http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/teachers-square-off-over-second-chances-students-caught-192918678.html#more-id
This morning I was checking my mail, and this was the story that Yahoo had placed on the homepage. I know Roy has mentioned this several times in various classes, but here we actually have written documentation to draw on.
I think this draws on exactly what Allyson has been talking about in class. How do we go about punishing the student vs the behaviour? Will this ultimately have the students stop cheating and actually prepare for a test so that they do not have to write it twice?
Yet, while they are going through this process, they are still impacting "justice" as the article states: "that there will still be consequences for the cheater, ranging from contacting parents to suspension from school"
So which is it? Are we punishing the student or the behaviour? Or both? I will admit, I cheated in my younger years, and in some cases I did have the chance to rewrite...did it stop me from doing it again? Nope. What stopped me from doing it again was an honest interest in learning, and sadly that did not occur until university. When I became interested and engaged in the material, I saw a point to learning and I understood that cheating would not accomplish that.
"The district's new policy goes against the provincial government's policy for the set of public exams administered to graduating high school students. Students caught cheating are not only given an automatic zero but also disqualified from writing other exams." Again, which side are we supposed to take? Is the student allowed to take the provincial exam a second time? And really, since it's PROVINCIAL, it will be the exact test, so another student could give them the answers before they go in to write. Or hell, are we supposed to have the government write up a second form of the test, just for those individuals?
Interesting food for thought. I'm not against the policy persay, but it definatly needs some polishing. I do not enjoy the idea of having to take my time away from the material on hand and creating egaging lesson plans to try and come up with another test for the student who didn't try. I also do not want to let these students fall by the wayside just because I did not take the time to help.
I just saw this post Nichelle, and it got me thinking this morning. I am not one to know a lot or anything about policies and laws because frankly they make me panic. This policy seems so strange. If you get caught cheating then you can redo the test or assignment that you cheated on? That seems to me to be making a lot more work for teachers to make multiple copies of the same test/assignment. I personally would not mind doing that if a student was for instance sick and they had to make it up, but for cheating? I am not so sure I would be willing.
ReplyDeleteWhat I also feel like this is saying is that if you cheat you have a second chance, but those that write it on time and study and yet still have trouble with whatever they are being tested on and get a bad mark don't get that grace.
I don't really think that is fair. I would much rather help the student that tries and needs more time etc. than help the student that couldn't take the time to study in the first place.
Another part of me is thinking right now, should we probe the reason as to why the student cheated in the first place? Is it because of laziness? or is it because they had a rough night before the test and didn't have a chance to study. I think you can only do this if you know your students well.
Also, I am not sure if putting in this policy is the right thing. I know I know not all students are college bound, but those that are need to understand how seriously plaigerism and cheating is in the university setting. Does anyone remember seeing the looming red piece of paper? I mean I have known people thrown out of grad school for plaigerism. I don't think this policy allows students to see the gravity of such a situation if they are not penalized for it. Perhaps this policy needs to be married to one with a few more consequences.
Does anyone else feel that all these posts create more questions than they do answers?
Sooo, I quickly skimmed this article and the responses. I vaguely remember bringing this question forward during seminar a while ago. I have thought about this and what I would do is just give that student a harder test. Well, not harder per say, but not the same format as the original test. For example, if the original test is multiple choice, have a short-answer only test as a back-up if students are absent or if someone has been caught cheating. And the student that has been caught cheating- serious consequences for their behaviour (yet to be determined...muahaha).
ReplyDeleteTo prevent cheating during the test it self- have different version. It worked in university, lets use it in high school!
Clearly I am on a chocolate high and going blog crazy...
And yes, Miss. Hart, these posts do create more questions than answers... and therefore I decided to not question and give some suggestions??? Hmmm