[etni] Fw: old, new, newer, newest and back?

From: "Ask_Etni" <ask@xxxxxxxx>
To: "ETNI List" <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 08:13:09 +0300
----- Original Message ----- 
From: laurie ornstein - laurenmadeline@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: old, new, newer, newest and back?

Hi Everyone,

This is an interesting thread, looking back to the "good ol' days" and then 
reflecting on today's Bagrut.

Picking up on James Backer's message, regarding the amount of time we put 
out "teaching to the test" now, in comparison to "then"....let's look at the 
textbooks, coursebooks, workbooks and PRACTICE books piled up on our 
shelves. Yes, PRACTICE is the key word and I've got almost an entire shelf 
of these sent to me by the different publishers for my perusal and their 
hope I'll/we'll buy.

I'm a strong supporter of a good coursebook, all the way up to and through 
12th grade. I realize there are many teachers who do not agree with me and 
this became clear when I was helping one of my teachers choose an 
appropriate coursebook for his next year's 12th grade 4 point class and I 
could barely find a "real" one in any of the catalogs I had piled on the 
table. The only one that actually fits into the true category of coursebook, 
that I came up with, is Close Up (UPP) which is earmarked for 11th-12th 
grades. Thinking I may have missed something, I called  ECB to ask what they 
had to offer and was told "Results for 4 Points". I pointed out that I know 
the book,  but I don't consider it a true coursebook but a glorified 
practice book. I heard some hesitant words of "agreement" on the other end 
of the line but also received an explanation that this was what teachers 
want in the 12th grade....practice books, and that I was one of a very small 
minority of teachers who refuses to "teach Bagrut" and continue teaching 
English to the end. (I do of course, give my pupils some necessary exam 
practice.)  I was promised that my request for a 4 point coursebook would be 
passed on to the powers-to-be although I doubt anything will come of it as 
money is the word here and if the demand is for practice books, that's what 
they'll all publish. My favorite coursebook, Summit, for 12th grade, 5 
points, is still in the catalog but I wonder how many actually use it 
anymore and when it will disappear as did the 4 point book, "Final Four", 
which I was also told is no longer approved by the MOE as it doesn't include 
all the types of Bagrut exercises.

So, James, you hit the nail on the head. The name of the game with the 
modular exam is to "teach Bagrut" from 10th to 12th grade. I'm not saying we 
should go back to the old Bagrut but can't we find a happy place in the 
middle?

(And let's not forget the Meitzav which unfortunately, also overtakes real 
English-language teaching in  elementary school.)

Let's get back to the basics!
Laurie


----------------------------------------------- 
** The ETNI Rag **
http://www.etni.org/etnirag/
Much more than just a journal

** Etni homepage - http://www.etni.org 
   or - http://www.etni.org.il **
** for help - ask@xxxxxxxx **
** to post to this list - etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx **
-----------------------------------------------
[etni] Fw: old, new, newer, newest and back?

Other related posts:
