I agree! Learning to memorize test questions and answers starts very early. I remember in grade school, we had a standardized test for reading comprehension every year. Each year the questions and answers were exactly the same and even appeared in the same order. After a while, I didn’t even really read them, I just circled the right answer. We have to change the conventional method of teaching to something that encourages learning and application, not memorization.

Thanks for your response! Your points about the importance of small shifts and how we use language ring true based on my own experiences in other areas of life. In interactions with others even a slight change in wording can direct a conversation down a completely different path than another word that might have basically the same meaning (but with slightly different connotations).

Thanks for your response! One thing that you mention is settings in which we have time to explore further. I wonder if lack of time is one of the constraints that keeps us (both as students and as teachers) from pursuing a more mindful approach to learning.

I absolutely agree about the importance of understanding the whys and hows behind information. I have found that I have a much greater understanding and retention rate when I have the whole context for a piece of information rather than a only the fact itself.