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Fw: etni Digest V1 #134
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Ask Etni
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Dec 17, 2003 02:56 PST
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----- Original Message -----
From: "FreeLists Mailing List Manager" <ecar-@freelists.org>
To: "etni digest users" <"etni digestsubscribers"@freelists.org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2003 9:07 AM
Subject: etni Digest V1 #134
etni Digest Tue, 16 Dec 2003 Volume: 01 Issue: 134
In This Issue:
[etni] Fw: JELLY/AACI Chanukah free event
[etni] Re: Meitzav
[etni] Fw: help with research
[etni] testing selectively
[etni] Fw: testing selectively
[etni] Fw: Re: ETNI poll
[etni] when replying to ETNI digest
[etni] Fw: re: the meitzav
[etni] Re: projects
[etni] Project Problems
[etni] Re: new immigrants and Bagrut
[etni] Re: Fw: dictionaries
[etni] Re: oral dispensation
[etni] Re: Projects
[etni] extensive reading
[etni] (meitzav) The Education Ministry's whip
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Ask Etni" <as-@etni.org>
Subject: [etni] Fw: JELLY/AACI Chanukah free event
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 10:12:03 +0200
----- Original Message -----
From: B&D Lionarons lion-@netvision.net.il
Subject: re- JELLY/AACI Chanukah free event
The 3rd JELLY/AACI HANUKAH BOOK CELEBRATION
[JELLY is the Jerusalem English Library for Youth]
On Wednesday, Dec. 24th JELLY/AACI are holding their special annual Hanukah
event for the first time in Ramot. All the children of Jerusalem are invited
to a fun & exciting, library day full of activities in English.
The program includes: story hours, arts & crafts & Hanukah activities for
different ages and also book stalls with English books. At 12:00 there will
be a Book Dramatisation with Andrea Simeontov & at 2pm a Hanukah Musical
event. Admission is free.
Come & join in the fun at the Clore Community Centre Ramot Library,
11:30am.- 3:00pm Avraham Recanati 6, Ramot 'B'
Details 02 586 9193
------------------------------
From: "litajack on ArkinNET" <lita-@arkinnet.com>
Subject: [etni] Re: Meitzav
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 08:53:16 +0200
The English system? - where the Headteacher will "direct" you to what she
prefers you to major in - maybe.
However, don't link the "helping children during the tests", i.e. direct
cheating, is not part of the English sytem. I don't say it never happens;
everything happens, and there would be no prepared punishments if we thought
it didn't happen. But it is the exception NOT the rule.
Lita Arkin
You wrote:
The parent reported that the teachers
| | | | "helped" some of the kids through the English and math exams. This is
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based [old news]
Also:
| | When my 30 year old came home from entrance exams for a very "exclusive"
ulpana, she told of teachers helping "their" 8th graders.
A friend from England told me why she dropped out of high school in the
middle. The school "needed" for her to major in languages, since she was
fluent in quite a few and it was good for the school's image, but she
wanted maths. Her immigrant parents didn't know that legally she could
study what she pleased. She found it less stressful to just quit.
Yes, Israel is based on the British system.
Batya
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------------------------------
From: "Ask Etni" <as-@etni.org>
Subject: [etni] Fw: help with research
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 10:58:53 +0200
----- Original Message -----
From: shirili shi-@hawaii.rr.com
To: as-@etni.org
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 10:44 AM
Subject: help with research
Shalom,
My name is Shirili Green. I am an MA candidate at the University of Hawaii,
Second Language Studies department. I am working on a scholarly paper, and I
need adult Hebrew NSs students volunteers. As you can read in my research
proposal (which follows), I need students of three proficiency levels- low,
intermediate, and high (which I assume can be measured by the psychometric
test results, or by other university placement exams). I will be in Israel
from 12/20/03 to 01/-5/04, and I was wondering if you could direct me on how
to gain access to such students. I am going to add a brief description of my
study, but if you have any questions, please contact me at
shi-@hawaii.rr.com or at shir-@hawaii.edu also, you may contact my
advisor at chau-@hawaii.edu
I hope to hear from you soon,
Tanks, Toda, Mahalo!
