PREVENTING PLAGIARISM

The logical correlation between the aggrandizing problem of the manifestation of plagiarism in student submissions and student proficiency with the internet has become blatantly conspicuous.   An article I read recently in Education World stated that, “According to Plagiarism.org, studies indicate that approximately 74 percent of students admit plagiarizing at least once during the past school year” (http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr390.shtml).  Unfortunately this stat represents a serious lack of due diligence on the part of educators, when explaining or expressing the seriousness of plagiarism in the academic field.   As educators the responsibility falls on our shoulders first, and we must not be found lacking in our approach to the subject of plagiarism as it relates to our classrooms.

The first step to combating plagiarism is to educate ourselves in the multitude of ways that students purposely cheat.   Contemporary methods include purchasing papers from essays mills, copy and paste from web articles, finding and submitting archived essays, and even fabricating citation sources.   Should you discover such an attempt, every good detective knows that the answers we seek can always be found at the scene of the crime.   If your google search yields negative results, a list of paper mills can be found at http://www.coastal.edu/library/presentations/mills2.html  or you could even employ a specific plagiarism detector like those found at (http://plagiarism.bloomfieldmedia.com/z-wordpress/).    Armed with this information an educator can then discuss plagiarism with their students from an informed position.

It should never be assumed that students know what plagiarism is, and an approach from this viewpoint will ensure a comprehensive lesson that will help to remove the excuse of accidental plagiarism from their repertoire.   Prevention is key, and if your students are made aware of the distinct types of plagiarism and also of your capability and willingness to search out plagiarized papers, I believe the number of students cheating will become infinitesimal.   When the chance of success is severely limited by teacher initiative, the stated consequences will far outweigh the reward because the risk will have become too high.   I am a realist however and do understand that there will always be a student who for a plethora of different reasons will find a reason to plagiarize, and for those teachers unable to invest the time online to search I recommend reading an article written by Robert Harris called Anti-Plagiarism Strategies For Research Papers, and I hope it will assist you in the same wonderful way it has helped me. 

Good luck and may all your student’s papers be genuine and informative.   

CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSING

Commonly associated with the world wide web is the concept of universal access to information and indeed this holds true when considering individual research, but the sharing of any direct information such as photos, quotes or even economic charts is almost always prohibited.  Because copyright laws were created before  the idea of the internet was realized, our legal system stymies our ability to share direct and pertinent information that we have unearthed during our research without express permission from the author.   The ability to copy, or edit source is often unavailable without author permission and this ultimately undermines the idea of universal access, thus a solution to the problem was required and Creative Commons Licensing was proposed. (http://creativecommons.org/about)

Creative Commons Licensing was created to allow for the sharing of all knowledge to help promote creativity throughout the world.  Basically, they created a new standardized method for authors to indicate their sharing preferences while maintaining a legal copyright.   With varying degrees of permission ranging from copy only with no commercial use, to fully edit and remix, authors maintain control over their material while legally and simultaneously allowing any and all people to utilize their material in a new work.   Because their is no registration required to use CC(Creative Commons Licensing) an author simply needs to choose one of six licenses that best suits their work and voila, they have shared their material with the world in a manner that benefits both the creator and the consumer.   

For those truly new to the world of CC, Flickr was one of the first online communities to give photographers the ability to share photos with the world on their own terms by incorporating CC options into its user interface.   Current numbers would suggest a huge success with over 200 million images on Flickr being shared and while this alone might not excite you, I would hope that as educators the notion that a single idea  can be considered, revised, or added to by a group of one billion people, and can maintain its integrity by legally acknowledging the contributions of every author that invokes change, should. (http://creativecommons.org/about)

As the Occupy Movement begins to regain form, and the tuition strikes in Montreal wind down, I am reminded that the free exchange of knowledge is essential for the promotion of the common good.  The elimination of the restrictions upon scholarly materials not only encourages collaboration among teachers, but allows for the presentation of the best material and information to the very students that we have dedicated ourselves to teaching.  In the end it is all about the students, and once we rid ourselves of the selfish act of hoarding inspirational ideas for our own success, the sooner we can do the world a favor by educating its students with the same and best knowledge, available to us all.   Below is a video that further explains the uses and nuances of Creative Commons Licensing.        

