Reports/Papers

Long gone are the days when students used typewriters and (a whole lot of) correction fluid to compose their school reports.

Today, the vast majority of research reports and expository essays are written with a word-processor equipped computer (please see the link to "Word Processing" under General Uses in the navigation area to the left) that is connected to a printer. Students can quickly and easily compose, edit, store, and print text from word processing software. Click on the questions below to learn more about technologies and school reports

1. What are the dangers of using the Internet as a resource for writing reports and papers?
2. How can students who don't have a computer at home get their reports done?
3. Can students submit reports electronically?

Can Students Submit Reports Electronically?

The submission of school reports on "hard copy" (that is, paper) is still the norm in most schools. Many teachers prefer to receive a tangible paper that they can write comments and corrections on. Grading a paper that has been submitted electronically is, in comparison, quite unwieldy. There is also the risk that teacher and student will have incompatible word-processing programs, which could result in poorly "translated" documents. Some documents won't even translate at all.

Electronic submission of papers, is, however, catching on - especially at the college level. Electronic submission has the benefit of saving trees, being quick, and lightening teachers' briefcases. Electronic submission also makes it possible for teachers to submit papers to plagiarism detection services like Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com).

If your child's teacher wants papers submitted electronically, he or she will indicate what submission methods are acceptable. Most often papers are simply turned in as email "attachments" sent to the teacher's email account. Never just assume that electronic submission of work is acceptable to your child's teacher.

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