Thoroughly disgusted. WWYD?

[Caitilin]

I just discovered that a paper written by one of my co-op class students is plagiarized from a synopsis of the book she was assigned to write about. She did not change one word of what was on the website. I am so disappointed and disgusted. What should I do?

[laughing lioness]

Time to have a class lesson on plagiarism and ethics.

 

(I am glad that it's a she and not a he! ykwim?)

[Jean in Newcastle]

The usual punishment for plagiarism is to get an F and to be expelled from the class.

[ShutterBug]

I'd call a meeting with the girl and her parents.

 

Present them with the evidence and let her know how disappointed you are.

 

After that I'd leave it in the parent's hands as to how to deal with it.

 

It's up to you whether you give her a second chance in your class.....I wouldn't, but that's me :001_smile: .

[OnTheBrink]

Give her a big fat F on her paper and a stern talking to about plagiarism, deceit, and cheating.

[FloridaLisa]

Attach a printout of the online copy to the one sher turned in and write "Please see me" on the front. You should also make sure her parent knows. She should understand that most colleges use an online resource to check for any plagiarism.

 

http://www.plagiarism.org is a great resource.

 

HTH,

Lisa

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

If it were one of my students, I would inform the parents, and also give her an F. Possibly expel her from the class if she did not act remorseful. I would not give her a chance to rewrite the paper.

[Mimm]

 

(I am glad that it's a she and not a he! ykwim?)

 

Why?

 

To the OP, I like the idea of printing out the original and attaching it with a big F on her page and a note to see you. I would also contact the parents and let them know what happened. I wouldn't remove her from the class. This could be a good learning experience for her.

[Imprimis]

Well, ideally, you've already discussed plagiarism and the consequences with your students. If not, now's the time to do so.

 

As for the student in question, I would simply show her and her parents the proof of her plagiarizing. Then, follow through with the plan you specified.

 

I would probably give the student a warning (and have her rewrite the paper) if I had not yet broached the subject of plagiarism with the class.

Edited October 5, 2010 by Imprimis

[Joanne]

The usual punishment for plagiarism is to get an F and to be expelled from the class.

 

This.

[orangearrow]

Why?

 

To the OP, I like the idea of printing out the original and attaching it with a big F on her page and a note to see you. I would also contact the parents and let them know what happened. I wouldn't remove her from the class. This could be a good learning experience for her.

 

 

:iagree:

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Time to have a class lesson on plagiarism and ethics.

 

 

:iagree: I would do this in front of the next class BEFORE handing the papers back. (Not mentioning anything specific about the situation) I would be watching how she reacts during this making eye contact often. When handing the papers back I would not hand hers back until she came to you then talk to her alone about it. For sure talk to the parents (before this class so they know what will happen so if she doesnt ask you for her paper then they can ask her where it is)

[RanchGirl]

If it were one of my students, I would inform the parents, and also give her an F. Possibly expel her from the class if she did not act remorseful. I would not give her a chance to rewrite the paper.

 

:iagree: I would say she gets and F and is expelled. She can earn her way back into the class with a well-written paper on some aspect of plagiarism.

 

I wouldn't give a lecture in front of the class because then it will become quite obvious who the culprit was when she doesn't return to class.

[IsabelC]

Are you absolutely 100% certain that no other student has ever plagiarized? Because if she's not the only one, then a punitive response will be sending out the signal that it's only a problem when you get caught. For this reason, I would probably give the whole group a lesson about plagiarism, not only about the potentially serious consequences if you're caught, but also about why it is wrong and unhelpful in any case. Then you could privately speak with the girl about her paper. I'd just tell her to rewrite it in her own words and/or with appropriate references - whatever is reasonable for her age and ability (unless, of course she has caused trouble before, in which case you might have to expel her after all).

[StephanieZ]

The usual punishment for plagiarism is to get an F and to be expelled from the class.

 

If the kid is over 13, I absolutely agree. All the 'talking' in the world will not teach the child more than this act could. All the 'learning' that your class could have provided her would mean so much less than this act could teach her. Toss her out. (No refunds if fees were paid!)

 

If the kid is 13 or under, I'd do an F, a talking to w/ parents, and not toss her out.

