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So then, since we have spell-checkers, it doesn't matter whether kids know how to spell? And since we have dictionaries, it doesn't matter whether we remember what any words mean without having to look them up?
No, we don't use unlabeled maps in the real world, but asking kids to identify countries that way is a pretty good indicator of whether they've actually used a real map to locate countries before. And while it may not be necessary to know that Indonesia is an archipelago in Southeast Asia--or that Iraq borders Iran, for instance--it's a sign of a well educated person. Would you want to have a conversation with somebody who didn't know anything without having to look it up?
Knowing how to find things is an invaluable skill, but if you really consider it a substitute for knowing things, then you're ... well, not very smart.
