How can it help me be a better teacher?
Help students learn about and avoid plagiarism
Instead of seeing turnitin as a gotcha tool, see it as a learning tool.
Help students see it as a way to learn the right way and avoid the wrong way of using sources.
If a student is, in fact, deliberately plagiarizing, we need to find out - not so we can gleefully punish them, but so we can help them stop doing it.
Help students quote sources properly
Student Example - they misquoted a book. There is no way I would have seen this.
This is not a reason to fail the student or report them, but it is pretty careless.
If this student is this careless in their work, they need to know that they are making mistakes to work to avoid them.
Help students learn how to paraphrase
Similarly, students sometimes think they are paraphrasing something, but it is far too close to the original.
Use turnitin to help them learn, to help them revise, and to help them see what a good paraphrase is.
Help me grade work more quickly and with higher quality feedback
Demonstration
Why Should I Use It if I Don't Have My Students Write Essays?
Students do plagiarize more than we realize.
Students don't just plagiarize, misquote, or poorly paraphrase when they are working on a full-blown essay.
Large and small writing assignments should go through turnitin.
Can I Use it For Math and Art and Slideshows?
Yes.
Quality feedback delivered in a timely fashion.
What would be the point?
Demonstration
Can I Use it Just as a Grading Tool?
Of course you can. Who here uses it to grade and finds it incredibly helpful?
How do I create an assignment in Schoology that uses Turnitin?
Demonstrate.