Academic Honesty What is expected of you?
We have had a disturbing trend in grades 7-8 regarding authentic work by students. I suspect that there may be students in other grades that skate a thin line between academic honesty and plagiarism. Let’s set the record straight. Assignments and summative tasks are not about “copy-paste” stuff from the internet. Academic honesty and integrity are strong principles that are highly valued in schools and academia. Running foul of this could lead to not getting a grade for your work but more seriously, not being able to complete your high school diploma – or being expelled in some schools. So what is it and what are we supposed to do?
Very simply, produce your own work and apply your own mind to problems. Where you use wok done by other people, you need to acknowledge it (citations) and you should paraphrase (write in your own words) what that content was about. If you produce exactly what was said then it needs to be in “…” (quotation marks and cited). Always submit your own reflections on what is presented – teachers are interested in what you have to say – not everyone else!
Furthermore, check your sources. Not everything on the internet is correct. There is a lot of misinformation out there! Do the right thing. It points to your integrity and character.