The Underlying Architecture Of The Mishna Map Curriculum Is Designed To Address Three Objectives:
01
To present the vast
information within Mishnayis
in the most effective way possible.
02
To present the material in a way
that is most aligned
with how the average person would like to engage, process, understand and retain what he has learnt.
03
All of the strategies and techniques
are derived from the teachings of Chazal.
The 10 Features of the Mishna Summaries
1) Frameworks
Topics are presented within the larger framework that they are naturally a part of. This overall framework provides them with a map and overview of the entire subject. It also subtly encourages them to learn the entire subject and not just one specific part of any given subject.
2) Overviews
Whenever possible the material is presented in a one page overview. This gives the students a macro perspective of the material, and helps to shrink the material by enabling them to see its beginning, middle and end. This also allows them to chart their daily progress.
3) The Overall Theme
The underlying assumption is that chazal almost always organized materials into specific perakim for a reason. Therefore, the material in a perek is very commonly interrelated - parts of a whole. By understanding the underlying theme it puts the topics into context. This perspective adds a very important dimension to their understanding.
4) Organization
Information and especially large amounts of information can be burdensome even overwhelming when not well organized. The mind needs and wants materially to be presented in an orderly fashion. Seeing this structure draws in the student and motivates them to study and understand the topic being learnt because now they believe that they can process it effectively.
5) Structure
Information consists of general principles - Klalilim and their details - peratim . The mind best absorbs and understands material when it is broken down into these two categories. Peratim alone are impossible to remember except for the very gifted. However, when structured as part of their general principals it empowers even those with average memories to be able to remember large amounts of material.
6) Specifics
Most of us are typically imprecise in our learning and that vagueness or blurriness is tantamount to confusion. By specifying what the details are of each mishna, it helps to insure that each aspect is properly understood. Further, it gives the student a clear check list to test and measure his understanding of all the material in the mishna.
7) Quantification
By numbering all the points in the mishna it helps the students to know what they must know and measure in very concrete terms their understanding of all the parts.
8) Definitive
We all want our learning to be helpful on a practical level and therefore by identifying the shita we accept as halacha insures that the learning is not just conceptual but practically useful as well.
9) Summarization/Distillation
By identifying the most important and central ideas it enables the students to focus on what are the most fundamental ideas to know.
10) Simanim
Chazal tell us that the only way to acquire vast amounts of Torah and retain it is through the technique of simanim. Simanim are not short cuts but rather they can act as a trigger that enables students to recall huge amounts of details of a mishna they learnt well. This technique enables students to review very large amounts of material in an exponentially faster time than it took for them first learn it. This encourages review because it is not time consuming and second because they see that they can review and remember enormous amounts of Torah in a relatively short amount of time. This is very empowering because they see a clear practical path for them to use in their desire to become Talmidei Chachamim.
