“He’s copying me!” This was the first thing that came to my mind as I began this journey into discussing plagiarism. Even very young children know it is wrong to copy someone. So why is it so easy for people to think it is just fine to copy some one else’s work as long as one does not get caught?
I believe it is because it is way too easy. As technology teacher for grades Kindergarten through fifth grade, I already have some experienced, tech-savvy students. And I have parents bragging how much more their child knows than they do. NOT GOOD! The gap between those who know and feel comfortable around technology and those who can just post pictures on Facebook and check email must narrow. We should not rely on others to develop software to catch cheaters. As this generation of children acquires 21st century skills it is truly our duty to instill the values and sense of responsibility in students not to plagiarize.
This discussion goes beyond the use of technology as the cause of the easing of the view of plagiarism. Cheating has been around for as long as we can remember; the means to the end just changes. When I was discussing this topic with my son, a PhD candidate at Michigan Tech, he was alarming excited about showing me how easy it would be to plagiarize. He proceeded to go on and on about where he could find papers that could not be traced. My eyes just got bigger! I don’t know if the shock came from how easy it was going to be to plagiarize or that he, my son, was so knowledgeable on the topic.
As I continued to reluctantly plagiarize my article the same nagging question came to mind: “This still takes time to change the words, wouldn’t it take just as long to write it? I shared this thought with my son and he said, “But you didn’t even have to think up these ideas.” My retort was, “But I could have.” I tried very hard to plagiarize and scored in the low 80%. It just seemed so labor intensive just because I didn’t want to do my own work. I think the guilt of consciously changing “students” to “children” was overwhelming to me. Thank you, Catholic school!
We may find ourselves in a situation where, as a teacher we have concerns that someone has plagiarized. At my elementary level of instruction we are still at the stage where we are using “copying” to instill good writing habits, so I do not have this worry. But it could happen. I would follow our school policies that luckily are there to support the teacher in this delicate situation. I would certainly bring parents into the investigation when it deemed appropriate. I do not like to think about doing it, but I would hold the student accountable.
Technology is not the bad guy here. It is just a tool that we use to facilitate the act. And as a tool, students must be taught how to use it responsibility. This sense of consciousness should start a young age. Parents and teachers alike must encourage creativity and inspire new ideas. Children need experiences in developing thoughts about different topics in real world settings. I think it is fine to use examples but it is so rewarding to see students “play” with words and explore new ideas based on others.
This responsibility begins right from the start in my technology classes. From kindergarten on, we give credit to our pictures: “Graphics courtesy of Google” is the beginning. Students need to realize right from gate that it is not okay to take someone else’s work and pass it off as your own. This value must be repeated over and over again. No change, no exception. Sorry, that’s they way it is.
Yes, we get our ideas from others. I don’t think any one can deny this fact. But the bottom line for me is if you have taken someone else’s thoughts and results, give them credit!
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