Plagiarism

__**What is Plagiarism?**__

pla⋅gia⋅rism
 / ˈpleɪdʒəˌrɪzəm, -dʒiəˌrɪz- /      –noun (Retrieved from [|dictionary.com])
 * 1. || the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work. ||
 * 2. || something used and represented in this manner. ||

In order to define plagiarism for your students and their parents, you must define it clearly for yourself. [|Indiana University at Bloomington] has an excellent web page devoted to recognizing and avoiding plagiarism. Tips include:
 * [|Recognizing acceptable and unacceptable uses of paraphrasing]
 * [|How to use the World Wide Web for research, without resorting to plagiarism]
 * [|Do you need documentation for common knowledge?]

Another resource, [|the OWL at Purdue], is a great place to direct students and parents who are still not sure how to guard against plagiarism. Kids will often consult this web site anyway, for help with MLA citations. Make them aware that there is more information available at this source!

__**Consequences of Plagiarism**__ The consequences of plagiarism are serious, both in secondary school and later on in life. Students may doubt that it is a big deal, but a quick Google search on "penalties for plagiarism" yields a long list of college and university web pages, on which the consequences for plagiarism are fully detailed. It may be powerful to share with students that most college and university policies state that students will lose course credit and potentially be expelled if they are found guilty of passing off another's work as their own. It is also worth noting that, outside academic institutions, plagiarism has legal consequences that usually involve paying damages to the original author of the work.

Secondary school policies tend to be less extreme, but are still very serious in nature. They often involve the following measures: //First offense:// //Second offense://
 * A zero for the assignment without a chance to make it up
 * A call home to the parent(s) or guardian(s)
 * Reports to the counselor and administrator for the student's files
 * Loss of credit for the course
 * Conference with student, parent(s) or guardian(s), teacher, counselor, and administrator
 * Suspension

__**The Power of the Honor Contract**__ In order to be crystal clear and to prevent arguments down the road, many experienced teachers develop Honor Contracts (see the below example). Each student signs one of these in September, as do their parent(s)/guardian(s) and the teacher (or teachers, if it is a co-teaching environment). By signing the Honor Contract, everyone in the learning community acknowledges and accepts the same definitions and consequences of cheating, plagiarism, and misrepresentation.

//With Students:// When you encounter student plagiarism, you may be disappointed and feel personally injured. Try to get these feelings out of your system before you confront the student. This is not about you - this is about the behavior. //__Do not turn a blind eye to the issue__// - even if it's "just a paragraph" in a larger paper - you owe it to the student's future self to call her on it now. The best way to handle it is simply. Confront the student - not with anger, but with calm questions ("Is this text taken from this source?") Show the student that you are familiar with the source she used. Print the web page, if it is a web page, and highlight the matching text. Once the student admits that the work was copied, remind her of the consequences by reading through the Honor Contract she signed. Ask her if the language in the Honor Contract describes the actions she took to complete the assignment. Presented with her own signature and the agreement she initially made, she will have to acknowledge the behavior and accept the consequenes. Let the student know that you will be following up on the consequences immediately, and that you will be calling her parents first. //__Don't blindside the student__.// Be transparent about your intentions, and make her a partner in solving the problem.
 * __Confronting Plagiarism__**

Also remember that plagiarism is not all about shame and blame. It is a major misstep, but it is also an opportunity for a student to face a serious situation with maturity and honesty, and to proceed with a new attitude. Congratulate the student, if she meets this confrontation with maturity and is willing to accept responsibility for her actions! Make it clear that you continue to respect her, that you do not view her any differently than you did before, and that you are still very happy to have her in your classroom.

//With Parents:// Parents may respond to plagiarism in a variety of ways. Some will back you up. Many will be angry. Some will verbally refuse to accept the penalties, particularly if plagiarism occurs during a major assignment on which a zero will deeply affect the student's overall grade. Also, beware: In an effort to champion their children, some parents may resort to slippery logic (i.e. "How is using a Shakespeare translation web site any different from using a Spanish translation web site?" The trick to navigating these conversations is //not to engage in the fight//. There is no fight. Listen to the parent calmly. Do not get into a battle of wits. Remember that they are probably feeling fear (about their child's grade) and embarrassment (about their child's cheating), and anger (about your choice to confront it). Allow them to get it all out. When there is a pause, always return to the language in the Honor Contract. Do not deviate from the agreed-upon terms. "Both you and Becky signed a contract stating that she would not copy word-for-word from the Internet, which is unfortunately what happened here."

