READING CHECK DUE DATE SET

Chapter 10 has been assigned for a reading check. The due date has been set for March 11, 2008.

NOTE TAKING RE-ADDRESSED
It has been discovered that students have been just typing the complete chapter and then using the complete retyped notes for the reading check. Students have also been just sitting and hand copying the entire chapter as well. This has been addressed and discussed this week in class.

The reading check is designed to allow students to practice a skill that will help them in their future educational courses. Also, this assignment allows the students to practice TAKS skills for the 7th grade TAKS test of finding the main idea and summarizing the main idea. With the students either just hand writing the complete chapter or typing the chapter word for word, this is a form of cheating.

One, the students are cheating themselves first and foremost. They are not taking the opportunity to practice finding the main idea, practice summarizing the main idea, practicing organizing those main ideas for their notes. What they are doing is practicing their type writing or hand writing skills. The reading check was not meant for that task.

The second form of cheating, as explained in class this week, is copying the entire chapter and then using that in class. I picked up over 33 copies of typed reading check "NOTES" and 3 sets of notes that were hand written, which actually were word for word from the text book. I have no proof that students were printing these off for each other and just changing the font style. But, for the reason mentioned and explained to the students. THIS WILL BE SEEN AS CHEATING in the future.