 

In any event, it is obviously time to have a talk about ethics, etc w/ the entire class. . . and possibly add an 'honor statement' of some sort that the child must handwrite & sign at the end of every paper. (sth to the effect that this is my work, blah blah)

 

I do NOT agree w/ going easy on her just b/c you can't catch every cheat. You can't ever catch every cheat! That's nuts. You catch them sometimes, and they get the book thrown at them. That's the deal. It's always been that way. It's a risk-benefit analysis . . . and you need to make the risk real so that the benefit isn't so attractive!

[Rosie_0801]

We would have got tossed out of uni for that.

 

Unless this person has a habit of academic laziness, I'd guess they haven't been taught how to properly cite information and credit it appropriately.

 

Rosie

Edited October 5, 2010 by Rosie_0801

[TravelingChris]

My policy all depends on the amount of plagiarism. That level, just copying out of the book and handing in as your own, is so wrong that even if you haven't had a talk about plagiarism, it should get an F. Where I would be more lenient, especially with a younger student, is improper citing or not citing ideas. In our co-op, many, many of the kids are involved in speech and debate and with those activities, much time is spent on proper citing.

[EthiopianFood]

My policy all depends on the amount of plagiarism. That level, just copying out of the book and handing in as your own, is so wrong that even if you haven't had a talk about plagiarism, it should get an F. Where I would be more lenient, especially with a younger student, is improper citing or not citing ideas. In our co-op, many, many of the kids are involved in speech and debate and with those activities, much time is spent on proper citing.

 

This is a good point. I don't think any child thinks it's okay to turn in someone else's work it it's entirety as their own, even if they've never had a lecture on plagarism.

 

I agree with those who said that swift justice in this situation will teach them much more than a lecture and undeserved leniency. Isn't it better to fail a co-op class, than to discover that you can get away with this type of behavior if you act sad about it, and get kicked out of college?

[Pamela H in Texas]

How old is this child (I noticed the ages of your own kids and think this kid may be quite young)?

 

How experienced of a writing student?

 

Has there been a discussion, including examples, of what plagiarism is? Every student in college gets detailed information on what it is, how not to do it, etc. And they sign to that effect. Many homeschoolers though may neglect to do that if it hasn't ever been an issue that has come up. Or they think their kid isn't to the point it even would be an issue. I certainly never discussed it with an 8 or 10 yr old!

 

Kids make all sorts of mistakes that are illegal and/or carry a harsh punishment if they do it as an adult. When they steal a candy bar or lie about something they wish hadn't happened or ride their bike without a helmet, mom takes the opportunity to discipline (teach/guide), often foregoing the punishment altogether or being more lenient than the real life consequence (of theft, perjury, or fines).

 

Not all that long ago, my son wrote a paper and copied a Wiki article with very little of his own stuff. My son really didn't "get" it. Sure, he knew it was lazy, but not WRONG. We discussed it for him to understand that he can't just draw information from other places without giving those sources credit. I likened it to stealing (which he'd never consider). Sometimes tough assignments mean a person uses more of someone else's information; but a student may not understand how (or why doing it inappropriately is that big of a deal). Of course, we also discussed how Wiki would never be an appropriate source either, but...I'm glad the teacher simply wrote "you copied this almost directly off of Wikipedia. Doing so is called plagiarism. Please write in your own words." I'm glad that I took the time to educate him fairly rather than just punishing him for making a mistake. It wasn't a lecture OR "undeserved leniency," but simply reasonable discipline.

 

Now, this may be a student who absolutely knows better and a harsher penalty may drive home the point. But just because she's 12 or 15 wouldn't be a guarantee she did fully understand what she was doing. I think I'd get to the bottom of how much she truly understood. An F for being lazy is different than expulsion from the class for doing something she didn't really understand was so wrong. I think an assignment (to average with the 0 for her grade) on plagiarism would be more appropriate than expulsion for many kids.

 

ETA: I would not give pass just because you may not have caught other students. MOST criminals don't get caught most of the time. That doesn't mean we don't penalize those that are caught!

Edited October 5, 2010 by 2J5M9K

[TechWife]

Are you absolutely 100% certain that no other student has ever plagiarized? Because if she's not the only one, then a punitive response will be sending out the signal that it's only a problem when you get caught.