Remember that, sometimes, the parent needs the same wake-up call as the student. Hold your ground. Plagiarism //i__s__// a serious issue, and penalties __//are//__ necessary. You want the student - and her parent - to feel the seriousness of the situation now, rather than three years from now, in college, when the situation becomes far more complicated and expensive. If the parent refuses to acknowledge the problem, refer to the school handbook for support (rather than your own invented Honor Contract). If the parent continues to deny the situation, it's okay to say, "I'm sorry you feel that way, but we will have to agree to disagree. If you would like to discuss my decision with someone else, then [principal's name] will be happy to explain school policy further. Maybe we should sit down together. Would you like me to set up a conference for all of us?"

And again - plagiarism doesn't have to be all about shame and blame. It's a learning opportunity. If the student faced the music with maturity, and if you are proud of the way that she handled herself when confronted, or if the student is generally a joy to have in class, then by all means, //tell the parent!// At these moments, parents really need to hear that you still respect and value their child - it will comfort them to hear about something that their child is doing //right//.

//With Administrators:// Just make sure to provide a copy of the plagiarized assignment, a copy of the original source, and a copy of the signed Honor Contract to the administrator. Should the same student decide to plagiarize again, you will want a record of the first offense on file, so that you are able to take the next step in helping the student (conferencing, etc.)



EXAMPLE HONOR CONTRACT: (**Developed by Carolyn Kenney Hall and Karen Grace, Roosevelt H.S., Seattle, WA, 10th-grade language arts and social studies block)

The purpose of this contract is to provide teacher, student, and parent(s)/guardian(s) with common definitions of cheating, plagiarism, and misrepresentation, and to make clear the consequences of cheating, plagiarism, and misrepresentation.

Actions that fall into the category of cheating, plagiarism, and misrepresentation are these:
 * Forging signatures
 * Copying another student’s work – for quizzes, tests, class work and homework. Even if you are doing group work, you need to put your own thought into what goes on your individual paper. If you allow someone to copy from your paper, you will suffer the same consequences of cheating.
 * Copying word for word from a book, periodical, web site, etc. without giving credit to your source. We will be using MLA citation, but if in doubt, at least note where you got the material (book title & page number, web address & date, author, etc.)
 * Copying an idea, while just changing some words here and there, from a book, periodical, web site, etc. without giving credit to your source.

I treat Cheating, Plagiarism, and Misrepresentation VERY seriously. I consider it an insult to myself as your teacher, and to you as a student. Often, students cheat because they don’t understand the assignment. If you feel that you need help with something, then ask me – I will help. Other times, students cheat because they fell the pressure to be perfect all of the time. In this case, you need to consider whether that image of perfection is worth your moral and academic integrity. Finally, some students will cheat because the deadline is near and they have not properly prepared for their assignment. If you have budgeted your time poorly, then take responsibility for poor judgment. DO NOT CHEAT!

Consequences of cheating, plagiarism, or misrepresentation are these:
 * A grade of 0 without the chance to make up the assignment
 * Loss of credit in “participation:
 * A phone call from me to your parents
 * A disciplinary referral to your administrator. You should note this:** When you apply for colleges and when teachers fill out letter or recommendation forms for colleges, the college always asks if the student has been disciplined by the school for any reason and if there is any reason to doubt this students’ integrity. If you cheat, plagiarize, or misrepresent yourself, then you have clearly compromised your integrity, and compromised integrity is not what colleges are looking for from their incoming students.
 * If there is a second occurrence of this, then, according to the school handbook, the student will be administered a short-term suspension, with possible loss of credit in the course.
 * My disappointment and your missed learning opportunity.

By signing below, I indicate my understanding of the above definitions and consequences of cheating, plagiarism, and misrepresentation.

Teacher(s):

Student:

Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

__