Jane Morton, who teaches grades 2 and 3 at Ardmore Elementary School in Belleview, Washington, thinks rote learning doesn't equal understanding for her students. In general, the traditional approach to learning is focused on mastery of content, with less emphasis on the development of skills and the nurturing of inquiring attitudes.
Students are the receivers of information, and the teacher is the dispenser.
Traditional education is more concerned with preparation for the next grade level and in-school success than with helping a student learn to learn throughout life. Traditional classrooms tend to be closed systems where information is filtered through layers to students. In general, the use of resources is limited to what is available in the classroom or within the school. Use of technology is focused on learning about the technology rather than its application to enhanced learning. Lesson plans are used to organize the various steps in the learning process for the whole-class approach.