Shirili
****************************************************************************
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*******************************************************************
The Study and its purpose
For my SP, I decided to investigate how nonnative speakers use the English
definite article The. To do so, I decided to replicate a study by Liu &
Gleason, "The Acquisition of the Article The by Nonnative Speakers of
English," in Studies in Second Language Acquisition 2002, 24/1. Liu &
Gleason concluded that the four non-generic uses (Cultural, Situational,
Structural, and Textual) of the English definite article pose different
levels of difficulty, which suggested that ESL acquisition of the definite
article is use dependent and follows a natural order. Moreover, they found
that the correct suppliance of the English definite article in obligatory
context for all four categories improves as proficiency level improves. In
my study, I wish to investigate these claims in a partial replication
because they did not separate learners' L1 apart with respect to transfer
potential.
Methodology
To collect data, I am going to use a test instrument created by Liu &
Gleason. The test instrument involves 91 sentences of which 51 sentences
contain 60 deleted obligatory uses of the article The, and out of the
remaining 40 sentences, some were used as distractors, and others were used
as control items where The was not allowed.
For my study, I would like to give Liu & Gleason's test instrument to ELI
and HELP students who are native Korean, Japanese, or Chinese speakers
(because these languages specifically lack articles). To see if indeed the
correct use of the English definite article increases with proficiency
levels, students' performance will be compared. The students will have to
read the sentences of the test instrument and add the article The where they
think it is needed.
To investigate the issue of transfer, I would like to give the same
instrument to native speakers of Hebrew (because their L1 has a definite
article).
Students' English proficiency will be assessed according to their TOEFL
scores (for students at UH) and by scores of the psychometric
test/university placement test in Israel.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 11:22:38 +0200
From: Susan Pel-Or <suma-@internet-zahav.net>
Subject: [etni] testing selectively
They say there is nothing new under the sun. Many, many years ago when
I was a primary school student in New York City we had citywide music
appreciation tests. We had to recognize the music played, composer,
etc. Based on a pre-test, certain students were told to stay home so
that the school average would be higher..
What it did do for us is that we were taught words to the music e.g. In
the hall of the mountain king, mountain king - in the hall of the
mountain king from the Peer Gynt Suite by Grieg. And, This is the
symphony that Shubert wrote and never finished. So I who have a very
poor auditory memory can identify these particular pieces by name
whereas for just about everything else I know, I know it but can't for
the life of me identify it.
Sue from Netanya
------------------------------
From: "howard sibirsky" <how-@012.net.il>
Subject: [etni] Fw: testing selectively
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 12:19:23 +0200
Sue from Netanya,
Thanks for reminding me of those wonderful hours, in PS 25( a very
difficult city school), Brooklyn , when we were able to hear the music which
you describe. Thanks to that experience, and also to having spent my first
ten years in Uruguay and also having heard the classics in school, I have
learned to appreciate good music. I also attended Brooklyn Technical High
School. There we were offered music appreciation has well. The teacher had
taught us to appreciate classical music.
What happened here, in our Israel? I have taught in six different schools
and in NONE have I heard nothing but Rock and Pop; sometimes some true
Israel music.
WHERE IS THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION? DOES IT REALLY EDUCATE? I HAVE MY
DOUBTS.
Hanan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Susan Pel-Or" <suma-@internet-zahav.net>
To: <et-@freelists.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 11:22 AM
Subject: [etni] testing selectively
**** ETNI on the web http://www.etni.org.il http://www.etni.org ****
They say there is nothing new under the sun. Many, many years ago when
I was a primary school student in New York City we had citywide music
appreciation tests. We had to recognize the music played, composer,
etc. Based on a pre-test, certain students were told to stay home so
that the school average would be higher..
What it did do for us is that we were taught words to the music e.g. In
the hall of the mountain king, mountain king - in the hall of the
mountain king from the Peer Gynt Suite by Grieg. And, This is the
symphony that Shubert wrote and never finished. So I who have a very
poor auditory memory can identify these particular pieces by name
whereas for just about everything else I know, I know it but can't for
the life of me identify it.
Sue from Netanya
##### To send a message to the ETNI list email: et-@freelists.org #####
##### Send queries and questions to: as-@etni.org #####
------------------------------
From: "Ask Etni" <as-@etni.org>
Subject: [etni] Fw: Re: ETNI poll
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 15:16:09 +0200
From: "David Siegel" <sieg-@012.net.il>
Subject: Re: wording of ETNI poll
Hi Adele,
I also agree that the question was worded poorly.
