160 THE CLASSROOM TEACHER'S TECHNOLOGY SURVIVAL GUIDE
the computer to take an entire paragraph from the article and paste it directly into her report. When she writes her report, she does not cite the source in her bibliography.
Plagiarism is easier than ever, thanks to the computer. Students need to under¬
stand when and how to cite sources in both print and electronic formats.
Fahad is upset with his friend George. He finds the flash drive on which George has been storing his essays and erases it.
Does deleting a file constitute the destruction of property? The magnetic medium of the drive and the plastic case are left intact. All that has changed is the polarization of some magnetic particles. Students need to learn to treat intellectual property, existing only in virtual spaces, the same way they would treat physical property and that the theft or destruction of such property is unethical (and unlawful).
Appropriate Use
Does this use of the technology have educational value) and is it in keeping with the rules of my family) my school) and my government?
Jack's class has been using a digital camera to take pictures for the school yearbook. Jack has found that he can use a computer program to change the photographs. He has used the program so far to make himself look like the tallest boy in the class, to blacken out the front tooth of a girl he doesn't like, and to give his teacher crossed eyes.
Although this example may seem frivolous or even like ((good fun," journalistic integrity is a serious issue of which even young writers and photographers need to be aware. Deliberate distortion of events, whether through modifying words or
through doctoring pictures, may harm those involved in the event as well as the reputation of the reporter.
Just for fun, thirteen-year-old Alice tells the other people on her electronic mailing list that she is twenty years old and a nursing student. Others on the list have begun e-mailing her health-related questions.
Disguising oneself, impersonating someone else, and other forms of ((trying on" new personalities are common childhood and adolescent behaviors. The anonymity of the Internet limits such impersonation only to the degree that a student's lack of writing skills or sophistication of thought allows discovery. Role playing in a