[etni] Fw: theory vs. practice (re: Oral Bagrut)

----- Original Message ----- 
From: sbshai - sbshai@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: theory vs. practice (re: Oral Bagrut)

Hello Linda & Laurie,
Thanks for expressing your opinions about the Oral Bagrut.

Linda, I certainly agree with you about the need for this exam -- in theory; 
the problem is the way the test is currently executed, however.  For one 
thing, unless there is a way to reasonably ensure that testers are doing 
what they're supposed to, the results are simply unfair.  In our school, for 
instance, we've had testers who zip through the proceedure, paying little 
heed to the rubrics when they jot down a grade.  Those who prefer to avoid 
justifying themselves to disappointed teachers (an experience that Laurie 
describes), give inflated grades.  Sometimes these are so unrealisic that 
the students laugh (in glee, of course!) and mock the whole experience. 
Other times, the testers who are in a hurry to leave mark too hastily and 
harshly.
There's also the case (thankfully not as common) of the overzealous tester 
who leaves the students distraught.  This problem is exacerbated when a 
school gets both kinds of examiners (the one who can't wait to make her 
escape and the "toughie") for two parallel classes, and it has happened to 
us more than once.

Unfortunately, my experience (16 years) has been that there are at least as 
many testers who fit the descriptions above than there are those who attempt 
to follow the Ministry's guidelines.

Laurie, I sincerely appreciate all your efforts to improve the situation, 
but you haven't changed my mind that too much time is spent on preparing for 
the Orals.  My class is also run in English, but I still have to test each 
student (usually between 25-30) for a magen (and some beg to be retested)!
So the required procedure necessitates a certain expenditure of time that 
would be more beneficially used elsewhere.

As I said, I realize we haven't come up with a viable alternative, but does 
that mean that we're doomed to accept an untenable situation?

Shavua tov & chodesh tov,
Batya



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