Firat Educational Journal December 2010

DECEMBER, 2010 VOL 1 ISSUE 6

Educating our future with solutions for life. ™

www.firateducation.com 1

Cheating in School Can Lead to Doubtful Behavior Later in Life

Image courtesy of httpwww.concurringopinions.comarchivescategorylaw-school-teaching

By Ingrid Furtado

Math test: the nervousness takes place in the

classroom. Students’ hearts beat fast and, sudden-

ly, one little sneaked paper appears between a

scholar’s fingers. From that point, the answers for

most of the tests’ problems raise. This scenario

might be really common not just only for students

in the USA but also for others around the world.

Cheating in school is a chronic situation that teach-

ers have to face in classroom. But what are the con-

sequences to who cheats?

FIRAT EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL The New Educational Journal of Houston

Sponsored by Firat Educational Solutions


Recent research has shown that cheaters in

high school are far more likely as adults to lie

to their spouses, customers and employers and

to cheat on expense reports and insurance

claims, says The Josephson Institute of Ethics’

study.

The survey, which was released last year, is

based on 6,930 respondents in five age groups:

17 and under, 18-24, 25-40, 41-50 and over 50.

It analyzes the relationship

between attitudes in high

school and the behavior and

later conduct in adult life. Re-

searchers noticed that regard-

less of current age, people

who cheated on exams in

high school two or more

times are significantly more likely to be dis-

honest later in life. In general, the study

showed that high school cheaters are three

times more likely to lie to a customer or inflate

an insurance claim and more than twice as like-

ly to inflate an expense claim.

They are also twice as likely to lie to or de-

ceive their bosses or lie about their address to

get a child into a better school. In addition, the

study showed that “cheaters” are more likely to

lie to spouse or significant other (as parents,

boss, and so on) or cheat on taxes.

This news can be stark for a lot of current or

former students. However, there are some

considerations to be pointed out. The high

school history teacher Christopher Doyle wrote a com-

mentary at Education Week about the attitude of cheat-

ing at school. He talks with exclusivity with Firat Edu-

cational Journal about the theme. “I believe that ethics

are learned and reinforced by experience, positive and

negative. Cheating in school might be the beginning of

other negative ethical choices in later life”.

Firat Educational Journal – In your previous com-

mentary, you reinforce that one way to

start solving problems about cheating

is to create a friendly environment be-

tween a teacher and a student. When

the question „Who cheats on test, pro-

jects and home work?` is popped up in

class how do the students react?

Christopher Doyle -Many of my students ad-

mit cheating is wrong. That's important. It shows they

are aware there is an ethical problem. The next step

could be to ask parents to get involved. Teachers could

ask parents if they know about the pressure their chil-

dren feel to succeed. They could also ask parents about

their children's homework and lives outside of school.

School administrators should take an active role in this

conversation with parents. The goal could be to exam-

ine the child as a whole person, not just a student in an

individual class. When you get a picture for a kid's

whole life, it's easier to see if the child is oversched-

uled.

FEJ- Pressure, competition, and stress are common

components in our life. Years ago, the most ordinary

Educating our future with solutions for

life. ™

www.firateducation.com

.

2

“Teachers should rethink

their motives for the work

they assign. Often, our

assignments derive from

tradition.”

Christopher Doyle




worries for kids or teenagers were playing,

watching TV and having good grades at school.

Extra classes, swimming, or other activities were

done just to pleasure. Nowadays, those activities

are a must have. Do you think the students are

now overscheduled? It can influence their behav-

ior at school?

Christopher Doyle -Many of the activities you

mention--foreign language lessons, sports, volun-

teering at a homeless shelter or a hospital--are ter-

rific. They become a problem if kids do them

merely to look good. It's a question of motivation,

I think. If you do an activity because you love it,

it will not seem like work. You will want to give

it your best effort, and it will seem very bad to

cheat. If you are doing the activity only to impress

someone else, you tend to do as little as possible

and will cut corners any way you can. The goal is

intrinsic motivation rather than extrinsic pressure.

