Here are some answers, and clarification-
DS missed two days of school for performing at a school honors music event out-of-town, so he was a couple of days behind his classmates. This was less than a week's turnaround, and some students were still asking for photos the night before due.
He was focused on making up two tests and staying on top of his other subjects, and this ultimately was a small assignment. While I consider 10pm to be pushing it a bit, he did get it done with time to spare.
Teacher had a due time of 12 noon, but most assignments are due at 8am, and with no way to submit it once in school, he considered it due at 8am.
Yes, the photos were absolutely required. The photos were actually the only evidence the students had of their lab. DS says he asked the teacher, the day it was assigned, "what if we do not have a color printer?" He says she responded by pantomiming drawing, and then said, "or, you could have a friend print it out for you."
Teacher claimed at their conversation today that she would "never" say something like that. I think if she did, and/or had clarified it was photos only to be printed, then all would be understood.
And, yes, I trust my son's memory. Think...almost like Sheldon, from Big Bang Theory.
His grade is docked because he sent it to be printed, thusly, "sending electronic files to be graded." Since the photos themselves are the only lab data, then technically, the entire class should be penalized.
We do not know if the girl changed her report, or if she even read his. DS says she is a good student. DS helped answer many confusing questions on the class FaceBook page, so many students, in a way, worked together.
I do not know if the teacher looked on FaceBook. There has been a huge crackdown, and even a sermon in chapel, about the evils of social media. DS's "sin" is that he sent the data.
He asked on the class page, "Hey, can anyone with a color printer do this printing for me?" And two girls responded. Two copies of DS's lab report were turned in. The teacher threw one away, she told DS.
Teacher says that in reading the 25 reports, that this one girl's paper read similarly to DS's, and that is when she called in the girl. The girl reported that she printed out DS's paper, and did nothing to change hers.
DS got called in and he confirmed that he sent it to be printed. He was told that he was losing 50% of his grade, and this lab was 10% of the semester grade, so he lost 5 points.
The girl spoke to him at lunch, upset, stating that she did not change her work. DS is not sure if she can take a 10% hit on her grade. He offered to take the same punishment, and while the teacher said his offer was admirable, it would not happen.
DS had no idea his asking to have his paper printed would be a violation.
I checked the school handbook and it only cites MLA format and rules.
We had to dig into the school web site and the teacher's page to find it, but what I quoted in the OP in italics is on page 3 of the 5 page syllabus.
As for DS's helping others on FaceBook, he says that by helping others with their questions, it clarifies things for him. He learns more by teaching others.
Yes, I see it as a time waster, but he does need a bit of time to chill.
I found out as I was writing this that two other students were called in because their reports were similar to each others, and both had grades docked.
Yes, these two also posted a bit about their labs on FaceBook. I tried to joke with DS that he is Source Q, but he is not. happy. and is now shut up in his room.
He had no idea he was creating a firestorm of scrutiny. He would gladly take a zero, and offered.
But I do need to confirm that the teacher had the correct grade from last week. And I would like to point out that we had to dig for the policy, and that sending photos, and printing papers was deemed ok, but printing lab reports is a big no-no, and that the rules need to be made more transparent.
Hope that answered all your questions!!
