[etni] Fw: re: dissatisfaction and inaction

----- Original Message ----- 
From: ELEANOR ZWEBNER <eleanorz541@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: re dissatisfaction and inaction

 I felt as if Batya were articulating my exact  thoughts and I hope to also 
attend that round table discussion.  Also, Judy Steiner has in the past 
attended our Rakazim meetings in Jeruslem and has let us air our gripes 
patiently.  She is aware of many of the problems and has implied that she 
agrees  with some.  Many of the issues are technical and she has said that 
schools -- especially principals -- must vent the problems with the Testing 
Dept of the MOE -- for example the tapes etc..

1)  Bagrut -- the listening comprehension -- the whole business of it being 
broadcast and everyone  PURCHASING TAPES AND BATTERIES and worrying about 
electricity, nose, static, the mashichim accidently changing channels -- it 
is a "3-Stooges" level farce .  Since tapes ARE made and they are in the 
schools and there are mashgichim -- why can't these same mashgichim (the 
ones who have been whispering  the wrong answers to the pupils anyhow...) be 
trusted to PLAY THE TAPE TWICE   WITHING THE 75 MINUTES OF THE EXAM AND THE 
TAPES/CDs  AND RECORDERS MOVE FROM ROOM TO ROOM WITHIN ANY SCHOOL.
Is it an English proficiency question if the tape is at 15:15 or 15:10 or 
15:35 ?

2)  What are we testing and teaching?
I think every school child should learn how to write an essay, a formal 
letter and to properly address an envelope. These are life skills that I 
studied in 3rd or 4th grade in the US -- and we sent each letters as well as 
to the Junior Scholastic book club and to pen pals etc.
Writing the correct address on a formal letter has become a question of 
ENglish proficiency. I find that absurd  .
Other questions, which are clearly intelligence questions or reading 
comprehension/test taking skills are also not ENglish questions
Does it matter --in English! -- if I can support my viewpoint from one 
paragraph or from two?
The list can go on and on --

3)  PROJECTS, HOTS, Literature
I have aired my views on these subjects  repeatedly -- We are teaching in 
foreign language with the same hours what they are taught in L1  (language, 
expression/presentation, and literature )  -- and the weaker pupils get more 
hours for the same in L1!  The pupils DO NOT do a general research paper / 
project  in L1 -- some of them must do something similar for their MAJOR 
subjects:  biology, Land Of Israel Studies
Doing both a Literature  module with the required HOTS and projects is VERY 
VERY time consuming.  Those of us who have been teaching literature for 
years -- and who see it as the  whipped cream topping of our teaching   must 
chose between the LOG (sooooo time consuming) or the exam -- with the 
literature being from an assigned list.
And it is going into effect this coming year despite the fact that no 
program has been developed for the 4 pointers and that there have been so 
many complaints about the program.
Should the development of higher order thinking skills be among the primary 
concerns of the foreign language curriculum?   Pupils studying Arabic get 7 
hours weekly ---- and they learn to read and speak beautifully as well as to 
write -- do they do a research project? Are they expected to develop  HOTS 
in Arabic?

4)  AND MOST IMPORTANT of all -- has the level of ENGLISH -- their 
PROFICIENCY improved as a result of all the changes that have taken place in 
the past 15 years.
Can we give today's average 12th grader an "unseen"  from the older bagrut 
exams -- which were all on a G level and much longer?

Eleanor



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