I think people will be honest if they are doing

things they love. Make them do activities they

dislike, or force them to follow someone else's

rules, and cheating will likely occur.

FEJ- Some experts in education field believe that

the “solution” to stop cheating at school is

“legalize” to cheat. Let me explain better: Imag-

ine that you give a test in classroom and one stu-

dent starts cribbing. This is wrong when is not

permitted. However, if reading notes in a book or

in the notebook become allowed during the tests,

cheating will no longer exist. What do you think

about it?

Christopher Doyle - I agree that teachers

should rethink their motives for the work they

assign. Often, our assignments derive from tra-

dition. We give homework because there is a

long history of doing so. We test students indi-

vidually, not cooperatively, because it's always

been done that way. I think teachers should con-

stantly ask themselves what they want students

to get from their work and whether it might be

valuable to let them cooperate, use their notes,

etc.

FEJ- Recent survey made by Josephson Insti-

tute of Ethics shows that there are relationship

between high school attitudes and behavior and

later adult conduct. Do you believe on that?

Christopher Doyle -Yes, I believe that ethics

are learned and reinforced by experience, posi-

tive and negative. Cheating in school might be

the beginning of other negative ethical choices

in later life. Still, I don't blame my students, be-

cause, as I say in the article, they consider cheat-

ing a survival skill. This makes the exceptional

kid who does not cheat seem all the more rare.

I should end by saying that I have seen

schools where cheating plays a much smaller

role in the culture. In such schools, the daily

schedule is less stressful (fewer classes a day


and longer class periods), grades are given less

emphasis, students have a greater voice in the

curriculum and in classroom management.

Parents, students, and teachers work together

to set individual learning goals by marking peri-

od and by semester. Grades take the form of a

written narrative about how successfully a stu-

dent has met her individual goal. No school is

perfect, but schools like the ones I describe

greatly reduce cheating.

Coaching for Life

Roberto Noce*

For almost 20 years, I have been working in

business and marketing across the United

States and the rest of the globe. I have

established new businesses and business units,

penetrated new markets, grown existing ones,

and marketed new products and technologies.

Now, I have decided to help others as a life

and business coach.

I work with entrepreneurs, professionals,

adolescents, and young adults who have

decided that the status quo is no longer an

option, and they want to achieve results fast

and turn their vision into action. However,

they are stuck and cannot get on the right track

to achieving what they want.

One of my educators once awakened me to

the fact that, "You cannot invest your soul in a

compromise". This has driven my coaching

practice. My philosophy is that, when we let

go of the status quo and utilize our strengths

and qualities to pursue our true passions.



*Roberto Noce holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the

University of Notre Dame and two masters

degree.He has also completed extensive continuing

education on coaching and executive development.

[email protected]

*Christopher Doyle is a History Teacher with

25 years of experience in secondary schools

and universities.

PIVOTAL CHANGES

~ LIFE AND BUSINESS

COACHING WHEN THE STATUS QUO IS

NOT AN OPTION

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Referred%20by%20Firat%20Educational%20Solutions




Image courtesy of http://www.faqs.org/photo-dict/phrase/607/math.html

Math might seem like a

challenging subject for

many students. But with

some helpful hints, Absolute

Value, Logs, Algorithm and

much more can be made

easier for you. The language

of the numbers can now be

expressed in confidence by

FES tutors. Often, we are

going to publish Hints of

Math written by one of the

tutors. The hints might help

you to ingrain more

knowledge and

understanding of the math

world. “Many people have

called me crazy because

math is such a difficult

subject but I do not

think it is as hard as

people make it out to

be. Don’t get me

wrong, I struggled as

well to understand

topics just like many of

you but I was able to

find ways and strategies

that helped me out”,

says mathematician

Edward Garcia Jr.. In

this issue, he is going to

help you out with

understanding the

changing of signs.

Hints of Math By Edward Garcia Jr. * When doing a problem, one mistake that many students make is getting lost with positive and

negative signs. Students tend to forget a variable is negative and just do through the operations like it was

never there. Positive and negative variables change the problem completely.

