Module 34 Blog

Module 34 Blog: Do you think it is generally true that first graders have more curiosity and are more motivated to learn than sixth graders or high school students? If so, can you explain the decline? Be careful to consider the development that occurs during this time period.

            I think sometimes it is true that first graders have more curiosity and are more motivated to learn than sixth graders or high school students. When you are in first grade there is just so much to learn because it is basically the beginning of your educational career which I think makes kids curious. Everything is new to them in the beginning. Over time I think that a good portion of the curiosity may be lost, but as we get older we become more motivated to learn. Maybe not in sixth grade, but as a high school student we become very motivated in order to get into college and strive for a career. I think that the decline of curiosity may be that once we have a basis of knowledge and we get older, we may become more interested in other things such as our social life, which can take away from our curiosity in school. As time goes on we begin to develop our intrinsic and extrinsic motivations which are the reasons as to why we strive for things. As a first grader our motivations are different then by the time when we reach high school. Usually when you are younger, you are in school because you have to be and your parents motivate you to go, but over time our own ideas and opinions start to motivate us.