In my opinion, extensive reading (I - 1) should be encouraged in the
classroom. This is a seperate issue from assessment.
David
------------------------------
From: "Ask Etni" <as-@etni.org>
Subject: [etni] when replying to ETNI digest
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 15:26:44 +0200
Hi all,
When you reply to a message in the ETNI digest, PLEASE do not include ALL of
the digest in your reply.
We are sure that you all agree that there is no need for ETNI members to
read all of the 10 or more messages to the list from the previous day when
reading a reply to a specific message.
If you want to include a specific message from the digest in your reply, you
have two options:
1) create a new email message and cut and paste the message you are replying
to from the digest into the new email message
2) press reply, and delete all of the messages from the digest except for
the message you are replying to.
If you don't do either one or two, and simply press reply when reading the
digest - thus including all of the digest in your reply - we are forced to
edit the message for you and this adds to an already very heavy workload.
Thanking you all in advance,
The ETNI Team
------------------------------
From: "Ask Etni" <as-@etni.org>
Subject: [etni] Fw: re: the meitzav
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 15:43:58 +0200
----- Original Message -----
From: "LORI" <lor-@netvision.net.il>
To: <as-@etni.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 3:47 PM
Subject: Re: the meitzav
Do any of us really want those results????
I would love to hear more responses from teachers who found the test
problematic and why so.
Lori
Jullanar wrote:
| | does anyone know when the meitzav results will be published?
|
------------------------------
From: "Bari Nirenberg" <nire-@actcom.co.il>
Subject: [etni] Re: projects
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 16:55:09 +0200
I was very insistant in my 5-point class about the kids finding the material
by themselves, as I felt that this was an important part of the project. I
was actually very impressed with the amount of material that some of them
were able to find. However, others have been very sluggish about getting
started. Today, once again, half the class came with nothing. The other
half is working hard and almost finished. I reminded them that I need to
sign their daily work schedule and that part of their grade is going to be
on the process, not just the final project. This obviously didn't make much
of an impression on them. I found one girl doing biology or math or
something during the lesson and when I asked her to put it away, her reply
was, "But we're not doing anything today, anyway." Her group divided up the
tasks and then decided to maybe change their topic, never reached a
conclusion, never redivided the class and hasn't shown me a single work
schedule. This has been going on for a week.
On the other hand, I am very happy with how well some of the groups are
working and how excited they're getting about the project. Some of them
called me over today simply to show me some of the body language of the
country that they're researching (and I saw them practicing the movements
being described as they were reading).
Bari
| | -----Original Message-----
From: sarag [mailto:sar-@netvision.net.il]
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 07:39
To: nire-@actcom.co.il; et-@freelists.org
Subject: Re: [etni] Re: projects
Last year (weak 3 point class) I brought books from the library
toclass,and
also printouts from the internet.
This year (4 and 5 points) - we might be able to go to the
computer lab, and
also I think they can look for sources at home without having the whole
project with them. (But it does depend on the type of project.
The one we're
doing this year, based on Jake P.'s "lyrics" project, has about half
research, and half creative writing that can be done in class.)
sara
sara g in israel
sar-@netvision.net.il
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bari Nirenberg" <nire-@actcom.co.il>
To: "sarag" <sar-@netvision.net.il>; <et-@freelists.org>
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 6:14 PM
Subject: [etni] Re: projects
| | **** ETNI on the web http://www.etni.org.il http://www.etni.org ****
But what about material that they're supposed to bring from
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home? Or did
| | you collect the material for them and bring it all to class? There's no
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way
| | for my students to actually collect material during the lesson.
Bari
| | -----Original Message-----
From: sarag [mailto:sar-@netvision.net.il]
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 16:53
To: nire-@actcom.co.il; et-@freelists.org
Subject: Re: [etni] projects
In our school, EACH member of the group has his/her own process file,
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with
| | | | copies of ALL the material . So if one kid is sick, the
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others can keep
on
| | | | working.
Last year, I kept all the files in school- they didn't take anything
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home.
| | | | So (same as above).
The other teachers - this year - are going to let the kids take
things home.
