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Talking plagiarism with students

Today I spent some time with students discussing the issue of plagiarism. It’s an important issue to discuss, and one that I would prefer to cover at the start of the year rather than nearer the end of it, but I take heart from the fact that we are having these important discussions with our student population. I thought I’d share some of the resources I used to put my presentation together. First up, I think it’s important to note that one of the General capabilities that need to be addressed in the upcoming Australian Curriculum is Ethical behaviour. Here’s the information pertinent to this from the Australian Curriculum site.

In the Australian Curriculum students develop ethical behaviour as they learn to understand and act in accordance with ethical principles. This includes understanding the role of ethical principles, values and virtues in human life; acting with moral integrity; acting with regard for others; and having a desire and capacity to work for the common good. As they develop ethical behaviour students learn to:

  • recognise that everyday life involves consideration of competing values, rights, interests and social norms
  • identify and investigate moral dimensions in issues
  • develop an increasingly complex understanding of ethical concepts, the status of moral knowledge and accepted values and ethical principles
  • explore questions such as:
    • What is the meaning of right and wrong and can I be sure that I am right?
    • Why should I act morally?
    • Is it ever morally justifiable to lie?
    • What role should intuition, reason, emotion, duty or self-interest have in ethical decision making?

Understanding the need to behave with academic honesty certainly is an ethical understanding our students need to have.

The definition of plagiarism I used came from the Smartcopying website, an excellent source of information about copyright for Australian schools and TAFE institutions.

“Plagiarism occurs where a student uses someone else’s ideas or words in their work and pretends they are their own. If the student has used a lot of someone else’s words without that person’s permission, copyright infringement may also occur.”

A conversation like this can be a bit dry, so I used some recent controversy surrounding Beyonce  and accusations of plagiarism of choreography to spark the student’s interest. Watch for yourself to see what you think.

Interestingly, I’ve just seen a post where Beyonce has admitted that the Belgian choreographer’s work was an influence on her latest video. I’ll keep watching this story as it’s bound to have some good fodder for future discussions with students.

We explored our school’s plagiarism policy and discussed actions the students could take to avoid falling into the plagiarism trap. We discussed effective notetaking, and techniques such as making dot points under information they might have cut and pasted from the internet to ensure they synthesise the information and write in their own words. The importance of proper attribution of resources they have used in a bibliography was explored, and I reminded them of the SLASA  online referencing generator we have subscribed to, and mentioned EasyBib, as we are just starting the process of subscribing to this and think it is going to be incredibly useful for our student population. (We need to use APA style here in Australia, hence the need to purchase a site license rather than use the free version).

I wanted our students to understanding the view Universities take on incidents of plagiarism, so we took a look at the University of Melbourne’s page about Academic honesty and plagiarism. 

 

I really liked the quote they use on their page, and made a point of discussing it in detail.

The most important attribute that the University of Melbourne would like to see in its graduates is a profound respect for truth, and for the ethics of scholarship. The reason why this is so important is that we want our graduates to be capable of independent thought, to be able to do their own work, and to know how to acknowledge the work of others.
Professor Peter McPhee (Provost 2007-9)

We had noted that the University of Melbourne uses Turnitin to check for incidents of plagiarism, something we do not have at our school. I showed the students Plagiarism Checker and explained how we are able to insert text and receive a list of Google links that may provide the source of where they have obtained information, if they have indeed plagiarised.

I then thought it wise to show the students a site they could use to help them check their work for incidents of plagiarism. We have to always remember we are dealing with young people, and even though they may have been part of a discussion like this, there’s no guarantee what they have heard has stuck. Sometimes, their issues with plagiarism are not because they have deliberately intended to cheat, but more because they have not understood that cutting and pasting people’s ideas is the wrong thing to do. I showed them PaperRater, and there was a fair bit of interest in this site.

I’ve only just discovered this site thanks to a tweet in recent days, so I haven’t had time to check its effectiveness. Another similar site is Grammarly, and I discovered this when I saw my son using it recently. He was using it to check the quality of the grammar in his writing, and I have to say, I was pretty impressed that he was the least bit interested!

I need to learn more about these sites, who is behind them, and how they work. If anyone is armed with more knowledge that will help us all out in understanding them more, I’d appreciate you leaving some feedback as a comment.

