Session+4


 * Session 4**
 * Learning to ask questions that they can't Google - Plagiarism prevention, developing independent writers** through collaboration, role play and deconstruction of texts.

There are 4 activities in this Session - I suggest you do these over 4 lessons. The students will want to work with one of the 'resources' in their own time!. This builds on sharing and collaborating with the teacher using Google Docs. I am not being explicit about 'naming files', 'recording group names etc., - that's all obvious classroom management stuff and each teacher has their own way they like to orgnise submitted work.

[|Click here to launch the Google Doc for this session]. Also note that I've included some notes on internet safety for signing up online.

The story is availble as an MP3 file. You can use this in class if you have differentiated learner who require an audio file to listen to.

media type="custom" key="1436715"

Reading.

When kids go back to school, parents must think about desk supplies, new shoes, bus schedules and plagiarism. Plagiarism? Yes. The Internet has made it so easy for students to “borrow” the work of others that this particular form of cheating is showing up as early as elementary school.

Ironically, teachers often introduce children to this bad habit. Eager to get them off to a good start on the computer, teachers encourage children to do Internet research before they can actually read and digest the materials they find. Learning to “cut and paste” on the computer is a valuable skill, but many kids quickly jump to the conclusion that the best way to complete a report is to assemble a collection of quotes from other sources.

Even college teachers now complain that students aren’t prepared to do the hard work of thinking and writing that has always been central to education. Many professors are forced to use sophisticated software to identify papers that have been lifted from online sources. When they’re caught, students often claim to be surprised that they’ve done something wrong.

Many schools are initiating programs to help students understand plagiarism and policies to punish those who cheat. Parents also have an important role to play. First, take plagiarism seriously. You knew it was wrong to copy word for word from the encyclopedia when you were in school. Lifting words from an Internet site is just as lazy. You’d be appalled if your child hired another kid to write his papers. Buying a paper from a website like researchpaper.com is every bit as reprehensible. Keep in mind that kids who plagiarize put honest students at a disadvantage. More important, stealing the words of others makes it less likely that kids will learn to think and write for themselves.


 * Preventing Cheating**


 * Keep on track.** Kids are tempted to cheat when they run out of time to do things right. Find out when big projects are due. Put them on a calendar everyone can see. If the teacher has broken down a large project into smaller deadlines, add them to the calendar. If not, help your child create a timetable and put those self-imposed deadlines on the calendar.


 * Discuss collaboration.** Most schools actively teach kids to collaborate on some projects. Talk to your child’s teacher to understand when collaboration is OK and when each person should work independently. Remind your child that collaboration makes sense only when each person does his or her share.


 * Give credit.** Most teachers give students detailed information about how to handle sources for research projects. In general, your child can consider something “common knowledge” after finding it in three or four reliable sources. Otherwise, simple fairness requires that he or she give credit to the person who came up with an original idea or piece of information.


 * “Help” wisely.** Providing answers or doing projects for a child is simply another form of cheating. Even worse, it tells your child you have no confidence in his or her ability to do what needs to be done. Instead, guide your child through homework by asking leading questions, demonstrating processes or pointing out where needed information can be found.