So here's how I liken education. I've been an instructor at the Naval Engineering School so have a bit of experience in the subject.

First thing to learn is "facts" by rote memorization and then parrot it back. If you can do that you have learned something which is not unimportant and is an important base for the next step.

Then you learn how to apply those facts to help you in a specific set of situations. This is a very small hop above the previous step, but an important one, as now you know how to solve a narrow set of problems in a specific set of circumstances.

Unfortunately, this is where a lot of education ends because this is the easiest level to test. To go beyond this, you as an instructor must inspire the students.

The third level is when you take the facts you know and the situations to apply them and start modifying them to fit new novel situations. This now requires active thinking on the part of the student and will likely result in a lot of mistakes and suffering but this is where the instructor can gently guide them along and nurture their curiosity and keep their spirits up when they fail.

Next level is an important one, when the student starts to ask, "why does this work this way in this situation and this way in this situation"? That is the start of true wisdom.

And the final level of education is when you go back and try to teach the subject. That is when you truly open yourself up to learning.

Memorization have importance. We, as a species, are as intelligent as primitive cavemen. Our brains haven't changed that much since those times.

What allows us to be different, to have a prosper civilization, is the information we have stored. Much of that information is stored in our brains.

Critical thinking is of great importance. Of course. But let's not dismiss the ability to store that critical information.

You're right (but obviously not completely)

The most important skill anyone can have is information literacy. Schools don't reach it at all.

1. A peeve of mine is the ease at which they've correctly diagnosed the Dunning-Kuerger effect and liberally applied. Few, if any, recognize that there is controversy around the effect.
2. I think your insight is part of a growth mindset. A concept championed by Carol Dweck, it has been embraced by educators and, unfortunately, abused by managers. Too many people think a growth mindset is better than a fixed mindset.

3. Intelligence has many definitions and contexts. I agree that intellectual humility is a useful trait and makes people far more bearable to deal with, but there's a lot of ways to examine what intelligence is and how it operates

I could be wrong though

Lol

I'd argue that learning to socialise, and the so-called social intelligence that comes with it, is THE killer argument for schools and against homeschooling.

I think that's a good part of it, learning fundamentals of things you'll need is also vital. I've grown to mostly appreciate learning how to learn. It's a skill that's implicit, but putting the building blocks in at an early stage regarding how to seek and learn knowledge sets you up so well for the rest of your existence.

I think it's more nuanced than that, and it really depends on the level of education.

Making kids memorise things also teaches them the process of learning a thing. Testing them on facts, dates, and formulas has value because it tests whether they're able to learn those facts, dates, and formulas.

In high school maths, I had to learn formulas. When I was applying to university, the admissions test came with a formula booklet. It was assumed I knew how to learn formulas, they were testing whether I'd learned how to look up the correct formula, and apply it. They weren't just testing my mathematical ability, they were simultaneously testing my reference skills. I only really appreciated that when I was much older.

Many times when I post on Lemmy I am then educated. I do appreciate it a lot, thanks everyone.

Another way to think about it is to say that education is the memorization of knowledge, while intelligence is the application of said knowledge. i.e. book smarts vs. street smarts. They aren’t the same things, but are two building blocks that work together.

At least that’s how I look at it.

Memorization is such a strange thing to try to teach. I was never good at that in school but could sing any song on the radio after hearing it once. In school I was good enough at math up to a point because I was so bad at memorization got good at thinking my way through it. Was much better at word problems than equations in elementary school.

I do agree with the premise of the shower thought - part of being educated is learning through mistakes. Making mistakes is one of the fastest ways to learn something, and is the main reason I'm good at my job. I am happy to work in accounting where mistakes don't kill anyone.

There was a popular author of technical books about the Commodore 64 who thought nuclear bombs aren't real.

You can have a few neurons really good at one thing, they don't map over to other things.