 

I must disagree here. A punitive response is exactly what is called for. If something is wrong (and plagiarism is) than it must be dealt with when it is discovered. You may not be able to catch every instance, but a knowledgeable instructor can catch many, if not most, with the online helps that are available today.

 

Failing to punish because we are not perfect and can't "catch" everyone sends a signal that stealing (which is what plagiarism is) isn't wrong, but getting caught is. It is quite the opposite, stealing is wrong and getting caught is a good thing for everyone involved.

 

These issues will come up later in academic and professional careers when they learn about the concept of intellectual property. My husband is a published author and speaker and stealing intellectual property is just a big a deal as is plagiarism.

[RoughCollie]

The usual punishment for plagiarism is to get an F and to be expelled from the class.

 

:iagree: When I taught at a college, I caught plagiarizing kids frequently, and they got F's in the course. They were forewarned, and took a chance and lost.

 

However, in a co-op situation, I would discuss this with the student and her mother first. If the kid didn't realize she did anything wrong (hard to imagine, but some kids don't if they haven't been told about plagiarism), I'd consider allowing her to do the work over (without getting a grade for it; the F on the original work stands) and give her a second (and final) chance. My consideration would be based on whether I believed the student was truly ignorant and repentant. I would bring proof of the plagiarism to the meeting. If the student or her parent(s) gave excuses or denied wrongdoing, I'd kick the kid out of my class. There is no excuse for something like this: It is plainly wrong.

 

I would immediately talk to the class about plagiarism and the severe consequences for it, without bringing up the student's name of course.

Edited October 5, 2010 by RoughCollie

[bettyandbob]

First, the student gets an F on the paper.

 

If your co op has a policy, follow it. If your co op does not have a policy then you need to make one. Expulsion from class is reasonable in this case.

 

Since it is a co op class, I'm going to guess that while some students may have taken classes in the co op previously, there is no prerequisite course in which students covered plagiarism and research. Although this is a topic one would expect students to know by high school, you would be surprised...

 

An explanation of plagiarism and your policies should be provided to students and parents at the beginning of the course. If you want to go further, require the parents and students to sign a paper stating they have read and understood the material on plagiarism--and don't let the students attend class before they return said paper with signature.

 

You may additionally spend the first class on a lesson that explains plagiarism.

 

For a high school class, I do see a difference in copying a paper word for word and inappropriately or poorly citing information. In my class both would be penalized, but the student who copies word for word gets an F in the course. If it's a required course, she has to pay for it and begin again. I teach part time at an alternative private high school that offers online courses. This is our policy and students and parents are required to sign a statement saying they understand the policy before taking any course.

[LittleHouseHomeschool]

I just discovered that a paper written by one of my co-op class students is plagiarized from a synopsis of the book she was assigned to write about. She did not change one word of what was on the website. I am so disappointed and disgusted. What should I do?

 

I would put a bit of effort into it a conversation with her and her parents to see if you can get to the heart of the problem. People plagiarize for a few different reasons.

 

1. Did she do it on purpose? Has anyone taught her how to take notes? Some kids plagiarize because they simply do not know how to summarize...take key words and then create sentences of their own. Was she taught how? Does she know how to write?

 

2. Some kids plagiarize because they have a learning disability that they are trying to hide. (Expressive writing disorder is often the culprit here.)

 

3. Still others plagiarize because they're lazy.

 

So I would present the options to child and parent, and go from there. The cure to plagierism is to make sure the child has the needed skills to succeed and then providing character instruction and accountability both at home and in the classroom.

 

The consequence, of course, is an F on this paper.

[unsinkable]

I would put a bit of effort into it a conversation with her and her parents to see if you can get to the heart of the problem. People plagiarize for a few different reasons.

 

1. Did she do it on purpose? Has anyone taught her how to take notes? Some kids plagiarize because they simply do not know how to summarize...take key words and then create sentences of their own. Was she taught how? Does she know how to write?

 

2. Some kids plagiarize because they have a learning disability that they are trying to hide. (Expressive writing disorder is often the culprit here.)