I’m pretty sure today’s discussion went somewhere towards hitting the mark with these students. This is the kind of discussion we need to continually revisit in our schools, even when kids tell us they’ve heard it all before!

 

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School’s out Friday

Remember Meatloaf? The singer, not the oven baked variety. When I heard he was the pre-match entertainment for the AFL Grand Final, I was looking forward to what I thought would be a pretty specky performance. Now I’m certainly no great shakes as a singer by any stretch, but after watching this, I’m pretty sure you’ll come to the conclusion that maybe he has been oven baked. The true magic happens between minutes 6 and 7, so do tune in until then. I’ve enjoyed watching the body language of the guy playing the keyboard – make sure you pay attention. According to a YouTube comment, he redeemed himself at his October 6th concert in Brisbane. I hope so- he was certainly an entertainer of some merit in his time.  *unfortunately, this review from the Sydney Morning Herald tells another story. : (

School’s still out here until next Monday, and already I can feel the weight of it resting on my shoulders. Holidays are funny things; you feel so light and untethered in the first week, then the slow creep of the next term starts to wind itself into your subconscious, and the leash of expectation begins to pull harder on you. This weekend will see me trying to clean out the linen cupboard, and attend to any other unfinished tasks I promised myself I would do. Let’s see how far I get!

Enjoy whatever comes your way this weekend. Hope it’s a good one. : )

 

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Thanks Steve. You will be missed.

Hugh MacLeod shared this today on his blog, as a tribute to the life of Steve Jobs. It’s the text from an ad made by the Apple Corporation, and it seems fitting to view it with Steve in mind now.

It seems there are many of us around the world feeling sad about Steve’s passing. I wrote a post about Steve’s 2005 Stanford commencement address last year. It made a real impact on me at the time, seeing inside the private man and hearing him talk of his experience with cancer and his attitude toward death. I showed it to a group of students when we were involved in a camp experience about creativity, and many of them were moved by his words. The ones that stuck with me were the following,

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

It seems I need to return to these words from time to time. As most of us know, having the conviction that education can be done differently is not the easiest path to tread. You face naysayers, you’re constantly confronted with dogma. Steve’s words and example help me to trust my inner voice and encourage me to follow my heart and intuition.

Thanks for that Steve. You will be missed.

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New additions to our library – including iPads as OPACS

We recently made some purchases for our new library that have helped to make the space feel more like our original plan for a comfortable, welcoming centre that meets the needs of our student population. I thought I’d share a few pics here.

We originally planned on having traditional computers as OPACS, but earlier in the year I saw a post on a listserv talking of how a school had used iPads for catalogue searching, and I redirected the planned funding to the purchase of four iPads. We have mounted an iPad cover to the end panels and insert the iPads in them every morning, and take them out for charging at the end of each day. Because they hold their charge so well, they last most of the day with the image fixed on our library catalogue. We have been really surprised at how much use they have had. There’s the novelty factor that kicked in early, but that’s worn off and they are getting consistent use as a search terminal. They’re a definite winner!

We made some purchases from Dare Gallery of couches and ottomans for the area we have coined the conference room space. It was full of flip tables and chairs, and even though it was easy to reconfigure for different occasions, it wasn’t part of the vision we had for the space. Even though Dare Gallery sent the wrong colour furniture (these couches and ottomans are supposed to be purple and lime! – they are sending replacements for us) their inclusion in the space has transformed its use. It feels so much friendlier, and class groups using the space gravitate to the couches. Teachers have commented on the changing feel of the room, and have recognised that we are moving closer to the vision we originally articulated.

Here’s a picture of a working library- messy circulation desk and all! The blue chairs aren’t part of our vision, but the vinyl lettering was, and using some key words on places like this desk and walls has added warmth and interest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are a 1:1 laptop school, so there is not a pressing need for banks of computers throughout our library. The addition of this row of four Mac computers has made a difference to this space though. They are getting frequent use from students who come in during breaks without their laptops, and by students who have computers in for repair.