                                                             

                                                                     

PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORKS

Devising a lesson plan that provokes thought, induces comprehension, and incites new ideas is simply not enough to meet today's educational standards.    Yes it is the prerequisite to teaching a class, but the second the educator stops learning about the subject and stops revising the lesson plan, it and the teacher become static.  
    
Traditional learning for educators has come by way of going to university, or taking classes during the summer months, and all of these options take time, commitment and money.    Because of this many fall into the status quo, and leave a good thing alone.   "If it worked well for one class of students, it should work for the many others that follow."  In today's learning climate this is simply unacceptable, and one solution which will help both teacher and students learn is the idea of personal learning networks.


Personal learning networks are created by the individual learner and are specific to the learner’s needs extending relevant learning connections to like-interested people around the globe.  Access to leaders and experts around the world is now possible, and communities can come together to provide resources and information impossible to access solely from within school walls.  The physical space that we reside in no longer affects our ability to learn.  We can build our own classrooms,   connect with others around ideas that we are passionate about, and that passion will only further incite the learning process because the topics of discussion will be things we truly wish to learn about.


Personal Learning Networks are two way streets requiring a member to both consume and contribute information shared by the group.   It is only as good as it's members and all educators should utilize them not only to avoid becoming static learners and teachers, but also to understand their nuances for use in the classroom setting. Teacher participation in a PLN would also serve as an appropriate model for students to follow, to ensure appropriate and ethical interactions and to help shape learning experiences.
   
Ideas can and always will evolve when more than one person is considering the notion.  We place our students into groups not only to compare ideas, but so they can have others help them expand their thoughts or realize the full potential of their idea. When this synthesis occurs not only is it proven that the comprehension of the material is enhanced, but the material itself is actually enriched through the student's engagement with it. Why then, would we as educators not choose to learn the very way that we realize is the most proficient. Of course our independent investigation is still relevant, however the information that we glean from our research can be enhanced to a higher level that may have taken us years to reach, simply by allowing others to assist with our thought process.                 


Constructive criticism is a great tool for teaching, whereas constructive collaboration is a great tool for learning; once we fully grasp this notion we as educators can stop teaching ourselves the material we are going to present, and can truly start to learn it together.

     

PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING: TED Ed.

After an invigorating lesson by a teacher or professor such as the one I experienced today, we as students often go home inspired to change our lives and are eager to share our new knowledge with the people in our lives that matter most. I learned today that this approach is lacking, and that ideas worth remembering should be shared with everybody and not just with the lucky few exposed to the lesson. Principal Donna Frye of Nipigon Red Rock District High School was a guest lecturer in my education class this evening and she spoke of "The Networked Teacher".   A teacher that utilizes the networks of Twitter, Facebook, Edmodo or even blogs, is a teacher that realizes the benefit of collaboration.  The best ideas are the ideas that evolve out of collaboration, and the "Networked Teacher" will always have access to these ideas.   

Sometimes the charisma of a presenter adds to the lesson, and if an educator is connected, they can include this presenter in their classroom.   All one has to do is connect with others, collaborate on materials, contribute thoughtfully to the community, and they will have a wealth of valuable information at their fingertips at any given time.   The goal is to always continue your learning.  By getting and staying actively networked an educator promotes his or her learning on a daily basis, and this process serves as a model for any student to emulate in their future endeavors.

As a result, I decided to share the idea of networking with you and by coincidence I came across this video in the news that exemplifies the power behind networking and sharing with other educators across the world.               

WEB 2.0 THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION

     Unless we as educators choose to enhance our teaching methods by embracing the two way medium that is web 2.0, and change the way we profess upon our students, we seriously run the risk of delaying and destroying the progress of many educational careers. The practice of employing instructional methods that function to serve the needs of the institution over the needs of the individual student has outlived its usefulness, and e-learning will serve as its successor.