 

3. Still others plagiarize because they're lazy.

 

So I would present the options to child and parent, and go from there. The cure to plagierism is to make sure the child has the needed skills to succeed and then providing character instruction and accountability both at home and in the classroom.

 

The consequence, of course, is an F on this paper.

 

Great advice.

 

We have no idea how old she is or what her experience is with "school" or even if she knows what she did is wrong.

 

I think it is good to get more facts before bringing a figurative hammer down.

[Pippen]

Once when I was teaching a high school honor's level course I caught two kids who had done some major cheating on a test. I gave them both zero's on the test, talked to them, and suggested they tell their parents what happened (and both did). Both were good kids who had done a stupid thing and both showed remorse. They both worked like crazy the rest of the semester to make up for the lost points.

 

I could have done a lot more (contact parents, turn them in at the office, etc.) but I was glad that I handled it the way I did. The lesson was learned, the relationship between us wasn't damaged so I was still effective as their instructor, and we all found out just how strong of chemistry students they could be when they set their minds to it.

Edited October 5, 2010 by Pippen

[Osmosis Mom]

Dd did something like this this past year in an online high school class. Plus she then tried to lie about it. Yep. My own kid. We were furious. There were different reasons as to why she did this (teacher hadn't answered her questions so she got fed up and did this, probably to test the waters). Who cares why. It was quite a humiliating experience for her, but she did not get expelled or anything. Just had to redo it. However, this was after lots of talks with the teacher and her parents and it wasn't pretty. She was trying to get expelled actually from the class, but I refused to let her take the easy way out, cheater.

 

Ds tried doing the same kind of thing several years ago (age 12 or so and just figuring out the wonders of the internet). I doubt he'll do it again. Personally, then I also cheated during two weeks of 4th grade and then never again. Just had to show off that I was able to fool the teacher...

 

I would not expel the girl from the class. It's a learning experience for her. I would make sure it got talked over with the family and that she made a new paper. Clean slate and all.

[Leanna Tomlinson]

You've received a variety of advice on the consequences, and I'm sure you'll make the right decision.

 

After I started teaching co-op classes, I quickly realized the need to talk to all of the PARENTS about plagiarism at the beginning of the year. Plagiarism is so much easier with the internet, and it may not occur to parents, who typed all their papers on a typewriter, how easy it can be to cheat. Students are so used to manipulating information, that they may not feel the prick of conscience as readily as we would have prior to the internet age.

 

I'm not saying the girl isn't guilty; she most definitely is, and she needs consequences. It's just that every parent needs to be helping you watch for plagiarism. They need to be aware how easy it is.

 

I found that many of my students would copy and paste a paragraph from a resource and then substitute key words. Some would even cite the sources, but they didn't realize it was inappropriate to copy a sentence, change one word, and then claim it as a paraphrase.

 

I have a plagiarism packet I distribute at the beginning of each year. Parents and students are required to read it together, discuss it, and sign a paper stating that they have done so.

 

It's a huge problem and one that parents need to understand in relation to our current technology.

[zaichiki]

:iagree: I would do this in front of the next class BEFORE handing the papers back. (Not mentioning anything specific about the situation) I would be watching how she reacts during this making eye contact often. When handing the papers back I would not hand hers back until she came to you then talk to her alone about it. For sure talk to the parents (before this class so they know what will happen so if she doesnt ask you for her paper then they can ask her where it is)

 

Yes. The lesson in front of the class ASAP. I like the idea of keeping the paper. And I wouldn't bother putting a letter grade on it: it's not hers.

 

I would either have her re-write the paper and resubmit with a percentage off OR I would give a zero. It's difficult to know how strict to be here. She could learn a lesson that would stay with her for life if the consequence was really awful. That could be good. Or it could be TOO harsh. I guess you'd have to be inside her head to know for sure.

 

Good luck!

[bettyandbob]

I noticed a lot of people suggesting finding out the students intent or understanding of what she did. Unless this student is under 11 years old, or has severe disabilities, I believe it is reasonable to assume that with a word for word copy of a paper, that the student never intended to write the paper herself and fully understands that the copy is not her work. It would be a completely different story if she reworded parts and had reworded sections from different sources--that would suggest she did not know how to properly cite. In that case the OP may need to take a class to review proper citation and the definition of plagiarism and maybe give the student a chance to fix the paper.

