Re: Education Philosophy-T o Cheat or Not to Cheat

[Worthington.Jeffrey@epamail.epa.gov]

The new internet pinewood derby syndrome

Internet offerings do provide a quick shortcut for students to educate
themselves, and increases the avenues for "cheating"; however the definition of
the term "cheating" and the manner in which teachers expect students to gain
their education obviously need to be completely re-thought.

THE INTERNET CLASSROOM
A teacher on any given day must realize that each sentence they utter in the
classroom is subject to rapid verification on the internet by students.  It does
not end with verification, after a class, it is now an easy manner to look up
the competing theories to any specific subject area and challenge the
information presented in the classroom.

INTERNET GROWTH
The growth of information available via the internet has expanded
considerably.......  4 years ago, typing the word, "quality" may have yielded
only a select few sites; now it is difficult to filter out the good quality
quality sites from the bad quality quality sites.

SELF-EDUCATION
Also, Any self-educated person can now prepare to switch careers by educating
themselves via the internet.....this approach is far more rapid than the
education in university, but it is far less organized.  One of the biggest
advantages though is that it puts a self-educated person immediately in touch
with the "state of the art" thinking in that profession.

EXAMPLE
I recently attended a quality conference where the controversial speaker
mentioned a text on the "stone mt. agreements" reporting secret cabals on world
economy,  The information was reported as fact.  My research the next day on the
internet reported that the entire concept of the "stone mt. agreements" was an
admitted hoax.

INTERNET VICARIOUS PINEWOOD DERBY SYNDROME
Last month while on the internet, my neice contacted me for an internet chat.
She is 14.  We discussed her science project, she asked me about ideas for her
science project because her own father is not as interested in the discipline.
We considered the design of several science projects.  Her uncle, me, acted as
her father vicariously supporting the pinewood derby syndrome.  There is even
another twist in this confusion of communication and self-education over the
internet, I never have told my brother about the communication.

CHEATING
Did my neice "cheat" by talking her science project over with me, her uncle?
Did I "cheat" my brother by acting in a vicarious role?  Did I "cheat" my
brother my not revealing to him this unique conversation?

Do students "cheat" when they go to the internet to copy a term paper?  Maybe
the term paper itself is now obsolete!
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