     Now before you advert your eyes from this page, allow me to usher in a new understanding of e-learning, as I am not referring to the previous stagnant process of static learning.    Instead, consider an atmosphere where each student communicates thoughtfully to one another, always taking each other’s opinion into consideration when transforming ideas into solutions to solve provocative questions.  A place where student creativity is unharnessed, and the expansion of knowledge is not only catalogued by those who achieve and excel, but also reflected upon to assist others along their journey to understanding.  This place has earned the moniker Web 2.0, and the best part is when your students go home to complete their homework, the classroom community is still there for them to interact with and rely upon.

     The phenomena of Facebook and MySpace has consumed all of our children in North America to the point where their absence from one of these social networking sites means the withdrawal from the society that they as children have chosen to exist in.   Each child who turns on their computer and enters into one of these or many other social networking sites, enters a society that is ruled by the people who interact within the group.   Each child carefully constructs their online identity utilizing videos, pictures, podcasts, or whatever media they choose to depict the image they wish to convey.   Any content that can be construed as outside the norm for the group is subject to ridicule, therefor each contribution is carefully contrived and often revisited for updates to ensure a depiction of the wanted image.   All knowledge acquired through this creation and dissemination of information is unguided and often lacks depth and critical inquiry.   This is where we as educators must intervene to provide integrity to the knowledge consumed by our students, and we must do it by entering, or at least mirroring the communities that they have chosen to interact with.

         Web 2.0 offers many tools such as: blogging, wiki, podcasting, social communities, animation programs, and most can be utilized in the classroom.    For example, when students blog they are essentially journaling or recording their thought processes over time which serves as a touchstone for them to later expound from when applying new concepts or ideas. The author of the blog is not alone after he submits his thoughts as blogs also allow readers to comment, and this contribution can be from other students or teachers or even larger audiences depending on the settings employed. The result being a final product derived from a community contribution that created their own understanding for a given problem or situation. 

      In embracing this idea I have created a lesson plan utilizing a Web 2.0 program called Edmodo, which will incorporate group blogs, and Prezi posters into the lesson plan. Edmodo allows me to upload a library of videos, slides and links for all the information that the students will require which enables me to keep them from straying into parts of the web that would prove harmful to their learning.   The group blog allows each group of five to collaborate on a piece of writing that will be constantly improved upon as they expand their knowledge on the subject, and this writing can be edited together while in the safety of their own homes.  The use of Prezi will allow those students who best convey their understanding of a subject through forms of expression other than writing, to offer motivated contributions to the group.   To sum up, if you are on the fence about embracing technology, I encourage you to at least try Edmodo.  It is a tool which allows parents to watch but not interact, allows students to interact as they would on facebook, and because of this as a teacher you get to observe all of the contributions by each group member. You are therefore privy to information that allows you to assist individuals in their educational development that you might not have been privy to using old techniques of group work.    