Addition and Subtraction:

Helpful hints for these two operations:

1) Always remember two negatives make a positive!

1 – (-3) = 1 + 3 = 4

2) Don’t get confused with the orientation of the variables!

-1 – 2 = -3, -10 + 3 = -7, -2 – (-4) = 2

Continues on next page




Multiplication and Division:

Helpful hints for these two operations:

Two negatives make a positive

(-)/(-) = (+), (-) x (-) = (+)

2) Look at the amount of negative and positive signs in the problem

a) If there is an EVEN number of negatives then the answer to the problem will be

positive.

(-1) x (-2) = (+2),

(-2)⁴ = (+16)

BUT BE CARFEUL!!!!!

-(2)⁴ => (-1) x (2)⁴ = (-16) IT’S NEGATIVE!!!!! WHY?????

b) If there are an ODD number of negatives then the answer to the problem will be

negative.

(-1) x (-2) x (-3) = (-6),

(-1)⁵ = (-1)

BUT BE CAREFUL AGAIN!!!!!

-(-1)⁵ => (-1) x (-1)⁵ = (+1)

IT’S POSITIVE BECAUSE THERE IS AN EVEN NUMBER OF NEGATIVES!!!!!

As you can see, signs can be tricky if you do not pay attention to how many you have. Follow these

simple tips and negative and positive signs will not give you any trouble.

*Edward Garcia Jr. is a

graduate from the

University of Houston-

Downtown with

Bachelor’s in Science for

Applied Mathematics and

a Minor in Statistics. He

is also one of FES tutors.




Dear FEJ Readers,

On behalf of FES and FEJ, I would

like to extend my appreciation to you for mak-

ing the year of 2010 one of the most remarka-

ble and successful years in our history. Dur-

ing this year, we have had quite a number of

accomplishments. We have had two FES stu-

dents make the National Merit Scholarship

offered by the College Board; we have had

one FES student get accepted to Georgetown

University in Washington, DC; we have in-

creased our students’ average SAT scores by

350 points within as little as three months; and

last but not least, we have re-launched our

popular Firat Educational Journal.

While it is impossible to list all our ac-

complishments into a small space, it is possi-

ble to recognize those who made this success possible:

YOU, and many heroes whose names are engraved into

the hearts and minds of FES and FEJ—our individual

consultants, tutors, office assistants, managers, editor-in

-chief, assistant editor, and many more.

For all these great things you have accomplished

with us, thank you.

We wish you and your loved ones the best in this

holiday season, and hope that we will continue to ac-

complish even greater successes in year 2011. With all

the best, Ibrahim Firat*.

Image courtesy of http://www.limoservicedenver.com/Christmas_Light_tour_Denver.html

Ibrahim C. Firat is the Pres-

ident, Founder, and Chief

Academic Coach of the Firat

Educational Solutions in

Houston, TX. He obtained

his undergraduate degree in

History and Mathematics,

and his Master‟s in Business

Administration degree from

the University of St. Thomas,

Houston, TX.

He has influenced academic decisions and careers

of more than 200 students in the last 7 years. He

can be contacted at [email protected]

3701 W Alabama St.

Suite 390

Houston, TX 77027

If you have any questions or com-

ments concerning the Firat Educa-

tional Journal, please email us at

[email protected]

DECEMBER, 2010 VOL 1 ISSUE 6 Educational Headlines

The following are headlines found in international, national, and local newspapers and magazines concerning

education in today’s world.


www.firateducation.com

Doctorate Degrees in U.S. Increase to Record Level by The New York Times

U.S School Graduation Rate is Rising by The New York Times

ABC News Investigates For-Profit Education: Recruiters at The University of Phoe-

nix

by ABC News

http://www.firateducationalsolutions.com/Firat_Educational_Solutions/Home.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/06/education/06iht-educBriefs06.html?_r=1&ref=education

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/education/30graduation.html?ref=education

http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/profit-education-abc-news-undercover-investigate-recruiters-university/story?id=11411379

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home

https://twitter.com/FIRATEDUJOURNAL

Documents

Firat Educational Journal December 2010