BLOG #3

This week’s discussions about why students cheat was very interesting to me. I believe that students cheat because schools make it seem like the grades are more important than learning. Students feel that they have to memorize information for tests and quizzes and don't end up remembering anything. They're not really learning they're just studying for the test to get good grades. 

         Having parents that are strict with school and grades I can relate to the students who say that there is a lot of pressure on them to do well on school. Also, being a student athlete is also something that can make students cheat. Coaches say that school comes before sports so students will do whatever they have to do to be able to continue to play. Some teachers understand that student athletes have so much to balance between schoolwork, jobs, extra curricular, and all the games and practices. However, some teachers say that there are no excuses and put a lot of pressure on the students to get good grades.

         I think it is a good idea for teachers to use turnitin.com as well because it can tell when students have plagiarized or not. This can prevent them from cheating in the beginning. Also, if students are caught cheating I think that there should be serious punishment for it.

         Teachers can prevent students from cheating if they make the classroom an enjoyable environment. An example of this would be our class. We work in groups and are able to share our opinion with others and not feel judged or any pressure. Students like how it is more laid back and fun then just sitting in rows being lectured at. When we are lectured at, the work becomes boring and more students are likely to not care and then cheat on homework or tests. Also, in the class we talk about things that we are all interested in so it is a class that students look forward to coming to.  I think that if more classes were like this, students would be less likely to cheat. Also, it helps us learn the information better.