MINISTRY PROVIDED DIGITAL RESOURCES

     As a teacher, or in this case a student aspiring to become a teacher,   one is constantly faced with the sometimes daunting task of improving themselves by enhancing their ability to reach and instruct their students.   After spending hour after hour researching available lesson plans online for ideas just to tweak a lesson here or there, or for ideas that might assist in upgrading the presentation method I have discovered Ministry provided digital resources.
    Resources sponsored by the Ministry of Education of Ontario provide teachers with a conglomerate of information and assistive tools to empower themselves to learn and teach by contemporary methods in an attempt to better reach our students, and I must say, the results are promising.  The good people at the Education Equality and Accountability Office <EQAO>   provide statistics which offer 2010 statistics showing Ontario as the only jurisdiction whose students tested above the Canadian average in all three subjects of reading, math, and science on the PCAP test.  I know I know,  statistics can be skewed to say what they want,  but this website is different.   The EQAO framework places student achievement into perspective considering demographic, and other key environmental information, and all of the information gathered is shared with whomever wishes to access it and apply it to every situation  imaginable to encourage the growth and betterment of the education program. 
     The time has arrived for educators to admit that there are areas they need to improve upon, and the mistakes made along the journey to progress are what enables us to implement curriculum and lesson planning that engages and benefits the youth of the 21st Century.    The Ontario Focused Intervention Partnership,<OFIP>  is a Ministry of Education initiative designed to  improve student learning and achievement, and a lot of attention is focused on the educators.   Lucy West provides several ideas on the site of how to carry teachers and their thinking forward and through the use of video and powerpoint presentations, she discusses confusing compliance with learning, and enlightens educators about the benefits of incorporating learning communities into their teaching strategy. 
     I do believe amongst all of the effort put forth to reach students of the digital age, we as educators would be remiss if we forgot to reach those citizens that don't attend our classrooms.  There are many that are schooled at home for a variety of reasons, and if our goal is to send educated young minds into the world we leave behind, then we should attempt to reach all of them, and that is where e-Learning Ontario plays a role. (ELO)   This site not only offers a platform for teachers to discuss contemporary issues in the education field such as full day kindergarten, but also, parents can gather here to see what programs are offered for their children while finding instruction on subjects so they may assist their children in the learning process.  Students themselves are exposed to lessons created by some of the best teachers in Ontario, and are able to achieve accreditation for courses they completed without ever stepping foot in a classroom.   Think of the numbers of students challenged by mental and physical disabilities that prefer the comfort of home to the exposure of the uncontrolled environment!    
     It is my contention, and I know that I am not alone when I say that many students who quit school, do so because they don't agree with the education process and the rules that are instituted in the archaic institution of school.   Many are more than capable of the understanding what is required to pass classroom subjects, but their nature of thinking outside the box precludes them from falling into line and partaking in something because they are told that is the way society dictates it.   Instead, we can let them learn in their own environment conducive to learning, and maybe increase the numbers of grade 12 graduates we produce every year without affecting the institutions of education that prefer the proverbial status quo.    If this reaches you at any level, I encourage you to explore the sites I mentioned, as they are very progressive along a good number of other sites provided by the Ministry that the concise writing of a blog prevents me from writing about at this time.     
      

DIGITAL FOOTPRINT

As many politicians are becoming acutely aware, a person's past or their former identity if you will, is quite accessible on the internet whether they know it or not.   A person's digital footprint is far more detailed than the information that they would willingly share with the public and for persons entering the workforce or professionals subject to the public light,  this can have devastating consequences.   A quick name search on Pipl.com can reveal a person's social networking activities, their associates and often times the digital dirt is accompanied by photos that one might not want disseminated to their family let alone to possible employers.   The good news though is that it is  not too late!!!  

I am rather lucky in some respects in that when Facebook was created I was a police officer, and we were warned of possible repercussions should any information depicting any activities not deemed professional arise, thus my digital footprint is almost non existent.   As a student aspiring to become a professional educator, the rules remain the same but the game has changed drastically thanks to technological advances.    

What I am tempted to do is warn you about the dangers of almost everyone carrying a camera in their pocket, or about the availability of your private transactions including your browsing history to any person willing to take the time to investigate your online activities.   But, I do not feel that it would be productive nor would it conform with this blog site which is evaluating the uses of technology.  

Instead,  I implore people to become informed and be responsible.   As a starting point I recommend completing this quiz at Discovery by Koppel to gain an awareness of just how much of your life is recorded by both the business world and the government.  Next, by discovering, modifying and continually monitoring your digital profile, you can use the internet as an appropriate venue to promote your worth to potential employers.   Create blogs and websites to demonstrate your interests and your knowledge base, and link them all together so that you are easier to find.  By creating this digital dossier if you will, perhaps your online activities will serve to better promote your thoughts to a potential employer or client in a way that is often difficult during the interview process.   So take advantage of what was a "Eureka!" moment for myself, always conduct your online activities in a professional manner and promote the identity that you strive for!!!!   

Coming up next.....       Ministry provided digital resources for both the teacher and the student.