When I first started working with a student in high school, there were so many things I needed to learn.  At the time, I wasn’t at all adept at using a computer.  I grew up in a time when encyclopedias were the go-to for information.  I wasn’t aware of what a person could do with this amazing invention.  I also had been reluctant to learn about it.  My tools were all in books that one took out at the library.  And I was competent in this way of finding answers.  

So, when my student and I were working on assignments in the library, I was teaching her how to use a dictionary (for definitions and spellings) and encyclopedias for answers.  With encyclopedias, there is a fair amount of detective work involved in this method.  You have to find the specific books needed to find the information.  And in my day, card catalogs were often the first step in the search for information.  Sometimes, two or three sources might be needed to find the answers.

I reveled in the detective aspect of this method.  It made me think and develop the best strategy in the quest for a specific piece of knowledge.  This would not be a popular way for many of today’s students to find the information.  They do not have the patience needed to search in that way.  They are competent at using computers and cell phones to get instant answers to their questions.

So, it was I who needed to learn this, in order to help my student.  I was up for that.  And so I learned, and learned until I got the hang of it.  It was difficult at first because those old habits were ingrained in me.  But learning was what it was all about.  And that’s what school is for, isn’t it?

Later on, cell phones became THE main medium for information gathering.  What I found fascinating was that you had all this information literally at your fingertips.  It is truly a miracle to have answers to questions immediately available at every moment.  It’s just like an encyclopedia in your pocket.  (Pockets are popular places for them.)

However, this is not always the best way to find or solve problems.  That’s because you don’t need to think about what you are learning.  The thinking is being done for you, by your phone.  Therefore, I have mixed feelings about using this as the sole source of information.  Using your phone is great if you need quick answers.  But it greatly limits the amount of deep thinking that truly nourishes your brain.  It cuts into the ability to truly understand difficult concepts.  It can actually thwart curiosity.  Therefore, in my opinion, having encyclopedias in our pockets is not always a good thing.  What do you think?