This ZigZag bookshelf and ottoman were other purchases from Dare gallery. It’s a cute little nook and we are planning to display new fiction, non fiction and magazines. It’s anice focal point when people enter the main library space, as you can see from the picture below. In the background, you can see a silver screen. These are tri panelled. We have purchased two of these and can see them being moved around to create private spaces for small groups.

The placement of this orange couch in front of our tiered beanbag room has helped to create another area for students to relax. They have really appreciated the inclusion of more couches into our library space.

We’ve been really pleased with the snake lounge (our term for the winding purpose built lounge that snakes through the main library space and defines areas) and the functionality it affords. At the end of term we used its benchtops to display holiday reading options for staff and students.

Our library is making its way to the original vision we had for the interior fit out. Hopefully our budgets will allow us to fulfill more of the vision we have for it in the coming year.

 

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Sometimes, Twitter raises my stress levels

One thing I’ve noticed during this holiday break, is that increased access to Twitter is raising my stress levels.

Why, I hear you asking?

During the working week, my exposure to Twitter is infrequent. I read and share when I can, and that’s usually at the end of a working day. I just don’t have time to check in regularly at work, unless I’m seeking information to help us solve an issue. Holidays afford me the leisure of watching the stream more frequently throughout the day, but I’m noticing the obsessive hold it can have on you. What comes with the stream is the need to read more, to engage with the content, to think. I’m supposed to be relaxing, and instead my mind is racing as I think about the recent changes to Facebook and what that might mean for our students, the release of the Kindle Fire, Seth Godin’s thoughts about  the forever recession and the coming revolution, and just what on earth is Google Gravity?

Maybe it’s because I’d found what I thought was a kind of balance in my life in recent times, that this imbalance seems to make my heart and mind race.

I know the answer. Tune out. Check in at set times. Don’t constantly watch the stream. All things I’ve told myself before, but I think I need reminding…

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School’s out Friday

This is the second time I’ve posted a Halloween video from Matthew Weathers, a Maths Lecturer at Biola University in California. As one of the comments on YouTube says about him, “You are seriously the coolest teacher in the planet.” Halloween’s approaching pretty fast; Matthew better start planning if he’s going to come up with something to rival this!

It’s school holidays here in Victoria, and I’ve had a bit of a lazy week. Not that I’m complaining. Lazy beats frantically busy right now! One thing I have been able to do is to keep up with my Twitter and Google+ stream, and there have been some interesting announcements over the past week. Things are firing up in the Tablet market with the release of the Kindle Fire. It’s a Kindle for movies, music, apps, games, reading & more. The price point, US $199, might just make it a serious contender up against the iPad 2.

It’s powered by a Cloud Accelerated browser they are calling Amazon Silk. What they are doing is utilising the Amazon cloud to provide a faster user experience and to enable streaming for your content. Rather than me try to explain what that means, take a look at the experts from Amazon explaining it below.

It’s release date in the US is November the 15th, and as yet, there seems to be no information about when we might be able to obtain it here in Australia. If they’re smart, they’ll make sure it’s available prior to Christmas. I could see quite a few Yuletide stockings being filled with one of these.

Enjoy the weekend. AFL Grand Final day here in Melbourne tomorrow. I’m gunning for Geelong – go Cats!

 

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TAGGED – A cautionary tale about cyberbullying and sexting from acma

Make sure you watch this brilliant piece of film-making here from the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s Cybersmart program, and then champion for it to be shown to students in your schools. I’m sure this 18 minute film will relay the important message of protecting yourself and others online, far more effectively than any lecture from a teacher. From the acma site:

Tagged is supported by lesson plans and compelling character reflection interviews. It explores themes of personal and peer safety and responsibility that are crucial to maintaining positive online behaviours and digital reputation into adulthood.

Thanks go to acma for working so hard to ensure quality resources are available for teachers not only in Australia, but worldwide. These issues cross all continents, and a resource like this can be used in classrooms everywhere.

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A Shoe Story

I’m fussy about the shoes I wear. I don’t like shoes that make me feel masculine; I like a feminine cut and something that’s stylish. That doesn’t mean I’m teetering around on stiletto heels or anything like that. Far from it in fact, but I will sacrifice comfort if it means I’m wearing a shoe that I really like.

Which brings me to this week’s tale.

