How do teachers feel about Yahoo answers and students cheating?

Question

As a past teacher and now stay at home mom, I am infuriated when I see obvoius examples of kids asking others to do thier homework. I'm not talking about one or two things they need for homework help, but the whole thing. How do you feel about it and how do you try to prevent it in your classrooms?

Two of the most recent examples that have really gotten under my skin were where a student asked for an "eassy" about friendship and another case where the student gave a long list of vocabulary words and asked others to make them into sentences.

Personally, I would have rather had my students not do the work than turn in someone elses.

Second question: Do you think that we are all just so used to cheating that it doesn't bother us anymore? Certainly this would have been a reason for suspension when I was in school.

As for them entering the real world where it only hurts them. Not so, unfortunately we just lower to the common denominator. Example: There was a girl in my University 101 class when I was in college that could barely read. (The teacher told me in a later year when I was a TA but didn't identify the student).

Answer 1

H....you couldn't have said it better. I had a student hand in a resume today that was lifted from the Internet. Suddenly my senior was a university professor with lots of business experience. How sad...that he couldn't do it for himself and for what he faces in the future....
Unfortunately, that is the trend in school...as little effort as possible. I am shocked to hear teachers answer this question by saying that it is acceptable to ask someone for the answers to your homework.

Answer 2

Anyways, death isn't an answer. Have you talked to someone you can trust? I understand if you don't tell you're parents or you're friends because you probably think they'll be nervous. Talk to a psychiatrist via telephone or face to face. They help a LOT. I appreciate your courage and fortitude for going on and on. I know it's hard but don't perform euthanasia or suicide or anything stupid (sorry). Take like anti-depressants like Zoloft or something. Your grades dropped to 70's cuz you've been focusing and thinking more on the bullying & sex assaults. You should really live in Canada 70 %s are a B+ to a B-. Are you sure that you really need the subjects you're taking because it's gonna affect your unknown future. You're pretty young. you shouldn't really focus on your love life until you finish education. Who knows? you might end up pregnant in High school. But you have to make your own decisions. If you get really depressed & theres no one to help you, cry it out. It's a great way to "take out" all your feelings. Don't hold & control your emotions. I know this answer was probably useless, but don't perform euthanasia or suicide. Talk to anyone you have comfort with. The best option is a psychiatrist. Don't cut yourself. It's torture. But I can't blame you if you decide to revenge.

Answer 3

interesting question. I am not a teacher, but it takes me back to my favorite teacher and how he made us think we could cheat, but actually helped us learn.

For every test he gave (college economics) he let us use a cheat sheet. He approved of anything we could write on a 8.5 x 5.5 sheet of paper, front and back. What was interesting is that when we hit our notes and book enough to encapsulate the test period's information, most of us knew enough on the subject matter to pass the test without referring to our cheat sheet.

I see a lot of the internet information being the same. It is amazing what can be picked up when you have additional input. If used right, I think it can be a tremendous learning tool. How would it be any different than having study groups to help with studies. Online forums are just a virtual extension to the study group.

The caveat is straight out plagiarism, but a good teacher should be able to identify and grade accordingly.

I would hope that a good teacher could not only let the students use the web, but help them learn how to use it to get to the best information.

Answer 4

Personally I teach 3rd grade so it doesn't matter much to me. As a teacher I really don't see what the big deal is. It is not like someone is coming to your house and doing the work. You still have to at least copy it down on something that has to be submitted. Also, if the student uderstands it now because of the help you can't really be upset about it. Either way. What comes around goes around. Eventually they are going to enter the real world and if they lack the knowledge then they won't get very far anyway.
Just my opinion.

Answer 5

I'm a 4th grade teacher, so not I don't have the problem so much of answers pulled off the internet. AND I Love the "cheat sheet" idea...LOL...we had those when I was in school and yeah...I ended up not using iton the actual test... I guess it disappoints me if the kid is pulling things off the internet and plagarizing...but what REALLY get's me is when the PARENTS straight out do it for them without ANY attempt to cover it up or explanation of why they felt they had to do it....I had one project where the kid told me...I don't know how I made my project b/c mom and dad made me go to bed and did it for me ( they had 3 weeks)...I asked mom and she said she didn't think her son's idea would get a good grade.

Answer 6

I am studying right now to be a teacher, and I'm irritated with the kids on here who blatantly ask for the answers. It's plenty easy for them to search "Where are the Appalachian Mountains?" and copy and paste that information, instead of typing out their entire geography lesson here.

Answer 7

haha, i'm just laughing because I think it's ignorant of students to do that. I'm a student myself, but if I want help, I ask a professional tutor online, not a bunch of people on Yahoo! Answers. How lame it is to ask for voc. sentences and an essay!!!

Answer 8

I agree. I just do my part and do not help them find the answer! :)
And by the by kids....when I was in HS there was no Internet. We went to the library and looked things up in books! and Microfiche!
HS kids have it so easy "cut paste cut paste" I think it is funny that they are too lazy to look in up in google! They ask it here and try to find someone to answer it for them. L A Z Y.

Answer 9

It will not help students in the long run cause they are not learning much from it but getting their work done.They have to learn how to learn and not to be spoon fed cause they will have difficulties when they move up to university levels where they are expected to do research and a lot of independent learning.,will be expected of them.

Answer 10

Its the kids loss, dont worry about the teachers, they just do their jobs, the kids suffer in the long run when they fail tests.