Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Flip

Original poster

Copying hwk and sending to friend by phone

18 replies

Sandycarrots · 18/10/2017 11:34

Hi all,

Just wanted some opinions/advice from others who are more experienced with teens than me please (only have one so have to get it right first time!!)

I spotted my dd photographing her completed (one page) history hwk on her phone last night and sending it to a friend! She did it quite casually and openly in front of me so I am assuming this is nothing unusual nowadays??

I must admit, I was a bit surprised and questioned her about it. She said it was the first time she had done it because a friend had missed that particular lesson. I didn't go over the top but I did point out that the teacher might notice if her friend's answer was too similar or it contained the same mistake but she didn't seem that worried - which again led me to think that maybe this is rife?

What would you all do? Nothing and monitor? Have a word with teacher concerned at parents evening next week? Or should I be being stricter and removing phone etc?

I don't have a clue to be honest!

(Btw, I think my reaction would be more severe if it had been the other way around and I had spotted her receiving hwk and not sending it out! I do check her phone regularly so I would know if she was doing this.)

Any advice gratefully received.

OP posts:

Seeline · 18/10/2017 11:39

I think it probably depends on what 'missing the lesson' really means.
If her friend is off school sick or something, and couldn't do the homework if she missed the lesson, then I think it is nice of your DD to send her the stuff to catch up.
If friend was just skivving the lesson, and couldn't be bothered to do the HW, then I think your DD should be wary, as she could be getting into trouble as you say.
For what it's worth, my DD does quite a lot of 'sharing of information' via phones, but usually involves friends being off sick, lost information sheets or forgotten books, so enabling HW to be done rather than straight copying.

Ginorchoc · 18/10/2017 11:39

I caught my dd doing this and told her not to do it. I said she can message notes or print outs but not the finished homework because she'll also get into trouble and why should her hard work be at risk of being copied. I didn't raise it with school though.

Original poster

Sandycarrots · 18/10/2017 11:46

Thanks both!

I think perhaps I will stick to having a word and reiterating all the reasons why it is not such a good idea ... and keep checking ... .

And I might just gather up a bit of information as back up ie how universities are having massive problems with students copying papers and how they use algorithms to detect plagiarism etc etc

Agree it is fine if someone is off sick and its purely sharing of missed notes or unanswered work sheets etc ....

OP posts:

lljkk · 21/10/2017 11:49

DD has a BFF who did one of the most time-demanding GCSEs. The friend routinely copied bits of homework off DD during the morning bus ride when assignments were due.

I can't rise to being bothered about it.
Copying in an exam or hwk that counts towards final grade, those would be huge problems.

Thing about phone is that there are electronic records that it happened, though, which could more easily be discovered & punished.

Original poster

Sandycarrots · 21/10/2017 15:09

Thanks Ilijkk yes, I've told DD that ultimately it is not helping the person in the long-term, even if it does help them out at that particular moment.

I've spoken to DD about it and she still insists it was a one off; I'm still not so sure though as it was all done so casually.

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 21/10/2017 15:12

If her friend had missed the lesson then she won't be expected to meet the deadline. Not sure I believe that.
If two bits of identical HW were handed in then both students will be in trouble. Most teens wouldn't be able to read an original then do their own piece and make it different enough.
Plagiarism results in no GCSE.

RosyPony · 21/10/2017 15:14

20 odd years ago when I was at school we used to fax each other homework we’d forgotten to do. I’m an accountant, best friend is a vet 😂

(Usually one or other of us had decided to go riding instead of doing HW)

BabyOrSanta · 21/10/2017 15:20

I would say it's not something to really be worried about.

I regularly read through others' homework if to get the gist of what I should be doing. If it's something like history, I struggled in my approach to the question. Once I'd read a friend's and knew I was on the right track it was much easier.
I think that it is highly unlikely her friend would copy, word for word, her answer. How many of us basically rewrote what the textbook said but in our own words?

Trailedanderror · 21/10/2017 15:23

I wouldn't even register this as an unreasonable thing to do.

Anchovies12 · 21/10/2017 15:30

I'm a secondary teacher at my son's school. They regularly share homework on snapchat, not always to copy sometimes just "this is how much I did". They completely take turns to do their maths homework though. I turn a blind as compared to some of the things my son's year group share on snapchat its a drop in the ocean!

LoniceraJaponica · 21/10/2017 15:34

In the grand scheme of things it doesn't really matter. DD is in year 13 and they have group chats about homework and coursework for each of their subjects. She and her best friend fill each other in if either of them have missed a lesson.

Ultimately the exams will separate the wheat from the chaff.

BeyondThePage · 21/10/2017 15:39

My DD has a big "friendship group" group of friends in mumish and they are always sharing what they did for homework - they seem to be doing it to see they are on the right track, that they have done enough, that their ideas are not off the wall - more a comfort blanket than a copying thing.

LoniceraJaponica · 21/10/2017 15:53

Yes, I would say that's what DD and her group do as well.

Original poster

Sandycarrots · 21/10/2017 15:56

Thank you for all of these responses.

I have to accept I'm an old minger and things are done differently nowadays (Love you and your friend's enterprising use of the fax though RosyPony!)

I'm reassured by the consensus that most of the sharing that goes on is mainly for comparison/"am I on the right track?" sort of reasons... .

And we live abroad in a country with such an exam/assessment focused education system that any cheating would ultimately be exposed!

Thanks again, I am much more relaxed about this now.

OP posts:

Tania3110 · 21/10/2017 23:23

My DD15 and her top set maths class have a homework rota where one of them do it and send it to all the others.
I’m constantly trying to stop her but there nothing you can do and it doesn’t seem to be doing her too badly in exams

Wolfiefan · 21/10/2017 23:30

Nothing you can do? You're the parent. Of course there is.
Kids can't expect to copy HW and face no consequences.

fatowl · 22/10/2017 01:04

I'm a teacher overseas (also has n an exam focused environment) and I regularly have students try to pull this off.
It's instantly spottable (I teach English) and the Copier and Copied get into equal trouble with me. They only do it once, but someone tries it every year.

I tell them, you might get away with it in maths or science, but you can't turn in a word for word essay (complete with spelling mistakes) and not expect me to notice. I do have a brain (they are usually surprised at this!)
If they DO insist on copying, copy from someone with better spelling because it's the mistakes that are easy to spot.

I did have one student in Y7 submit a short story lifted straight from the web. Didn't even try to change it even slightly. She knows all about plagiarism now. Lesson learned

Original poster

Sandycarrots · 23/10/2017 07:15

Fatowl yes I am sure that dd's teachers have a good handle on this already but I might allude to it in passing (in a very non-specific way) at parents' evening this Wed to see if there is a general policy in place. I can see that it would be easier to spot in more creative, less formulaic, subjects!

OP posts:

Flip