TurnItIn identifies 10 ways to rip off others’ work

Detail from an infographic
by TurnItIn.com: The degree
on a scale of 0 to 10
to which types of plagiarism
are considered problematic

In an infographic, TurnItIn identifies and provides examples of 10 types of plagiarism.

“Each type of plagiarism has been given a digital moniker to reflect the significant role that the Internet and social media play in student writing.”

It’s worthwhile viewing for anyone who works with composing or editing of text.

“The Plagiarism Spectrum,” according to TurnItIn, “moves plagiarism beyond the black-and-white definition of ‘literary theft’ to one that captures the nuances of how plagiarism can take form in student writing, with a severity scale based on student intent.”

A full study, which presents results from 879 secondary and higher-education teachers, is also available for download.

Read Across America Day

Today is Read Across America Day, it’s true,
the day of all days to celebrate You-Know-Who.
No, not that one; Lord Voldemort
Is not the You-Know-Who I’m talking about.
It’s Theodor Geisel, you know him as Dr. Seuss.
He’s the man of the hour, the man of the day,
The reason that I say “Hip-hip-hooray.”
So please excuse the impromptu rhyme
With which I’ve arguably wasted my time.
Let’s read across America and, what’s more, today
thank the Classified Staff-member who brightens your day.
Yes, “Classified Employee Appreciation Week”
begins as we celebrate Dr. Seuss’s feats.
Now I’ve given you two things
to celebrate in fact,
So go out and proudly wear your Dr. Seuss hat.

Decoupage decorates this water bottle

There was a definite “cat” theme to my selections of comic and magazine art for Saturday’s decoupage in the teen department at Jackson County Library Services’ Ashland branch library.

To the left, a stainless-steel water bottle is decorated with superhero and online gaming characters, all of whom have feline qualities in common.

“Decoupage” involves decorating an item’s surface by applying paper cut-outs and coating it with varnish or lacquer. Check the JCLS online catalog or browse among 745.546 in your branch’s nonfiction stacks to look for books about decoupage.

Teen “Crafternoon” takes place on the first Saturday of each month at the Ashland library, located at 410 Siskiyou Blvd. For more information, call 541-774-6994. Watch for announcements on Facebook. I also post notices to my blog.

‘The Sherlockian’ by Graham Moore

The Sherlockian by Graham Moore (Twelve, 2010) is a fast-paced mystery with parallel storylines that unfold in alternating chapters.

In present day, Harold has just been inducted into the Baker Street Irregulars, the preeminent society devoted to the study of fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Harold attempts to locate a missing diary by Holmes’ creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The second storyline begins with Doyle’s decision to kill off his creation.

The death of Holmes at Reichenbach Falls is met with immediate public outcry, to Doyle’s considerable disgust.

Doyle’s storyline is chiefly concerned with three months that would have been documented by his missing diary. During that period, Doyle and his friend Bram Stoker (the creator of Dracula) attempt to solve the killings of young women. The deaths are linked by wedding dresses and by the image of a three-headed crow.

The Sherlockian can be requested in physical form through the Jackson County libraries and can also be enjoyed as an audio file through Overdrive/Library2Go.

Cross-posted to the Facebook page of Jackson County Library Services

Should librarians police students’ reading-level selections?

Elementary school administrators, educators and librarians (and any other informed stakeholders), what do you think of students being expected to always read at their designated level, with the librarian required to prevent them selecting books that are “below” their level?