Shortest Path

#9: Shortest Path quotes the principle of Occam's razor: "All other things being equal, the simplest explanation or strategy is the best" (64).

Direct routes, less clever, less cutting edge, less artfully constructed IF it will yield a better result.  Hmm, sounds boring, but effective.  Like an assembly line.  Here is where I fundamentally wonder about how I view education as a Montessori-reared kid vs. the demands of urban schools where poor kids are failing.  The shortest path seems contradictory to integrated, deep learning, but maybe it doesn't have to be.  Part of me does really value the clever, artfully constructed, cutting edge lesson plan.  What to do now?

I don't think I can always ascertain what the shortest path to meeting a learning/teaching objective will be, especially when student interest, motivation, and a change in pacing/tone has to be accounted for.  Need some examples to show what this would look like to really understand what they are driving at here.