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[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

> >For example, the writing
> teacher's kids were writing stuff that was being published -- in the
> local paper, in kids publications, and in the school. 

Fine.  And when it got to be 11:15 and time for the math teacher, what did 
they do?   Did they say, "Ah, we're really into this writing right now, let's 
take up that math next week."

You think writing was being taught, and so you think that is a success.

What was really being taught is outside validation (being published) is the 
goal.  For example, take that child's work to a paper or magazine and don't 
identify the writer.  Would it be published?  Likely not.  Try it sometime.  
But 
"Ah this is cute, it's from Ms. Zilch's writing class so let's be cute too 
and 
publish it."  Enough of that and the child learns to work for that outside 
validation all their lives rather than work for a goal that they internally 
deem 
to be worthy.

In the real world of creative and productive people, life isn't divided up 
into artificial segments.  When the bell rings and the children are told to 
shuffle off to math class and abandon their writing, they are being told that 
nothing is so important that it is worth finishing ... nothing so important 
that 
it can command you whole and entire attention until you see it through.  This 
is very convenient for government and industry because after enough of this 
conditioning, they can turn your attenion on and off like a light switch .. 
and 
they do on a regular basis.

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