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Re: From Laura



I did not go through every document on the TIP website with great care,
but I was aghast that by far and large there was no mention of
"curiosity" as a major learning concept or theory. I found the word
"interest" mentioned several times, but interest without the driving
force of a trained, powerful curiosity is weak by comparison.

Because our informal, sixteen year study of curiosity in our Project Lab
program has shown it to be a motivator that far exceeds any form of
external motivation derived through punishment, reward, or goal setting,
I believe that it deserves a great deal of acknowledgment, if not
respect.

Even though most "educators" seem to find it difficult to guide and
channel their student's curiosity, I fail to understand how this,
powerful, internal, God given trait has been so overlooked in modern
education.

Bill

A favorite quote:

Alice Duer Miller:
"It is among the commonplaces of education that we often first cut off
the living root and then try to replace its natural functions by
artificial means. Thus we suppress the child's curiosity and then when
he lacks a natural interest in learning, he is offered special
scholastic coaching for his scholastic difficulties."