I was watching the news tonight and saw a tease for a segment on a new method for teaching in school.  The anchor asked why it was that we can remember the lyrics to every song we've ever heard, but we can't remember the things we learn in school.  The premise was that one school was using original rhymes and lyrics to help kids remember what they were learning.

I didn't watch long enough to see the segment, but I did think that the idea was interesting.  A perfect example is the song we all learned in fifth grade to list all the states in alphabetical order.  How many of us could actually do that without this little jingle?  "Alabama and Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas.  California, Colorado, and Connecticut and more...."   Maybe this school has the secret to helping students improve their memory?

But this alone isn't the answer.  We don't go to school only to memorize.  We primarily go to school to learn, understand, comprehend, and interpret.  I look at it this way:  I know the lyrics to lots of songs, but there are very few of them that I could explain what the song is about.  I guess I view the words and singing as just another instrument in the band.  Yes, I can repeat them.  But no, I don't understand them unless I make an additional effort to do so.

A cute and fun jingle is a good tool for educators to have when something needs to be memorized, but there are many more important and effective tools that are required to actually teach.  Now, let's see if Brett Favre learns anything from his old team the Green Bay Packers!