EDL 305 Week 9 Discussion Post

I found the "Before he cheats" video funny and interesting. The singer of the video was good and I enjoyed how it provided example visuals. I think that the video could be conveniently used for educating students on how plagiarism will be treated in my classroom. I think that this video artistically portrays the opinion of plagiarism in schools. Cheating should not be allowed in any case.

The video on the University of Texas website is very informative. It helps viewers understand the consequences behind plagiarism. It shows that plagiarism is not accepted in the real world either. It also discusses how it makes your previous work look bad if you plagiarize even once. It also affects the credibility of the school that you plagiarize at.

I thought that the Rutgers plagiarism video was very comical. I think it provided an entertaining way of presenting plagiarism in a non-threatening way. It also explains that you can get expelled if you plagiarize. The additional videos provide a list of do's and don'ts for writing papers without plagiarizing. It also shows some of the misconceptions of what is considered plagiarism.

The USA Today article brings to light that impact technology has had on plagiarism. Students are more able to cheat with the arrival of new technology. The article cites examples of using calculators to store answers and use those answers on exams. It also discusses how students may buy papers off the internet. I thought the method of sarcasm made the material humorous as well.

In Chemistry and Biology, students could use calculators to store certain formulas. Students could use smart phones to look up answers. Students could also buy science research papers for online websites. Students could also use a tiny MP3 player to relay definitions of concepts to themselves. Lastly, PocketPCs could be used to look up information if the teacher is not paying enough attention.

I plan on collecting cell phones on test days and any other technological device. I also would use a plagiarism evaluation website like turnitin.com to check papers for integrity.

Plagiarism Quiz:

1. T/F Using a paper you have written before for a new assignment without citing it is plagiarism.

2. T/F Buying papers from an online website is not plagiarism.

3. T/F It is only plagiarism if you do it intentionally.

4. T/F Plagiarism looks bad not only for the student, but for the entire school.

5. T/F There are no consequences for plagiarizing work in my class.