Schools are banning cell phones and iPods because students are using these devices to cheat on tests.
The Past
The Baby Boomer generation occasionally cheated by asking a friend for a few answers on homework. There were those glances at "Richard's" test because he always did well. And, when desperate after being ill, a few may have asked to copy an entire assignment. When caught, there was shame and parents were horrified that their child was not being honest.
Today
Cheating is not only continuing in schools today, but it is much more frequent and bold. Students go on MSN at home and compare answers. They sit in the commons area in school and copy an assignment in the presence of peers. Some go into lockers and take another student's completed work and pass it off as their own leaving their friend stranded with a zero for a grade. And, when parents are told that their child was caught cheating, the reaction can be surprising. Many parents are still extremely disappointed in their child, but some deny their child could do such a thing. Some parents even use this incident to accuse the teacher of lying or finding fault with the assignment as unreasonable and anyone with a brain would cheat just to complete it.
ACT and SAT Tests
Cheating is becoming so accepted that parents actually pay someone to cheat for their child on ACT or SAT tests. A fake ID is made and the professional cheater will take the SAT for a high school student who wants to get into a more prestigious school than high school efforts will allow. It may cost $800 or more, but the end seems to justify the means.
Cell Phones
Many school districts have banned cell phones. Silent Ringers on cell phones enable students to call each other and text answers without teachers hearing them. New York City is being sued by parents claiming that children are not safe unless they have cell phones. Italy has joined in the ban of cell phones. While safety may be an issue on rare occasions, students are using camera phones to:
cheat on tests
arrange drug deals
arrange fights for YouTube
harass other students in locker rooms and bathrooms
call a friend during class time
harass teachers
After school, students load the camera video onto a website for the world to enjoy the debasing of students or teachers. This has become a new form of harassment, Cyber-Bullying.
iPods and Zunes
The latest tool for cheating are iPods and Zunes. These devices are so small that they can be hidden easily under clothing. Students can download formulas, vocabulary definitions, and study guide answers. The day of the test, they send the wire up their sleeve, rest their head on their hand to hide the earbud, and cheat. Meridian, Idaho has banned iPods from school for this reason. [Rebecca Boone, Associated Press Writer, Detroit Free Press, April 27, 2007]
More Bans
Schools in Seattle, WA and St. Mary's College, a high school in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada have banned cell phones and digital media players this year. The University of Tasmania in Australia has banned iPods, electronic dictionaries, CD players and spell-checking devices.
Some Encourage iPods
Duke University in North Carolina is providing iPods to students and has been doing so for three years. Tim Dodd, executive director of The Center for Academic Integrity at Duke says the music players are invaluable for some courses. At Duke cheating has declined over the past ten years because the community expects academic integrity. "Trying to fight the technology without a dialogue on values and expectations is a losing battle. I think there's kind of a backdoor benefit here. As teachers are thinking about how technology has corrupted, they're also thinking about ways it can be used productively." [Rebecca Boone, Associated Press Writer, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, seattlepi.nwsource.com, April 27, 2007]
Technology is here to stay. The ideal would be if students could use the new technology with integrity.
Copyright article 2007 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
The copyright of the article How To Cheat In Schools in Educational Issues is owned by Barbara Pytel. Permission to republish How To Cheat In Schools in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
This is so disturbing. I didn't realize students could use iPods to
download info and cheat until a TA pointed that out.
In my
classrooms, unless I say something, students will sit there and text
message right in front of me. Even the good students. I think text
messaging has become so much a part of their lives that they don't see it
as rude.
May 2, 2007 8:47 AM
Barbara Pytel :
I find it is also quite disturbing that it's considered normal behavior to
cheat. There seems to be little guilt when cheating and little shame when
caught. It is treated very lightly like having a bad hair day. Students
look at you as if you are unreasonble when you take their study guide away
from them during a test. I'm sure colleges are seeing a bigger problem than
in the past.
May 4, 2007 11:38 AM
Dorit Sasson :
I didn't realize that cheating has become so problematic in the States. I
thought it was prolbematic in Israel.It seems like technology has become
more and more of an issue and less learning is actually going on.
Jul 4, 2007 9:11 AM
FirstName SecondName :
I've not noticed cheating to be that rampant really. Perhaps part of the
blame here rests on the pressure to get results in GPA's and grades rather
than the focus of the education being for your own benefit/understanding.
If you cheat, you are only cheating yourself.
Sep 28, 2008 3:15 PM
Guest :
you really do not know how hard it is for someone to get good grades. and
with parents pushing you every step of the way, you try and find a way of
getting information and getting it quick. i may sound rude but you know
that you don't want your kids to look like loser, so you push them to get
better grades and if they don't understand a cretain concept, they'll find
a way of understanding that concept (even if it means cheating). you
find it disturbing but we as students find it as a way of getting by to
make our parents happy. plus there is alot of students competing for the
same spot. so if cheating to get a higher GPA then the next person is the
way to go, then so be it.
