Chapter 5 Journal Blog

Researching and Evaluating Internet Information

1.      How can teachers respond to problems of plagiarism when students use online resources?

Plagiarism is sadly something that becomes inevitable to students in this “technology era” we are living in. Directly copying or quoting someone else’s exact words without permission is a crime, teachers can be very cautious when it comes to plagiarism and their students. The number one contributor to plagiarism is hands down The Internet. The Internet gives students a variety of opportunities to directly copy texts off online books, reports, etc. Just because it happens to be placed on the web, does not mean that it’s free to use. As a teacher, they are options such as websites that can track down what exactly is plagiarized and not plagiarized in assignments, examples of these websites are; www.turnitin.com, www.ithenticate.com, and www.cenexus.com. Not only do these resources force students to come up with their own information but it also gives students the push they need to expand in education. Another way to prevent plagiarism is to have teachers assign tasks that obligate students to write addresses of each issue they used in their assignments, that way they have proof of using the material. Educators can put an end to plagiarism by primarily using their authority and perseverance towards their students.  

2.      Tech Tool 5.1: Photo and Audio Resourced on the Web

My primary way of teaching is that of a visual and hands-on aspect. I believe that student’s best learn and connect with education when they can interact and think into depth about the subject matter. Images and audio are two valuable ways of reeling in students, to engage them and make them more involved in the classroom. It becomes a different way of learning other than just listening to a teacher’s voice. Pictures make students have a special connection with a subject or topic and audio helps students remember concepts in an easy but fun way. As a teacher myself and also working with ESE students considering that when teaching certain of them I have to be very hands-on, I find that using images and audio in all my lessons and activities help my students little by little get stronger in their learning abilities. Not only does it catch their eyes and ears, but they connect two and two together and fascinatingly understand more. Shown in this Tech Tool, Flickr is one site that can help and enable teachers to use pictures and audio sources straight from the web in an easy way. Flickr is an online photo generator and sharing tool, to teachers this can be super helpful and stress-free. Now that I am personally learning how to use and infuse images and audio from Flickr, I have come to incorporate them into my everyday lessons at school with my students. By using Flickr, I can directly search any theme I am teaching and quickly find perfect images and videos to use on my everyday basis to teach! This gives not only my students something to visually look forward to, but it also gives me as the teacher an exciting and easy new way to approach my students to make their learning experience different.  

                                                                     3.  Summary

The basic learning goal of this chapter comes down to teaching both teachers and students how to assess their responsibilities and how to use the vast information that is in the Internet. To students now a days, when they have to research an assignment they go directly to the Internet as their primary use. The crime of the Internet is that not ALL that is put up is true, you have to be assertive when it comes to knowing what you will use is actually correct, this chapter also gives you ways of knowing how your information is valid (Information Literacy). In the chapter, it goes through Plagiarism and the different ways teachers can prevent it. Being surrounded in the constant technology, students are tempted to copy and quote the exact words they see online in their schoolwork. Teachers can quickly stop this problem by using  sites that detect Plagiarism and also obligating students to use crediting of their sites. I’ve learned how to be more alert while I use the internet for anything, they’re so many things put out on the web that are not even true. Being that I’m just beginning learning how to use the Internet, I’ve had to take in Information Literacy into consideration and keep it in mind to assess all that I come by on the web. When it comes to dealing with Plagiarism, taking courses at Edison I’ve too learned how to make sure that I am not copying nor quoting any texts that I’ve gotten on any sites. Researching and evaluating internet information is essential in the cyber world, you have to learn and apply these certain tools while your online.

Maloy, R. W. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.