 

However, what the OP describe showed no attempt to do the work at all. That is why I think the student deserves an F on the paper. If she stays in the course, she can work her rear end off trying to bring up the grade.

[zaichiki]

Once when I was teaching a high school honor's level course I caught two kids who had done some major cheating on a test. I gave them both zero's on the test, talked to them, and suggested they tell their parents what happened (and both did). Both were good kids who had done a stupid thing and both showed remorse. They both worked like crazy the rest of the semester to make up for the lost points.

 

I could have done a lot more (contact parents, turn them in at the office, etc.) but I was glad that I handled it the way I did. The lesson was learned, the relationship between us wasn't damaged so I was still effective as their instructor, and we all found out just how strong of chemistry students they could be when they set their minds to it.

 

You really won the over to your side instead of creating an adversarial relationship! Cool! I'm storing this one away...

[JFSinIL]

It is sad this happens - in our local high school the AP teacher for all history classes has switched from demanding thoughtfully written, longish papers done out of class to ones that are outlined and written in class. He was just seeing too much cut-an-paste work across the board from students.

 

This, of course, cuts done on his classroom time for lecturing and going over the mass of material that will be covered on the AP exam. But at least he will be sure of having taught the kids how to answer the long essay questions!

[MomOfOneFunOne]

Well, first of all I'd like to say Please Don't Get Mad at Me!

 

Second of all, er, maybe this girl is the product of a "classical education" in which she had only gotten so far with her mom. If she has been doing IEW (I know) or Classical Writing (it seems from what I've read) she's been taught to plagiarize in my tiny little humble opinion. That was one of my problems with IEW, after several years, we weren't really moving past the plagiarize this paragraph but dress it up a bit b/f you turn it in phase.

 

Honestly, I would have said that I tend toward ruthless. I know when I was a tchr in a school, it would have been an F with no second chances. Either I have mellowed with age or experience has taught me better. I'm not sure. Now, though, I'd give the F but I'd give the second chance.

 

I'd certainly discuss plagiarizing with not only that student but all the students and all the parents and discuss your expectation and really, carefully define plagiarism.

 

Of course, we don't really know the details. Word for word seems like shameless plagiarizing but maybe she's just really good at remembering the paragraph and when she recreated it from her out line, she got lucky.

Maybe the step b/t reading and rewriting (the key word outline) was just one little step that doesnt' seem that important and why not just copy it? I might even come off the F if she seemed to really believe that she did the right thing a la IEW, et c.

 

Maybe she was abducted by aliens and they made her do it. We don't know what happened, really. I'm just saying that I think an F and a second chance would hopefully teach her justice AND mercy. ANd she'll still have a writing class to go to to learn better.

 

Now a third chance? no.

Edited October 5, 2010 by MomOfOneFunOne

[WishboneDawn]

I just discovered that a paper written by one of my co-op class students is plagiarized from a synopsis of the book she was assigned to write about. She did not change one word of what was on the website. I am so disappointed and disgusted. What should I do?

 

Completely straight faced I'd say, "It was kind of you to submit this for the real author at *name of website* but can you get me his/her address so I can send their grade on to them? And you know your paper is late, right? You have until tomorrow but I'll have to dock *certain number* of points for tardiness."

 

Any arguments can be waved off. Then deal will plagarism in the next class with some pointed looks at the student.

 

Shame can work wonders. I plagarized a Nat. Geographic article in grade 5 or 6 myself. I didn't realize it was wrong but my teacher handled it in a very similar and rather subtle way ("next time you do this please make sure you don't put your name on it") that embarrassed me completely and made me VERY careful for the rest of my paper writing career. :D

[FloridaLisa]

I once copied a friend's essay. It was a stupid, stress-induced choice. I was feeling really desperate at the time. Until that point I was a perfect student. I was in 10th grade; I knew better; I still did it in a moment of panic.

 

This is exactly why I would not expel. This is a golden experience for her to learn that she must do the hard thing (Harris, Brett and Alex :D) whether she's up against a deadline, doesn't understand the material or too lazy to write her own. I don't think expelling really educates her, which is probably the goal.

