In a world where everything is becoming more and more available at the snap of a finger, we have raised a generation of humans that believe they are entitled to anything they want at the drop of a hat, and better yet, some of them even believe that we owe it to them. Although, that isn’t every single student that we have in class, it definitely is more common now than it was 20 years ago, when I first stepped into the classroom. Since we are now surrounded by technology, that grants us access to every question we can ask at the click of a button, we have gotten used to the idea of everything coming quick, easy and seemingly naturally. Don’t get me wrong, technology is a great tool, but what did we sacrifice to get here? Do our students know the value in the old sayings, “patience is a virtue” and “anything worth having is worth working for?” I have seen several students, in my classroom and out on the field, who are constantly looking for the ‘easy way out’ and I have dedicated my life to encouraging grit and determination while enlightening them that the things in life worth having, are worth earning. There is one type of student that pops into my head and it’s honestly the smart, but lazy individual. They are intelligent enough to grasp the content, if
they were to actually try, but oftentimes the opportunity cost of cheating on a test is worth it to them if they don’t have to put forth the effort. Personally, I think that cheating comes in many forms, because assessment comes in many forms. I would define assessment as any form of evaluation where students are demonstrating mastery of the content. Oftentimes, I had seen this in the shop, when students would have others weld for them. What’s the harm, the other kid is naturally better so why not turn in their weld for a grade? It’s not cheating, it’s not like a math test or something. I also see kids cheating on a simple worksheet and when caught they stated, “it’s only a worksheet it wasn’t a test.” The problem with most things in life is cheating becomes a habit, a real bad moral character to break. This is part of the Broken Window Theory that small acts of disobedience and incivility can lead to much more serious crimes in the future (Hudgens, 2017). Cheating also devalues education. A big reason why students cheat is to receive a better grade, not that they are interested in actually learning content and bettering themselves. When today’s students graduate and cheat their way through college and get hired, promoted and move up the corporate chain what will be their mindset for the next generation? I cheated my way to the top, so should you? Again, it’s a moral issue that needs to be dealt with early and often in our schools. Although, we are constantly preaching to students that there is no tolerance for cheating, more often than not, there are far worse consequences in ‘real life’ for cheating than in the classroom. If a person is caught with a ‘testing aid’ while taking their DMV test, their test is marked as a failure and filed. They could also be denied a state identification card or driver’s license, their application for an advanced license could be denied and there is also punishment for the person who is accused of providing the means for cheating (Turner, 2013). Also defining that moral compass of our youth, overlooking them cheating on an assignment, slipping eyes on someone else’s test, when we can curb those things by calling out students. I like assessments that require students to use their brains and create original works. This often cuts down on the temptation as well as the ease of cheating. Essay questions that evoke deeper thought and a learner’s own insight, rather than a fill in the bubble multiple choice or true answer test.
Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to sit in on several administrative meetings about what the 2020-2021 school year looks like. COVID-19 is expected to strike again, as we get into the colder months, since UV rays and heat are projected to kill the virus, there is expected to be a drop in the number of cases during the summer months (Grey, 2020). My hope is that even if COVID-19 does spike again, we would be able to at least start in the classroom and better establish expectations for online learning. As of right now, the plan for Bennett High School is to divide students into cohorts and each group alternates days (Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday). The teachers will be required to be at the school between the hours of 9am-2:30pm Monday through Thursday. Students will have 90-minute blocks, all in the same classroom with the same teacher all day. Elective teachers will have their content online, while core classes will be in person as best as possible. With that being said, elective teachers will be responsible for helping students work on the core content
with those in their classroom. If the student has a question that the elective teacher cannot answer, they will then be able to ask their core teacher. Although, as a former ag teacher, my biggest concern is the numerous students who only come to school because of their elective classes. I fear that students will not come at all or may just withdraw and go online or homeschool. I believe the plan is the ideal situation in a middle school environment, where students are already broken into grade levels and teachers are assigned to said grade. However, in high school there is a large number of classes with mixed grade levels in each class. You might have a senior, who failed Geometry his sophomore year, in with the rest of the sophomores. This doesn’t necessarily provide an easy separation when we start looking at how to divide and sort students into the cohorts. This is also very touchy when it comes to the special education population of our school because they are required to have so many hours in a resource classroom. I also see students not getting what they need from non-content certified teachers. It is very worrisome to say the least. Also how do we assess? Truly measure a student’s individual learning while online. Our school is planning on utilizing the Google Classroom platform and while it certainly has advantages what will keep students from cheating on assessments by using the web, a parent, a sibling or a friend. Lots of questions still left to be sorted out in the wake of the pandemic for sure.
References:
Grey, H. (2020, May 20). What a COVID-19 Wave in the Fall Could Look Like. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/health-news/what-a-covid-19-wave-in-the-fall-could-look-like
Hudgens, L. (2017, September 04). Why Cheating Hurts Students Now and in Their Future. Retrieved June 23, 2020, from https://grownandflown.com/cheating-hurts-students-now-and-future/
Turner, R. (2013, July 17). What happens if the DMV catches people cheating on their written driver test? Retrieved June 23, 2020, from http://www.santacruzlive.com/streetsmarts/2013/07/17/what-happens-if-the-dmv-catches-people-cheating-on-their-written-driver-test/
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