Sunday, November 25, 2012
GUD Norm 4 - Integrity
Use one of the current events sources linked at http://mrsfridaysclass.wikispaces.com/Current+Events to find a recent news article that relates to, supports, or refutes Tapscott's assertion that INTEGRITY is a "norm" of the Net Generation. Your comment should include the title of the news article, a link to the article, and a summary of the article including an explanation of how the article relates to this point. Don't forget to check your rubric for evaluation criteria!
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"Studies Find More Students Cheating, With High Achievers No Exception"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/08/education/studies-show-more-students-cheat-even-high-achievers.html?_r=0
This article reviews the growing problem of students from highly competitive and highly regarded schools that are beginning to disregard the rules about cheating on tests and essays. The article begins by explaining how every student, high achiever or not, is guilty of some form of cheating in the past. Then, it explains how studies show this cheating is only worsening. This year, even Harvard is being accused of student dishonesty. Tapscott's eight "norms" are supposed to describe each of the things he normally finds in a person of this generation or a "Net Gener." This article completely refutes his "norm" of integrity considering the study was done fairly recently so it would involve his "Net Geners." Tapscott says how people of this day are far more honest and accepting than those of previous generations. This article, though, only recognizes how "Net Geners" are becoming more dishonest by cheating on incredibly important tests and other things in school. The article even ends with an anecdote on how a student needed integrity counseling for being so dishonest. This article provides numerous statistics and quotes from results of investigations on school cheating and student integrity, and every one of them goes against Tapscott's claim that students are now more truthful.
“Possible Harvard Cheating Scandal Nets 125 Students”
ReplyDeletehttp://www.npr.org/2012/08/31/160400108/possible-harvard-cheating-scandal-nets-125-students
This article talks about the accusations made by a professor at Harvard that over half of his students cheated on a take home exam. It is said that while the professor’s assistant was looking through the papers, he noticed that many of the exams had very similar answers to them. The professor then notified the administration who then took in the 125 offenders. Evidence shows that the students collaborated together on the answers and then each handed in their exams without a care for the possible consequences. A professor at the university states that he has noticed the integrity of students all throughout America has decreased and he hopes that steps will be taken to stop the madness. This article discusses an incident that displays the exact opposite of what Tapscott is saying in the fourth norm section of “The Eight Net Gen Norms.” Tapscott states that Net Geners greatly value integrity and wish to have everybody be honest with their actions. He says that Net Geners act from integrity, and are much less likely to commit dishonest acts. This article greatly refutes Tappscot’s accusations because the article shows the reader that even the brightest and most potential students in America are subjects to a loss of integrity by cheating.
Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/education/02cheat.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Tapscott argues that the fourth norm of the net generation, contrary to popular belief, is their integrity. He provides numerous examples to prove his theory, such as his daughters reluctance to buy certain roses grown in fields where kids are working with chemicals. However, this empathy is probably not a result of the access to internet because, as expressed in this article, the internet allows individuals access to other peoples intellectual insight, which enables them to use other's work instead of drawing a conclusion on their own. The cases of plagiarism mentioned in the article explore the nonchalant attitudes of the net generation as they don't view their actions as plagiarizing, claiming that anything posted on websites like Wikipedia is "common knowledge". Years ago, the consequence of plagiarizing was serious, resulting in scolding and even expulsion. However, it hardly occurred. Now, as information exists on the internet for everyone's viewing purposes, the number of students who have resorted to plagiarism dramatically increased. The author of the article, Trip Gabriel, included a study from 2006- 2010 in which over 40 percent of undergraduate students claimed they have, indeed, copied and pasted a few sentences from online sites. This study disproves Tapscott's theory that honesty is of value to net-geners. In my own experience, the allure of taking the easy road by taking data from Wikipedia looms all over, since by a simple dragging of my mouse and right click it could be done. I am aware of many fellow students who have stooped to this level instead of doing the extra work of citing and reprasing facts. All in all, opposite to Tapscott's opinion, the internet has done little to institute integrity in today's generation.
