The Teacher with Tough Standards: Honesty - Essay Example

The Teacher with Tough Standards: Honesty The Teacher with Tough Standards: Honesty Ms. Christine Pelton, a teacher at Piper High School in Kansas gave her students a project to write for their botany class. This was a botany class for sophomores. The paper was and extensive and was a section of the requirement of the course. When she described the writing portion of the project to the students, she warned them against using papers from the internet and submitting them as their own. The problem to be investigated is about plagiarism made by some of the students and the consequences that followed. The students understood that what they did was wrong. This is because Ms. Pelton had warned them about using papers from the internet and submitting them as their own. She had also told them about the consequences of such an action should it happen. The students also signed a contract agreeing to the said penalty. Despite the fact that the Piper High School handbook on plagiarism offered no explanation, the warning given by Ms. Pelton was enough for students to understand that such an action was wrong. However, they did not understand its extent and consequences because it was not clearly explained in the school`s handbook of plagiarism (Infantino & Wilke, 2009). The penalty was not appropriate. Despite the fact that the penalty could have been expected or correct with respect to the warning that Ms. Pelton gave to the students, it was not appropriate because of certain issues. first, the school`s handbook on plagiarism had not defined clearly whether such a penalty would be given to offences like this one. It offered no explanation on the penalty. This made it unclear for students pertaining to what they could or not use from the internet. She did not refer to the school`s handbook of plagiarism. Ms. Pelton did not consult the school administration or the board of her decision knowing clearly that her decision would have far-reaching effects on students’ grades (Trotter, 2003). The grading modifications that the board required were unjustified. The board did this in haste, was meant to respond to parents` complains, and concerns. The board reserves the right to modify the grading system when it is meant to improve performance in the school. For this to happen, there should be a procedure and plan to be followed. In addition, the teacher responsible for the subject should be consulted. The board did not do any of this. Instead, the board made this decision as a way to resolve the problem. Therefore, the modification is unjustified (Reeves, 2001). Parents are part of the school community. This means that they have the right to be included in the school`s decisions. In the same way, they have a right to complain or express their concern when their children`s performance is affected. The conduct of the parents is justifiable and appropriate under these circumstances. They expressed their dissatisfaction with regard to the manner in which their children`s projects were handled. They acted within their mandate. When the principal and school district superintendent backed Ms. Pelton`s decision, they appealed to the board of the school. They gave reasons and explained why they thought the penalty was unfair. Therefore, parents did all they could to ensure that their children do not get a harsh penalty for a mistake not explained clearly in the handbook of plagiarism (Lathrop & Foss, 2005). A senior from Piper High school, in an interview with CBS News said, “It probably sounds twisted, but I would say that in this day and age, cheating is almost not wrong.” (Jennings, 2008) This statement could be controversial but it is true to a certain extent. Information put on the internet is meant for public use because it is accessible to any person. Taking such information and paraphrasing it to make it appear original is not sufficient. The fact remains it has been taken from someone else. In addition, there is nothing new about a topic that has existed for some time. Sometimes people write sentences thinking that they are their own only to find out later that they are existent. This cannot be said to be cheating because it is creativity. Small percentages of plagiarism are never penalized making it seem acceptable. Therefore, the senior is right when he says, ‘cheating is almost not wrong.’ (Wilgoren, 2002) This happening led to dire consequences for Piper High School and the students. The school saw some of its teachers resign while 50 percent of the teachers expressed their intension for resignation. The schools board was sued for violating open meetings laws. The school`s reputation suffered a negative blow. The students were not spared either. They were mocked and branded plagiarists by students from other schools. Other students have disparaged their academic awards. The students have been the subject of derision from proctors. One student from piper was told that there would be no cheating when she was sitting for a college entrance exam. Therefore, majority of Piper High School students have suffered because of the controversial issue caused by 28 students only (jr., 20002). The copying was unethical. We worry about such conduct because it makes students lazy. If allowed, students will not work hard or read because they will make use of readily available information from the internet. In addition, such conduct kills creativity in the sense that it degrades the work of writers. This conduct is a function of the internet but not an accepted behavior. Information from the internet should help people produce their own by acting as a guide or blueprint. In addition, one can cite the author of a text to avoid cheating. Therefore, this conduct is not acceptable and should be discouraged at all times (Jennings, 2008). In conclusion, the issue that happened at Piper High school led to detrimental consequences. Parents, students, teachers and the board of the school all suffered because of this issue. It was brought about by a small portion of the student population and affected the entire Piper High School community. This was probably caused by lack of clear explanation of the definition, extent of plagiarism and possible penalties. This shows the importance of defining plagiarism and its penalties clearly. In addition, it shows the importance of discouraging it because of its dire consequences. Plagiarism should never be allowed and students must be encouraged to work hard and produce original papers. References Infantino, R. L., & Wilke, R. L. ( 2009). Tough choices for teachers: ethical challenges in todays schools and classrooms. New York: R&L Education. Jennings, M. M. (2008). Business Ethics: Case Studies and Selected Readings. New York: Cengage Learning. jr., J. P. (20002, June 21). Your Kid`s Going to Pay for Cheating Eventually. Retrieved February 14, 2012, from Jewish World Review: http://www.jewishworldreview.com Lathrop, A., & Foss, K. (2005). Guiding students from cheating and plagiarism to honesty and integrity: strategies for change. New York: Libraries Unlimited. Reeves, D. B. (2001). 101 questions & answers about standards, assessment, and accountability. New York: Lead + Learn Press. Trotter, A. (2003, 3 April). Plagiarism Controversy Engulfs Kansas School. Retrieved February 14, 2012, from Education Week: http://www.edweek.org Wilgoren, J. (2002, February 14). School Cheating Scandal Tests A Town`s Value. New York Times , p. A1A28. Read More