Using Technology to Cheat Academically - Essay Example

g for the remote because changing the TV manually is unheard of, and student who want to cheat have a large number of technologically savvy devices to make their efforts successful. Teachers and principals claim that cheating isn’t more prevalent now, it’s just more sophisticated (Owen, 2008). Marty Wilkins, a 25-year veteran teacher at Milwaukie High School is quoted as saying, “Technology today does make it harder to keep on top of things” (Owen, 2008). Owen’s news article covered technology-based cheating in Oregonian classrooms.

Teachers at Milwaukie and West Linn high schools have had enough, but are afraid that there isn’t much that can be done about it. They cite the reasons for cheating as trying to get higher grades, getting positive attention from parents, and trying to get into choice colleges. Still they have a message for cheaters: “Eventually, it will catch up with you,” Wilkins said (Owen, 2008). Technology-based cheating has taken on a life of its own. When teacher’s grades are done electronically, student hackers can actually access the school’s database, and change the grades unbeknownst to the teacher.

Some students use the cameras built into their cell phones to take pictures of the test so that students taking the test later in the day can look up the answers. Others text messages answers to other students in the classroom with them. Even with all of this, administrators are reluctant to disallow the use of electronic devices in the classroom. “We want to give teachers tools to move to that next level and prepare students for a digital world,” Jennifer Nelson said (Relerford, 2007). Nelson is a technology coordinator at Eden Prairie High School in Minnesota.

Eden Prairie has gone digital, using materials like interactive white boards and video conferencing. Nelson and other school officials are trying to figure out how they can best use popular kids’ devices like MP3 players and iPods. Mary Slinde, associate