Dec 5, 2008 8:02 AM
Guest :
I dont know anybody that uses their cell phone to cheat on a test. Yes
I text during school, but usually it is to my parents. I would never
think about using it to cheat and it is a proven fact that music helps
students focuse while they are dont school work. One of my teachers
plays music every time we will do school work, everybody is quiet..nobody
says anything Then when student do get their phone taken away it is
put in the office. Whom ever gets it there looks in the messages. Thats not rigt at all! that private property, and i understand that we
shouldnt be texting in school, but people will do it anyway and nobody can
stop that. and I honestly feel that, that should be illegal! So
to all of those stuck up teachers...let kids be kids, and nobody is hurting
anyone, so honestly get off your high horse
Dec 9, 2008 9:32 AM
Guest :
HII I think that kids should be allowed to txt in
school!!!! we arent bothering the teachers or other students (unless you are txtin one) i truely think that some teachers
need to take a chill pill and stop bothering me about my
phone!! i dont cheat i just like to talk to my friends on the other teams!
Dec 9, 2008 9:57 AM
Guest :
You don't really believe that kids aren't going to cheat with cell phones,
do you? Get real and get your head out of the sand. Cheating is very high
in schools.
Jan 9, 2009 6:43 AM
Guest :
So what if i cheat on tests and stuff with iPods and cellphones. teachers
should check better
Jan 14, 2009 12:33 PM
Guest :
these comments are rather funny...you kids just don't want to be told what
to do, do you? you seem to be oblivious to the fact that while in class,
you're supposed to be paying attention to the TEACHER, not texting your
parents or friends. that's the point of going to school. you're teacher
is up there trying to teach you. how can you learn when you're not
listening & looking at your phone? school is not your playground. pay
attention in school & text when your out.
Feb 22, 2009 11:17 AM
Guest :
To the Guest down at the bottom: Easy. It's called multitask. I'm not
defending the cheating, I'm just saying that there are a multitude of
people who can text and learn at the same time.
Feb 23, 2009 9:36 AM
Guest :
if people would lay off the rules for once they would not complain that
they were being broken. The only reason most people impose a new rule is
that they see people carrying around an ipod and say we can't have that now
lets impose a new rule because i dont like it.
i don't see why
we can't listen to our ipods during lunch or during our free time let the
rule stand, no ipods during class, just give us something instead of trying
to take all of our freedoms away.
Apr 6, 2009 2:01 PM
Guest :
I know cheating is wrong, but sometimes a student feels so much pressure
they view cheating as the easy way out. In public schools, everyone breaks
the rules and bring eletronics to school. No body cares about the rules.
Teaachers shuld give the students less pressure sometimes. Teachers should
also be more observent and look out out for the use of electronics.
Cheating is skyrocketing in the U.S. We should put a stop to this !
Apr 20, 2009 11:37 AM
Guest :
Teachers and parents expect to much, and when we do succeed we are rarily
rewarded. yes i realize "school is a privilege".. but if your
going to make repercussions for us falling short of your standards, then
likewise there should be benifits for us exceeding the standard. yes
getting into a good college is a benifit, but do you think 3rd graders
acknowledge that? even 7th or 8th graders.. schools do occasionally try to
recognize and reward students who do acheive good grades, but even then
theres alot of students that fall threw the cracks.. all of this pressure
leads students to beleive that cheating is just another way to get ahead,
there way of 'rewarding themselves' or just a small and well deserved break
from the day-to-day havoc we call school.
Apr 28, 2009 5:39 AM
Guest :
I don't understand, cell phone should be allowed in schools, kids today
don't waste their time txting answers, not in the school i teach at.
May 20, 2009 1:41 PM
Guest :
Wow all the people still cheating in school are lames. I just simply buy a
very cheap test bank off of cheaptestbanks.com and then don't even have to
worry about the teacher looking over my shoulder because It's an ebook
hhahaha!
Jul 10, 2009 11:37 PM
Guest :
Cheating is a natural happening in the world. I cheat when I am in my
university (Singapore) doing practical work where i do not have any
interest in. The school system may be the partial cause of cheating. The
system has so many practical sessions that the student could not learn much
at all, but to cheat to get by.
In test, there are many good
software that you can copy and paste your notes on your desktop and then to
your mobile phone. Goto http://yongreader.homeip.net and see what i mean.
You can just paste your note on the website, and view it anywhere on your
mobile phone. If you do not have internet access on your mobile phone, you
can use the offline version at http://yongreader.homeip.net/reader
Enjoy!
Sep 17, 2009 8:46 AM
Guest :
well i feel that the students need their cell phones. i dont recomend
letting them use them in class, not only to prevent them from cheating but
it also has a tendency to distract them from class. i am a senior in high
school and even i must acknowledge this. but if that student drives to
school and gets in a accident on their way home (we all know what great
drivers teenagers are) how would they contact the local authorities? thats
my argument
Nov 3, 2009 9:43 AM
Guest :
you should be able to listen to ipods and use cell phones in class/school
its not like we can just stay home we have to go to school or we get in
trouble and our parents get in trouble cause schools get paid for everyday
we attend school...if we have to go let us do our thing if we dont want to
learn that is no ones fault but our own...!!!
