<p>Garland,</p>
<p>I have attended schools in NJ, MI, CA, CT and IL and have experienced through my kids MA and VT.</p>
<p>In my schooling I never wrote any paper other than a research (“term paper”) or synthesis style piece. [Edit - except in my Master’s Thesis.] My kids never wrote term papers and always wrote themes.</p>
<p>In my research papers after quoting and restating and citing, I am certain there would have been a paragraph or two or three or four in my own voice using idioms or phrasing I had picked up (you could say lifted, I prefer the term, learned) from what I had read.</p>
<p>I see that Cur also was informed that he should not pitch his own idea. He says, “in the 70’s I had a History prof who dinged me for an “original thought”.”</p>
<p>This is not as unusual as some of you suggest. I like what Poetgirl said:</p>
<p>"I’d be more comfortable with “students are supposed to learn to think independently.”</p>