Importance of Prior Knowledge

How important prior knowledge is in learning something new? (MOVIE: NELL)

Prior knowledge is very important in learning something new because prior knowledge provides an initial background about the things that one is about to learn. Moreover, prior knowledge can help reduce uncertainty and anxiety that a person feels in just the thought of learning something new.
The movie Nell has been a proof of how important prior knowledge is in learning something new. Nell felt scared and very hostile towards the two doctors at first. She has been used to a life different from the common people. Nell has not been exposed to the present way of life. She has been imprisoned in her own little world, having nothing but painful remnants of the past. When the doctors had tried to introduce her to the present world, they had a hard time. Nell does not know anything about the present world. Even though her life seemed odd to most of us, her life was still peaceful until the two doctors had tried to penetrate her world. The saying ‘innocence is bliss’ may be true, but if the doctors hadn’t tried to open up the realities of the outside world to Nell, she might have been imprisoned forever to that past and she might not have learned how to cope up, even in her own little way.
I remembered the time when I first stepped into high school. I was first introduced to the Microsoft World. My elementary school was not outdated; it is just that the computer lessons are in the high school curriculum of that school. When I transferred in high school, and my high school was very techie, I really had a hard time coping. I did not even know how to turn on a computer. I don’t even know how to use a mouse. It was really very hard. I felt nervous every time it was Computer class. I was always afraid of asking my classmates or my teacher because I was afraid they’ll laugh at me. During that time, computers are not really that common. Typewriters were still the fad and I was used to using it. Eventually, what I did was to surrender my pride at the end and asked some classmates. It was through asking and silently observing that I had survived that Computer class.
In our everyday tasks, it is always best to be at least familiar with the basics. We need them so that when things get more complicated, at least we just go back to the basics to give us an idea where to start. I am not saying that without prior knowledge, we will not learn anything. Sometimes even, it is when we knew nothing about something that we try our very best to learn and discover more about it. As we try to discover and learn new things; that is the time where we expand the little knowledge we have by trying to relate it with other things that we learn in the process.
Having prior knowledge gives us confidence to discover more of the things that we are learning. Since we have been acquainted with the basics, we try to discover more. We are not afraid to experiment and to look answers for our questions. If Nell had been brought up the way common people were brought up, she would not have been afraid to try anything and she would not have been like a stranger to the world.