Turnitin

As part of our ongoing initiative around the teaching of the Research and Inquiry Process, and Academic Honesty, ESA is taking advantage of the TDSB-wide licence to use Turnitin.

Turnitin is, in the first instance, a plagiarism checking tool which teachers may use to check student work for Academic Honesty.  Virtually all post-secondary institutions use either Turnitin, or a similar tool, for such purposes.

At ESA we are using Turnitin as a pro-active teaching tool.  Beginning with a couple of pilot classes during the 2011-2012 school year, and continuing with the Grade 9 Geography classes during the 2012-2013 school year, students are using Turnitin to self-assess their work for academic honesty.

Starting in the 2013-2014 school year, we will be bringing other functions on board…  using the peer-editing options available through Turnitin, as well as the online grading/marking functions.

As long as the TDSB maintains the license to Turnitin, we will bring each new Grade 9 class online.  Over the course of 4 years all students at ESA will be using, and gaining experience with, Turnitin.

Information for teachers…

If you… are teaching Grade 9 Geography, you will be workshopped – as needs be – on Turnitin.

If you… are simply interested in learning more about Turnitin in general, please send me an e-mail.  I will set up an account for you, and send you an electronic copy of the instructional tutorial I have put together for teacher training.  The learning curve on using Turnitin is pretty shallow, so you should have no difficulties.  If you need help, give me a whistle.

If you… would like to do some PD of your own relating to either Turnitin itself, or read more broadly about academic honesty and educational practice, then check out the Turnitin Resources webpage.  This page has links to a variety of white papers, other research, webcasts and a blog.

 

Teachers, and students alike, should also be sure to check out the resources available at Plagiarism.org.

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