"At Top School, Cheating Voids 70 Pupils' Tests"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/10/nyregion/70-students-at-stuyvesant-to-retake-exams-after-cheating-case.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
The fourth norm, integrity, is dicussed in the third chapter of Don Tapscott's book, "Grown Up Digital". Tapscott believes that the Net Generation values integrity, honesty, and their reputation. They do not want to work for, or buy a product from, an organization that is dishonest, and they have a low tolerance for people that stoop down to this level. Following that, risky behavior, like smoking, drinking, and teen pregnancy, has decreased with this generation, demonstrating that they value their reputation. This article focuses on a cheating scandal involving seventy students using their smart-phones to help them on a test. This incident took place at Stuyvesant High School, a top school that educates the most astute students. If these intelligent students were willing to cheat on a test, the rest of the Net Generation would be willing as well. Clearly, this article refutes Don Tapscott's belief that the Net Generation values integrity. They are abusing their knowledge of technology and the Internet instead of using it for good purposes.
"Stuyvesant Students Describe the How and the Why of Cheating"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/26/education/stuyvesant-high-school-students-describe-rationale-for-cheating.html?pagewanted=all
This article discusses the widespread cheating at Stuyvesant, a high school in New York. Students in the article rationalize their plagiarism by claiming that everyone does it and that cheating is just part of their culture. One student said that he would rather lose his integrity and pass than keep it and fail. The students say that they have more important things to do, like doing other homework or sleeping. Stuyvesant is a completive school where the students all share the common goal of success. To achieve this, students form groups to share answers from homework to tests. In addition, the article mentions a larger study of 40,000 high school students which came to the conclusion that 59% of those students have cheated on a test in 2010. Tapscott's integrity norm in "Grown Up Digital" states that the "Net Gen" highly values integrity and they go out of their way to keep theirs. This article refutes Tapscott's integrity norm because the students in this article clearly disregard their integrity and focus on receiving passing grades.
"Promises, Promises. Have We Weakened Integrity in Search for Personal Freedom?"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2012/dec/31/new-year-gk-chesterton-resolutions-promises-personal-freedom-spin
This article touches upon the issue that this generation is losing integrity. The author discusses that we do not feel bad about our selves if we do not keep our vows or stick to our statements all the way through. He thinks that instead, we praise and encourage this as personal freedom. Leading into the freedom to alter and stray from anything we want at will. People are not supported for standing up for beliefs and if someone does they are bantered for it. The author explains that he thinks the world celebrates lying and rebelling against promises to benefit oneself, versus the people who stick to their word because they have integrity. In "Grown Up Digital", Tapscott supports that the Net Generation is full of integrity and that they are honest, abiding to commitments, considerate, and caring. This article refutes the ideas in the book because the author believes that the generation does not have integrity and that society puts those who go against morals on a pedestal.
"UW Students, Faculty Struggle with Plagiarism in Internet Era"
ReplyDeletehttp://host.madison.com/news/local/education/university/uw-students-faculty-struggle-with-plagiarism-in-internet-era/article_6ea08d02-c047-11df-8ad4-001cc4c002e0.html
Tapscott discusses the hindering effects the internet and other technological advances have on students' integrity. The article linked above supports this with examples of students blatantly copying information from sources such as Wikipedia to use in things as important as formal labs write ups.
The article goes on to introduce a new viewpoint, however, when it notes that some students claim to have not been aware that what they were doing was a bad thing. And how could they be punished then?
But in the end, the article concludes that plagiarism IS a serious offense, and there are measurable consequences. The article supports Tapscott's argument that, as technology advances and the internet grows, it becomes easier and more likely for students to sacrifice their integrity for cheap grades.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-20888616
ReplyDeleteIn the book "Grown Up Digital", the author states that one of the eight norms for the net generation is integrity. Don Tapscott supports this by saying teens are very open with themselves online. However sometimes people may post things that are not appropriate and this could possibly hinder them from being able to find a job or even going to a selected college of some sorts. This article,"Facebook posts by Swansea students could damage careers", supports this by reporting Facebook posts in Swansea. In Swansea the students were posting pictures of them "clubbing" or at the bar, which in most cases is unethical. The article also says,"Students are sharing personal information, including explicit content...
We have received complaints from students and alumni about the potential damage this page could do to their own employability..." In other words not only would someone who posts a picture get themselves introuble yet other people.