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[drdice]

This afternoon I was grading a paper, and boy, did some of those sentences sound really familiar. Well, they should have sounded familiar because they were copied directly from a journal article that I wrote. I just put down my pen and came home. So discouraging...... And not even creative plagiarizing.

[drmooks]

This afternoon I was grading a paper, and boy, did some of those sentences sound really familiar. Well, they should have sounded familiar because they were copied directly from a journal article that I wrote. I just put down my pen and came home. So discouraging...... And not even creative plagiarizing.

Ladies and gentleman, this year's Darwin Award for student idiocy goes to...

[peppergal]

This afternoon I was grading a paper, and boy, did some of those sentences sound really familiar. Well, they should have sounded familiar because they were copied directly from a journal article that I wrote. I just put down my pen and came home. So discouraging...... And not even creative plagiarizing.

This happened to me once.  I transcribed the full conversation with the student in this thread.  The subsequent fora discussion is also pretty interesting.

[tolerantly]

Well, why the hell shouldn't they try?  This guy's still got his job.

[galactic_hedgehog]

This afternoon I was grading a paper, and boy, did some of those sentences sound really familiar. Well, they should have sounded familiar because they were copied directly from a journal article that I wrote. I just put down my pen and came home. So discouraging...... And not even creative plagiarizing.

This happened to me once.  I transcribed the full conversation with the student in this thread.  The subsequent fora discussion is also pretty interesting.

Let's not forget the time-traveling plagiarizing prof!

[fosca]

This afternoon I was grading a paper, and boy, did some of those sentences sound really familiar. Well, they should have sounded familiar because they were copied directly from a journal article that I wrote. I just put down my pen and came home. So discouraging...... And not even creative plagiarizing.

This happened to me once.  I transcribed the full conversation with the student in this thread.  The subsequent fora discussion is also pretty interesting.

Let's not forget the time-traveling plagiarizing prof!

I never did trust that Doctor Who-ever-he-was!

[karmie]

It ticks me off, because I talk to all classes about academic honesty and (repeatedly) point out that I am available to look at drafts, brainstorm ideas, help find sources.

Any takers? I say the same thing every time I assign an essay to all my classes and so far only 6 students (out of 100) have taken me up on my offer to read over drafts.  I'm glad not every student turns to me for help with rough drafts because I'd never have the time to comment on all 100 drafts when I'm trying to grade homework/journals/random stuff.  But sheesh, talk about not being fully invested in one's grade.  The person who GRADES the assignment is offering to look at it prior to the student turning it in to make sure it's o.k. and s/he DOESN'T take advantage of that?

[arizona]

I had one clever student copy-paste and then make an attempt to translate it into student-ese, replacing some of the higher level vocab words with simpler words.

I had one of these as well. It must have taken him an enormous amount of time: he not only dumbed down the language, but also cut a 30-page, printed article down into an 10-page paper. I caught him anyway.

I don't quite understand why students don't grasp that I'm a professional reader. I read (student papers, scholarship), and I write. That's my job. Simplifying a few words just isn't going to make a published paper by a professional scholar sound like the ramblings of Joe C-Student.

[magistra]

They aren't good readers or writers, so they quite literally don't know what we mean when we talk about style or authorial voice.  They couldn't spot it.  They have enough trouble grasping the basics.  Especially when it comes to things like spotting genre styles, facts they should or shouldn't know, common student errors, what are the most important writings in the field -- they don't have a feel for this, nor should they in many cases; that's what they're learning in college.  (Or not.)

Of course, there are many excellent students -- I'm talking about the ones who can't or won't do the work and then plagiarize ineptly. 

Students rarely take you up on reading drafts.  Come up with a good policy like "must see paper 48 hours before it's due" and "must make suggested changes" and you'll really never see a draft.  That's why I love that policy; the few who are desperate and do come for help have earned it, but mostly you'll be left alone.  You can point out to those who complain about their grade that if they had questions, they should have brought you a draft.  And you can tell your chair about your oh-so-generous policy if you're at a "student-centered" school and they like stuff like that.

Of course, I'm a champion procrastinator -- guess what I'm doing now? -- so I'm throwing stones and hitting glass as I type.