

memorization

I am taking a class on learning disabilities for grad school and I am currently trying to memorize the definition of a "specific learning disability" according to IDEA-2004. I understand why the professor wants us to memorize it, and why we have to understand the importance of each 'ands, ors, ;, buts, and a's', but really. something feels wrong about spending hours memorizing a long definition when it's for a class on learning disabilities. when we're learning that memorization is not the best teaching technique. when we're talking about best practice. and reading articles about great methods to use other than memorizing. perhaps the professor is actually trying to prove a point... maybe she is just reminding us how terrible memorizing information really is.

blah.

the term "specific learning disability" means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations. such term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. such term does not include a learning problem, that is primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disability; of mental retardation; of emotional disturbance; or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage."

that was almost from memory... i'm writing it every place i can.

1 comment:

Suzanne G. said...

sounds like you could use it in the form of a song. That's how we all memorized the Preamble to the Constitution.