Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age

As our class starts to research information and we begin to form ideas about possible papers, I think it is appropriate that we are aware of plagiarism and what it has become.  The definition from this article is the act of passing off someone else’s work as your own.  Now that is a pretty specific definition but for most students the difficulty is finding the boundary or the line to be drawn when taking and using other people’s information.  In the article a lady by the name of Sarah Wilensky said that she thinks one particular reason students do plagiarize is because “students leave high school unprepared for the intellectual rigors of college writing”.  She continues to talk about how students need to be taught how to read sources of information and change them into our own words, if that was taught in middle school and high school then this issue wouldn’t be so prevalent.  

 I agree 100% with her statement that students need to be taught how to research correctly in high school  because so many students, me included, read information on a website or a journal and we simply feel like we can use those same words; or we get lazy and just decide to copy and paste.  This is wrong and where the line is crossed with plagiarism.  I had one teacher do a little lecture on the correct way to research and avoid plagiarism.  Basically, what she said was to read the information you are researching, then from there completely close that web page or book and write what you remember in your own words.  From there on out, every time that I research sometime I make sure to just look at the information as a reference then I write what it says in my own words. 

Effects of Technology in the classroom

Does technology in the classroom promote success?

            As a future educator it is important to be aware of what types of educational tools will not only help me as a teacher but help my students as a learner.  Our world is constantly changing and evolving with new technology in the palm of our hands and it is important that we use it to our advantages.  In the last few months I have read a few articles on very particular pieces of technology that will not only change our lives outside of the classroom but also inside it.  Children as young as elementary school are starting to have computers, cell phones and Ipads.  It a different generation of minds, a generation in which technology is prevalent with the youth it is no wonder that technology is being used so much in the classroom. 

            I am interested in researching the effects that technology has in the classroom because I know of more and more teachers that are using computer, smart boards and other devices to propel students in a successful direction.   I understand that there are many tools out there to promote success but I want to find out if they are really helpful to students and their achievement. 

            I am excited to research this topic because I think it is important for all teachers to be aware of the effects, positive or negative that technology has on children in the classroom.       

Annotation

Dalton, Bridget, and Dana L. Grisham. "10 Ways to Use Technology to Build a Better Vocabulary." Internation Reading Association.

This journal is important to all teachers that want to make sure there students are getting all the proper tools to become a successful reader, writer and thinker.  This journal makes readers realize that we live in a day in age where children in elementary and middle school are growing up with computers and use them regularly.  As teachers we must understand the technology can be a tool to help them become successful.  The article presents ten ways to go so and this will make it easy for the teacher to pinpoint was is necessary for their students.  The journal gets to the point and is surrounded by important information.    

Attached to Technology and Paying a Price

I enjoyed reading this story and thought that the author made a lot of important points.  I did agree with everything he was saying as well as the main purpose of the story but I do have a little different take on story.  There were many points made in the story that I was never really aware of.  The author cited many different research studies as well as important facts that would definitely persuade the reader to sway away from multi-tasking as well as being too dependent on technology.    

            The main issue of this story is that technology is becoming such a major part of our modern day life that maybe there is starting to become some negative effects from it.  For instance, multi-taskers that are doing too much at one time sometimes have trouble filtering out irrelevant information that are receiving with modern issues and events.  Also, the author makes it a point to the reader that too much technology is bad for young children that are still developing their brain.  I can defiantly see how this is a problem because it can turn into a health related issue and affect the child for the rest of their life.  The author continues to prove his point that technology is affecting our lives by continually going back to the main character in the story, Mr. Campbell.  Mr. Campbell has a family with a loving wife and children that are under the impression that he cares more about his smart phones, his tech savvy devices and his video games than he does his own family.  This may or may not be the case but in multiple examples Mr. Campbell is more concerned with these devices than he is with him family, from vacations to simple family days he is always busy and always needing to be connected.

            It seems that the author is trying to make a point to the reader that with tech savvy our world is becoming that it can possibly become unhealthy.  I do agree with the author that this technology can become distracting as well as unhealthy.  It can lead to many issues that the author didn’t mention from depression to even violence.  The author threw out a pretty interesting stat as well, saying, “that people at home consume 12 hours of media a day on average”.  Clearly 12 hours is extremely overwhelming and defiantly unnecessary.  It is a shame that this is the type of world we live in, something has to change.

            I mentioned earlier that I do agree with everything the author has said but I just want to point out that to some people like myself, technology has made me a smarter person, from becoming a better reader to becoming a better writer.  I am thankful that we have all the technology that we do out there.   I understand how to manage my social media networks as well as the time spent on my Ipad and my computer.  I do benefit greatly from the opportunity and privileges that technology provides me with.

Introduction

What's good English 202.  Im Nick Fallone and I am a junior at IUP, my major is Elementary Education and it is probably the best major on campus.  I have a focus on urban education and I will be student teaching for an entire year next year in Pittsburgh.  I am from North Huntingdon, P.A. and back home I live with my mom, dad and sister.  I am a hip hop dancer and have been doing so for about 6 years.  I also play volleyball here at IUP, im the captain and president.  English is sweet, science blows! Go STEELERS!!