 

Just MHO,

Lisa

[unsinkable]

Completely straight faced I'd say, "It was kind of you to submit this for the real author at *name of website* but can you get me his/her address so I can send their grade on to them? And you know your paper is late, right? You have until tomorrow but I'll have to dock *certain number* of points for tardiness."

 

Any arguments can be waved off. Then deal will plagarism in the next class with some pointed looks at the student.

 

Shame can work wonders. I plagarized a Nat. Geographic article in grade 5 or 6 myself. I didn't realize it was wrong but my teacher handled it in a very similar and rather subtle way ("next time you do this please make sure you don't put your name on it") that embarrassed me completely and made me VERY careful for the rest of my paper writing career. :D

 

So you made an honest mistake, your teacher embarrassed you and now you advocate using shame to teach lessons in what may be a similar situation?

 

This doesn't make sense to me. :confused:

 

I would think you would feel the opposite. If an honest mistake is made, why shame and embarrass?

[Pippen]

You really won the over to your side instead of creating an adversarial relationship! Cool! I'm storing this one away...

 

Chalk that one up to experience: when I was a new teacher I handled a "cheating" situation very badly. I was both wrong about the cheating and in how I approached it.

 

When it comes to genuine cheating or other big issues, having a strong relationship with the kids makes all the difference. They know they've let you down and have a desire to preserve the relationship, and will be less likely to nurse a grudge.

[Paige]

I would talk with her privately before making a firm decision. I had a teacher accuse me of plagiarizing once and I was so upset and offended because that had not been my intention at all. It really hurt me that the teacher had assumed that I had cheated when I had actually spent an enormous amount of time and effort on it.

 

We had not been taught how to do a real works cited page with internal citations and I had done my best. I did cite the sources in a reference page but that was not enough. The paper was on some very scientific and technical things and I had no idea how to translate that into my own words. I even looked up if I needed to site it and decided I didn't need to do more because I was giving a "definition" and definitions didn't need to be cited according to my misinterpretation of what I had read. I was about 14 or 15 too- so presumably old enough to know better, but really- I didn't know better.

 

If it were me, I would pull her aside and talk with her first. Then, decide whether she should redo it for partial credit or get a 0 depending on how that conversation goes, and then do a very in depth lesson on proper citation. I think kids today have it even harder than we do because of websites and online journal sources and how fluid information on the internet is.

[Leanna Tomlinson]

Well, first of all I'd like to say Please Don't Get Mad at Me!

 

Second of all, er, maybe this girl is the product of a "classical education" in which she had only gotten so far with her mom. If she has been doing IEW (I know) or Classical Writing (it seems from what I've read) she's been taught to plagiarize in my tiny little humble opinion. That was one of my problems with IEW, after several years, we weren't really moving past the plagiarize this paragraph but dress it up a bit b/f you turn it in phase.

 

 

:iagree: When I started encountering plagiarism in my classes, my students told me that their IEW training contributed to the problem. Many kids were just doing what they'd always done. They took someone else's paragraph, changed a few sentence openers, changed a few verbs, added a "dress-up" or two, and called it their own.

[Tidbits of Learning]

I noticed that we still don't know the child's age and grade or what type of class. Our co-op is not very academic, but has book study classes as well as music, art, and drama. Not all parents use the same curriculum and if the child is young this may not have come up yet.

I know my 4th and 5th graders are just being required to research things on the internet and write about them. They also are just now being expected to write story summaries without being spoonfed questions about the story first.

My dd9 about 2 weeks ago was supposed to write a story summary on The Boxcar Children. She was having a really difficult time looking at the blank paper and trying to come up with something. She could answer questions about the story to me, but she couldn't turn it into paragraph form. So I showed her the synopsis on the back of the book to give her an idea of how to write a summary and I walked away.

I assumed that she knew not to copy the back of the book. I assumed wrong. She had written very carefully in very neat writing word for word. We had to talk about why that was wrong and how she could use the back of the book as a tool, but not copy it exactly. If you copy more than 3 words, it is considered plagiarism.

