In my current teaching position I am often subjected to listening to others tell me how teaching should be done. Recently, there seems to be a push to say that the presentation of facts is no longer important. It has been said that with Google there is no need to memorize or know facts anymore. When you stop to think about that it seems rather silly. When speaking with someone who is very intelligent it is not difficult to recognize. One of the things that sets really smart people apart from the rest is their ability to call on factual information at opportune times and apply it to the given situation. I am a huge proponent of focusing on creativity and critical thinking but the importance of these skills does not negate the fact that intelligent people also know a lot of stuff.
Perhaps those who are imploring education to move away from memorization and facts need to frame the argument in a new way. The problem with traditional education is not the factual information but rather the way it is presented and tested. Most academic activities are simply an exercise in short-term memory games. The fact that formal education really does not know how to teach and assess factual information certainly does not mean that it is not important.
This New School 
Absolutely! acquiring and retaining information is one key to learning. The problem is, as you point out, the agenda behind the teaching of facts today, or not teaching facts today, as in this case. If facts are solely for the purpose of passing a meaningless, politically-motivated test, and nothing more, then facts are worthless. However, if facts are part of the learning process, and the students are actively involved in their own education, they have taken ownership of what they are learning, then, in my experience, these students are not only in need of facts but will actually seek facts out if they are not offered to them.
I taught music at a performing arts high school, and because we emphasized creativity first, and facts second, the kids, as they began to be more creative, found they had need of certain facts about music theory, in order to complete the projects they were working on, And so the facts they were given were retained, since they applied (application) to their life and what they were doing at the moment.
This is why we have less and less creative people, because the emphasis in education, today, is on performance (product) only: passing tests, taking in and regurgitating info, and with no real application to the students’ lives. If the government really wanted a good educational product, then they would free teachers, like you, to take back control of their classrooms, so they could truly teach and inspire once again.
For what it’s worth.
My guess is, the kids are lucky to have you as a teacher!
I think that a big part of the problem is that the government is not really concerned with creating a good educational product. I’m not presenting a giant conspiracy theory, but there really is no advantage for those in control to create a powerful education system that could create individuals with the ability to challenge their positions of power. A dynamic system of education can be created but I think it will be done in spite of the powers that be and not with their assistance.
I agree completely!
Let us hope this is the case!