While visiting our close friends this past weekend, I noticed the shoes my God-daughter was wearing. Here, take a look.

Nice shoe, huh? I thought so too. Exactly what I’ve been looking for to help me trek through Italy next term with a group of students. (Lucky me – that’s another tale I’ll be telling soon!) My God-daughter informed me they were Tony Bianco shoes that cost her $190. She had tried to get them from an online site called Styletread for $142, but no stock was available in her size so she’d had to venture to a retail store to make the purchase.

On my return home, I began the search. I found Styletread, located the shoe and saw my size was available. I then thought there might be an even better deal available, so I did a bit more hunting. I discovered a site offering a $10 discount if I input the code on the Styletread site. By 10.30pm Sunday night, I’d placed the order paying $132, and saved myself $58 by doing it this way rather than the traditional retail store method of purchase.

I received an email with details that helped me track the order. I checked around 10.30am this morning (Tuesday), and noted my order had been dispatched from Sydney, had arrived in Melbourne and was with a courier on its way to my address. When I arrived home at 2.30pm this was what greeted me.

Less than 48 hours since I’d placed the order, and the shoes were in my hands. On my feet, actually, and I’m pleased to say they fit perfectly, have a feminine cut and are really comfortable!

So, what’s the lesson here?

The lesson is this. Business models are changing. If I, as a consumer, can save myself $58 on a purchase, not have to leave my home, and have an item on my doorstep in less than 48 hours, then this is something I’m going to do. I’m going to bypass the traditional method of purchasing, and I’m figuring plenty of other people are going to be doing this too. This IS going to have ramifications for society as we know it. I’ve written about this already this year, and I’m starting to wonder what we in schools today are doing to prepare our students for a different way ahead. Are we still fostering ideas of employment in industries that will find themselves in serious decline? Are we thinking about industries that will thrive in new conditions and promise employment opportunities? Are we teaching our students enough about how they might use the Web for interaction and how they create sites that can support new business models?

My shoe purchase tells a story. There are lessons here that need learning.

 

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School’s out Friday

My husband sent this to me this week, and I think my reaction was just as extreme as the guy’s girlfriend! He’s lucky she didn’t keel over from a heart attack!

And because it’s the end of term here in Victoria, here’s another to warm the cockles of your heart and send you off to the holiday break with a smile on your face (if you’re a teacher here in Victoria at least!)

I found this on a Tumblr blog called Dancing Dads, and I think I’m going to have to visit there whenever I’m needing a good laugh. A good laugh is medicine for the soul, and it comes in high doses at this site!

Yes, it’s our spring holiday break here in Victoria, and from my perspective, it couldn’t come soon enough. These last two weeks have been huge for me at work. I’m exhausted and in need of sleep. I’m looking forward to no routine, no school lunches to make, and no alarm waking me at 6.30am. I’m also looking forward to trying to pen a few words here as I feel I’ve seriously neglected this blog of late. Seth Godin wrote a post tonight entitled ‘Talker’s block‘ and it really sounded like me. I have very few problems talking to people about the work I’m doing, but it seems arduous to write it down. I’ve had a blog post simmering for well over two months about the work I’ve been involved with all year, but every time I try to get it finished, something stops me. I need to stop thinking and just write it. When I think about when I started this blog and how I committed to writing nearly every day for 6 months, I really wonder how on earth I managed to do it. So, to get me moving again, I’m going to commit to write at least six posts over the next two weeks. Watch this space!

Have a great weekend. Find some sunshine and warm your bones. : )

 

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School’s out Friday

Surely it’s still Friday somewhere in the world. I hope so, anyway, because my eyes could not stay open last night. It’s that time of the year here; we’re nearing the end of term, planning budgets for 2012, and Speech Night preparations are well underway. This is a lethal cocktail that results in overload and lack of sleep. Worse still, there’s no cure. The work just has to be done.

I struggled a bit to find a vid for this this week, but this enthusiastic Maths teacher warms my heart. If Flo-Rider can help kids learn processes, then more power to teachers like this in my opinion.

It’s Saturday morning, the sun is shining, and it’s supposed to be 26 degrees here today. It doesn’t get better than that!

Enjoy your weekend. Make the most of it. : )