I hadn't had that talk with her and she really had no clue. Her previous experience was hand held writing. I had showed her the synopsis and walked away. If I hadn't been required to grade it as her teacher, then I may not have looked at it so carefully again. If she was turning it in for a teacher, then I may have just read the paper and gave her a pat on the back without looking at the back of the book cover. I may not have realized that my suggestion to look on the back of the book cover had led her to copy it exactly.

I personally would email the parent and say that I needed to talk with them and the child. I would have a copy of the internet synopsis and I would ask the child how they wrote the paper. No accusations. Just simple what steps did you go about when writing the paper. If the child mentions the web article, then I would go from there.

Edited October 5, 2010 by OpenMinded

[Gooblink]

I would talk with her privately before making a firm decision. I had a teacher accuse me of plagiarizing once and I was so upset and offended because that had not been my intention at all. It really hurt me that the teacher had assumed that I had cheated when I had actually spent an enormous amount of time and effort on it.

 

We had not been taught how to do a real works cited page with internal citations and I had done my best. I did cite the sources in a reference page but that was not enough. The paper was on some very scientific and technical things and I had no idea how to translate that into my own words. I even looked up if I needed to site it and decided I didn't need to do more because I was giving a "definition" and definitions didn't need to be cited according to my misinterpretation of what I had read. I was about 14 or 15 too- so presumably old enough to know better, but really- I didn't know better.

 

If it were me, I would pull her aside and talk with her first. Then, decide whether she should redo it for partial credit or get a 0 depending on how that conversation goes, and then do a very in depth lesson on proper citation. I think kids today have it even harder than we do because of websites and online journal sources and how fluid information on the internet is.

 

 

:iagree: with your approach.

 

Regarding the bolded part: My sister reviews doctoral level student papers and routinely finds plagiarized pieces.

 

Remember the case of Helene Hegemann, the German author who lifted heavily from another author but made the case she was "mixing," not "plagiarizing"? Her book still became a best seller.

 

I'm afraid plagiarism is going to go the way of victimless crimes and no longer be punishable by law. Time will tell.

[Caitilin]

The student in question is not my own child; she is 15 or 16 years old. She simply cut and pasted the synopsis off a website. She changed nothing, nothing at all. I know she has not received decent writing instruction at home--but this is inexcusable. :cursing::banghead: :mad:

[michelle l]

Well....yes and no. She should know better. She probably does know better. But if she didn't have the skills needed to complete the assignmnet, she may have felt quite desperate.

 

Even if that's not the case, and she simply used poor judgement, you need to handle it in a way that teaches and corrects, rather in a way that simply punishes, and that can have a lot to due with the attitude you bring to the situation. Shaming, in my opinion, should not even be an option.

 

In my mind, you want to do to things. First, you want to give an appropriate consequence, whether it's an automatic F on the assignment or having her redo the assignment with a significant percentage off the grade. (and here, you or someone else might need to take the time to go through the writing process with her teach her so she can at least begin to develop the skills needed) Second, you want to bring an attitude to the conversation that keeps her heart in mind. You can be firm while also remembering that you are dealing with a person, not simply an offender. Handle the situation with integrity.

[Haiku]

What should I do?

 

Print off the original from online, staple it to her paper, and give it back to her. Give her a big fat zero. Do not allow her to redo it. Tell her that cheaters fail your class. Perhaps make a comment about the money she or her parents are wasting on this education.

 

ETA: I am surprised by the number of people who are advocating some degree of leniency in this. To me, that comes off as coddling. Teenagers need to be responsible for their own mistakes. There is no way this kid could have believed what she was doing was ok, and she needs real-world consequences, not warm fuzzies and excuses.

 

Tara

Edited October 5, 2010 by TaraTheLiberator

[Pamela H in Texas]

Betty, an F may well be appropriate. Even if she had no clue about plagiarism and the wrongness of it, you're right, she had no intention on doing the work. Copy and pasting is effort worth an F. I agree there.

 

I guess I see this as much bigger than that though. This child, regardless of age, needs to know how serious of a situation this is. Sure, expelling her from the class and possibly even JUST the F will give her that message. However, as a parent of a teen who did similarly, I could tell he just didn't get it. And in that case, it just is VERY important to get the message out to this child and the rest of the class.

