Combatting cheating is about values, not technology
Ultimately, fighting cheating is more of a battle of hearts and minds, said Riverhead School District Superintendent Diane Scricca.
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There will always be new and innovative ways for kids to cheat on exams and term papers, said Riverhead School District Superintendent Diane Scricca. So combatting cheating is more of a battle of hearts and minds, she said.
Dr. Scricca was reacting to a news package in last week's News-Review that told of how some of today's kids are using iPods, cell phones and computer scanners to get an edge in school.
"When cell phones are gone it's going to be something else," Dr. Scricca said. "There's an opportunity to cheat in anything we do in life and it's not the technology that allows us to do it. It's about the character."
The stories outlined not only how children are armed with technology to cheat -- some North Fork students were said to use Google to find answers to test questions during bathroom breaks -- but also how teachers are using computer software and Web sites to see if kids are plagiarizing essays and papers.
It was also reported how some schools in the U.S. are incorporating text messaging and other technologies into the curriculum.
Dr. Scricca said that while cell phones and other electronic devices are allowed in school, students must turn them off and put them away throughout the day and are not permitted to use them in halls or the classroom.
"Some ideas have been thrown around, but nothing final," admitted Dali Rastello, an assistant principal at the high school. "That is as far as it went and that may be as far as it continues to go.
"So many schools have changed their policies, and ours is and continues to be no cell phones and no iPhones," she added.
Dr. Scricca said she has received no proposals for a policy change.
"It's just a matter of common courtesy," she said of the current ban on cell phones. "Just imagine you're sitting in class and four cell phones go off. I think as adults we try not to use them in public as a courtesy."
As for stories some students told about kids using text messaging or other technology for cheating, Dr. Scricca said, "Where there's a will, there's a way. I think the bigger issue here is instilling in children what's right and what's wrong. And that goes for all of us, parents and teachers.
"Because it really does take a village."
mwhite@timesreview.com
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