Reflection Wheel Journal: #1

Name: JohnLancett

Date:February27th2016

CourseName:742ZA

ReflectionWheelJournal#:1

EVENT(S)/BEHAVIOR(S):
TheeventthatIwillbedescribingwillinvolveplagiarismandthewayinwhichincidentsare
handledamongELLstudents.Recentlyatmyschooltherehavebeenseveralincidentsin
whichELLstudentshaveplagiarizedtheirwrittenworkinsomeformoranother.Mostof
theseplagiarismeventshavebeenrecordedandtheworkhasbeendeemedinadmissible.
Thenatureoftheplagiarismismostofthecopyandpastevarietyandorlackoffintext
citationswhensummarizingandorparaphrasingotherswork.Manyofthestudentsin
questionhaveonlyhadthisproblemwithwritinglongerworkssuchasessaysbutformany
ofthemthisisnottheirfirstplagiarismoccurrenceoroffense.Therehasbeennodiscussion
withthestaffasawholeaboutinterventionstrategiesandorextensionstothecurriculumto
dealwiththisproblemonagradelevelorprogramlevelbasis.

FEELINGS:
Myfirstfeelingisfrustrationthatthisisawidespreadissuethatonlygetslookedat
occasionally.
Concernthatourschoolisnotmeetingtheneedsofthestudents.
Uncertaintyaboutwhatthebestcourseofactioncanbeforremediation
THOUGHTS:
SinceIarrivedattheschoolIwasundertheimpressionthattherewasaveryunderstanding
policytowardsincidentssuchasthisaswedohavealotofELLstudentsinourpopulation.
Wehaveinthestudenthandbookthattheschoolhasanozeropolicybutitseemsthatthisis
notbeingfollowedinthisincident.ThereasonthatIfeellikethisisanELLconcernisthat
onlyoneofthestudentsinquestionholdsapassportfromandEnglishfirstcountryandmany
ofthestudentsinquestionhavebeenonlystudyingEnglishforunder45years.AsIthink
backontheissueIthinktheremaypossiblybeamorewidespreadissuethatthecoursesthat
aremeanttoextendandhelplanguagedevelopmenthavenotfocusedontheconceptof
plagiarismandthattherehasnotbeenenoughofafocusonhowthiscanbeamajorproblem
whenwritingforacademicpurposesacrossthesubjectareas.
LEARNINGS:
Step1:
MuchofmyconsternationIbelieveisbasedonthefactthatthestudents(bythetimethey
reachgrade10)shouldhavebeenfullyversedintheideaofacademichonesty.Fromthis
processIamlearningthatthereisalargedisconnectbetweenwhatstudentsareexpectedto
knowandwhattheydoknow.IhaveapotentialbiassimplybecauseIreallybelieveinmy
studentsandtendtofollowtherulethatifmorethanoneortwomakethesamemistakesthat
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Reflection Wheel Journal: #1

itismyfaultthatIdidnotteachthemwellenoughorpreparethemwiththecorrect
information.Ialsotendtoassumethatallteachersareformativelyassessingandthatthrough
thoseformativeassessmentstheyaregivingfeedbackthatwouldcurbthefrequencyof
incidentslikethis.
Step2:
Throughmostofmyassumptionsandbiasreflectionsaboutthisevent,itshowsmemore
thaneverthatpreassessmentandformativeassessmentarecrucialtounderstandingthelevel
ofknowledgeandunderstandingthateachindividualstudentpossesses.Ialsounderstand
thatthroughmyprofessionalbackgroundthatIhaveoftenencounteredteachersthatdonot
haveanunderstandingorempatheticoutlooktowardsCLDstudentsandthathasfrustrated
meprivatelymanytimes;thismaybeimpactingmyoutlookandreactiontotheeventsin
question.FromthecoursereadingthatwehavedonethisfarIamgainingandreinforcingthe
idealsthatIhavealwayshadthatstudentswilldowhattheyareaskediftheyunderstandthe
reasonforitandtheyhavebeenshownagoodmodelandtheyunderstandthetransfer
betweenthemodelandtheworktheyarebeingaskedtocomplete.
Step3:
Mypastexperiencesthroughoutmychildhood,formativeeducationyearsincludingcollege
andprofessionalexperienceshavebroughteventslikethisintoacertainfocus.Thisfocus
probablystartedwhenIwasaveryyoungmanthatmovedaroundalottovariousplacesin
theUnitedStates.Eachplacecamewithitsownsetofunderstandingandcultural
characteristics.ForinstanceinTexas,Iwassurroundedbytwodistinctclassesandtypesof
teachersthatwereeitheracceptingoftheHispanicculturethereorweremoreethnocentricin
theirview.DuringthistimesomeasanimmigrantoftenlookedmeateventhoughIhad
neverevenbeenoutofthecountrybefore.Thiswasmyfirstexperiencewithcultural
perceptionandthelimitationsitcansetonpeoplespointofview.Thistimeperiodhasbeen
reinforcedbyexperiencesandtravelsonthecontinentofAsia.Andbytheteachersthat
servedasmymentorsthroughoutmyprofessionallife.Iwasoncetoldbyateacherthis
quote,wellIknowItaughtthemthatmyquestiontothemwasbutdidtheylearnit.
TomethisexperienceembodiesthewaythatIreacttosituationsuchastheonethatI
describedabove.WhatIhavelearnedfromallofthisisthatselfreflectionandunderstanding
ofhowharditistobeacculturateyourselfcanbeespeciallywhenstudentsaretryingtolearn
conceptsthatareexceptionallyhardforfirstlanguagelearnerstomaster.Ihavealsolearned
thattheidealsbehindassessmentarethereforareasonandthatallteachersshouldrespect
themnomatterthesituation.
APPLICATIONS:
Step1:
Fromthisincidentandsubsequentreflectionmyareaforpersonalgrowthshouldstemfrom
thefactthatIamindeedbiasandalmostalwaysjumpontoastudentssideespeciallyifthere
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isaperceivedmisunderstandingbythepeopleinvolvedculturally.Ineedtopersonallyset
myfeelingasideandtrytounderstandtheperceptionandformativeexperiencestheteacher
andthestudentsareworkingwithbeforeImakemyassumptionsandreactions.

Step2:
Professionally,IwillsaythatthismakesmewanttoreassessthewaysinwhichIam
embeddingthesekidsoftoolslikehowtoavoidplagiarismandwritinginanacademicvoice.
Overall,IfeelthatIalwayshadthepersonalempathybutthroughthiscourseandthrough
activitieslikethisIamnowmorethaneverunderstandinghowtochangemyteaching
practicetobettersupporthestudentsthatInaturallyamincludedtowardsanyway.Iwantto
researchfurtherintothepracticesthatmyschoolimplementsintermsofplagiarismandtry
tohelptheschooltocomeupwithsolideducationalpracticestoensurethatwearedoing
whatwecantohelpstudentslearntheskillstheyneedtosucceed.

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