 

BTW, my daughter (18) disagrees with me. She agrees with how things were handled with my son; but says that he's "different." She thinks the average secondary student knows, to a large degree, that it is wrong. She also says that her 7th grade LA program went over this information, including plagiarism itself.

 

If it were me, the child would get an F (a zero) for the reasons stated above, but I'd allow her to work that grade up to a 70 (or 69 if you just can't see passing it period) if I got a strong, well-thought out paper about plagiarism.

 

And I think it needs to be discussed in class.

Edited October 5, 2010 by 2J5M9K

[VBoulden]

I'd call a meeting with the girl and her parents.

 

Present them with the evidence and let her know how disappointed you are.

 

After that I'd leave it in the parent's hands as to how to deal with it.

 

It's up to you whether you give her a second chance in your class.....I wouldn't, but that's me :001_smile: .

:iagree:

[In The Great White North]

The usual punishment for plagiarism is to get an F and to be expelled from the class.

 

I've never heard of being expelled from high school classes for plagiarism. Drugs, yes; guns, yes, plagiarism, no.

 

Time to have a class lesson on plagiarism and ethics.

This. Definitely. They need to hear it again and again, and from different sources.

 

Attach a printout of the online copy to the one sher turned in and write "Please see me" on the front. You should also make sure her parent knows. She should understand that most colleges use an online resource to check for any plagiarism.

 

This too. It will remove any temptation for denial.

 

Give her a big fat zero. Do not allow her to redo it.

Definitely make her redo it. Whether she gets credit for it or not is another question, but she certainly shouldn't get out of doing it.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by WishboneDawn

Completely straight faced I'd say, "It was kind of you to submit this for the real author at *name of website* but can you get me his/her address so I can send their grade on to them? And you know your paper is late, right? You have until tomorrow but I'll have to dock *certain number* of points for tardiness."

 

Any arguments can be waved off. Then deal will plagarism in the next class with some pointed looks at the student.

 

Shame can work wonders. I plagarized a Nat. Geographic article in grade 5 or 6 myself. I didn't realize it was wrong but my teacher handled it in a very similar and rather subtle way ("next time you do this please make sure you don't put your name on it") that embarrassed me completely and made me VERY careful for the rest of my paper writing career. :D

 

So you made an honest mistake, your teacher embarrassed you and now you advocate using shame to teach lessons in what may be a similar situation?

 

Is there any possible way to handle this without embarrassing her? I doubt it. Whether she knew what she was doing or not, she is going to be ashamed after you spell it out for her. Edited October 5, 2010 by In The Great White North

[Harriet Vane]

The usual punishment for plagiarism is to get an F and to be expelled from the class.

 

:iagree:

[Harriet Vane]

Print off the original from online, staple it to her paper, and give it back to her. Give her a big fat zero. Do not allow her to redo it. Tell her that cheaters fail your class. Perhaps make a comment about the money she or her parents are wasting on this education.

 

ETA: I am surprised by the number of people who are advocating some degree of leniency in this. To me, that comes off as coddling. Teenagers need to be responsible for their own mistakes. There is no way this kid could have believed what she was doing was ok, and she needs real-world consequences, not warm fuzzies and excuses.

 

Tara

 

:iagree:

 

So often I find myself agreeing with you, Tara. Makes me wish you lived closer. :)

[Haiku]

Makes me wish you lived closer. :)

 

Me too! Then you could help me dye my hair!! :D

 

Tara

Edited October 5, 2010 by TaraTheLiberator
I apparently forgot how to spell simple words. :o

[WishboneDawn]

So you made an honest mistake, your teacher embarrassed you and now you advocate using shame to teach lessons in what may be a similar situation?

 

This doesn't make sense to me. :confused:

 

I would think you would feel the opposite. If an honest mistake is made, why shame and embarrass?

 

If it was an honest mistake by a generally honest child how could shame and embarrassment be avoided? Those are proper reaction to learning you've done something that's not acceptable.

 

I have huge problems with both emotions being used around sex and body image but in situations of ethical and moral violations, not at all. People should feel shame and embarrassment when they've done something wrong. I think it would have been troubling if I hadn't, whether it was an honest mistake or not.