I have seen this in high school, too. I think students have learned that A is doing going to be the default grade but the exceptional grade, but I have to admit C is not my defaut grade either, but a low grade.
“Instead of getting an A, they make an A,” he said. “Similarly, if they make a lesser grade, it is not the teacher’s fault. Attributing the outcome of a failure to someone else is a common problem.”
External locus of control seems to be attained later and later. I have many times explained this distinction to students. They see grades as something that results from how much a teacher likes them or luck more than how much effort they put in or how well they've written.
if students developed a genuine interest in their field, grades would take a back seat, and holistic and intrinsically motivated learning could take place.
Sadly, I wonder how realistic this is, based on what I've seen. I wish I taught in a school with no grades. They come between the student and learning.
This doesn't mean that technology is to blame. The students were encouraged to use the Internet for what? I'll bet they were given no guidance and used it for whatever they wanted. No wonder they were distracted.
Interesting. I agree. I wish that we didn't have to grade student writing and could just give written or oral feedback. I love the "facade of coherence" comment.