[mcdougle]

I think I understand what you're saying. Allowing them to learn at their own pace would still be doing something, though.

In school, whenever a new concept was introduced, I often found that I understood it pretty quickly, but that we'd spend days on the topic while several other students in class struggled to grasp it. During that time, I was expected to sit there and pay attention -- even though it was a waste of time. Even creative outlets, like drawing, were not allowed. If I could have used that time to learn something new on my own, through the Internet or whatever else, that would have been a lot better than just sitting there. Even just letting the students who understand the topic out to play or something until the next topic is introduced would be better and more productive than just having them sit there.

Once I got to college it got a lot better -- I was able to skip classes that I knew would be a waste of time and do more productive things, or bring a laptop to class and do something else when the professor was explaining something I already understood. But prior to college I didn't own a laptop -- not that it would have been allowed even if I did!