I think I will do both (leave files at school, each kid have all the
material).
sara g
|
##### To send a message to the ETNI list email: et-@freelists.org
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| | ##### Send queries and questions to: as-@etni.org #####
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 07:44:51 -0800 (PST)
From: Rivka Lewenstein <rle-@yahoo.com>
Subject: [etni] Project Problems
Hi Bari,
Many of the problems that you are facing are ones which I've anticipated as
happening to any teacher, and the solutions I came up with may not help you
at this point, and may not leave everyone feeling thrilled, but I'll mention
them anyway.
1. Don't allow groupwork - only individuals or pairs. I know that some will
say that this is heresy, but it sure makes life easier. When there are
pairs, there are just two students who are responsible for each other, so
they're more likely to keep track of who has the material etc. and to make
contingencies for when one is sick. After all, if a kid knows that his
partner won't be able to work while he's gone, and that will create more
work for himself as well, he's more likely to pick up the phone and call
that one friend than he would be to do so if he were in a group of three or
more. (Then no one's responsible...) And there are plenty of students who
prefer to work alone, which is even easier for the teacher regarding this
issue.
2. If you do decide to go with groups, have each group appoint a group
leader (or do that yourself) who is responsible, under any and all
conditions, to make sure that the group will have the material it needs in
class, no matter who is or isn't there.
3. If everyone's working together, have the students make copies of every
single piece of paper, so that each student has his own working file.
(admittedly not an easy thing to do) For example, if one finds material on
the Internet and prints it out, he must print out enough copies for his
whole group. As I said, this is not easy to implement. sick.
4. Impress upon the students that absences will negatively affect their
grade. Of course, this doesn't help with those who have legitimate reasons
for not being in school.
By the way, last year I had a similar experience (although on a lesser
scale) with a mini-project I did with one of my classes. While there weren't
too many absentees in any one given lesson, and material usually wasn't a
problem, I did have the same situation of 3 out of 4 group members being
absent, and the fourth deciding to join another group. It caused problems,
no doubt about it, and when the other group members finally showed up, they
weren't able to quite catch up to everyone else. Are there are any perfect
solutions to all these problems? Sorry, but I don't think so. However, I
hope that my suggestions will make life a little easier for some...
All the best,
Rivka
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 19:05:01 +0200
From: Steiner Family <stei-@netvision.net.il>
Subject: [etni] Re: new immigrants and Bagrut
Chana asked:
I1) In Moed Bet last summer students could answer in their native
language -
not just Hebrew. Will this still be the case this coming summer?
Judy's answer:
Yes. Please make sure to write on the cover of the test which language
they answered in and send it as a "mana nifredent."
Chana asked:
2) If so, will there still be "bonus olim"?
Judy's answer:
According to a bulletin sent out by the Testing Dept., they will no longer
receive the bonus.
Chana asked:
3) Will 3- and 4-pointers still be able to use two-way dictionaries?
Thanks,
Judy's answer:
Yes, in addition to the English-English-Hebrew dictionary.
Please note: In the next few days the Chief Inspector's Bulletin Number 1
will be sent out to schools and will also be posted on ETNI. It includes
the issue of the new immigrants, bonus and dictionaries.
All the best,
Judy
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 18:54:15 +0200
From: Steiner Family <stei-@netvision.net.il>
Subject: [etni] Re: Fw: dictionaries
Hava asked:
According to the hozer Hamankal. pupils doing modules B-F, need a
dictionary with at least 40,000 entries.
Does this mean that pupils doing the 3 point exam will not be able to use
the Passport Dictionary?
Judy's answer:
According to the June Hozer Mankal, pupils taking modules B - F are
required to use and English-English-Hebrew/Arabic dictionary with at least
40,000 entries. Since the Passport dictionary does not fit these criteria,
it cannot be used for module B - F.
##### To send a message to the ETNI list email: et-@freelists.org
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 19:11:57 +0200
From: Steiner Family <stei-@netvision.net.il>
Subject: [etni] Re: oral dispensation
Aviva asked:
In the "Old Bagrut" the students with the "oral dispensation" have a one
hour exam instead of the three hour 4 & 5 point written exam.
Does anyone know how they will be tested on the 11/4 hour exams. (Modules
C
D E F)
Judy's answer:
Detailed guidelines about the special LD oral exam and the mutam for the
tzvira model will soon be sent out to schools.
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 20:24:11 +0200
From: Gail Shuster-Bouskila <gail-@zahav.net.il>
Subject: [etni] Re: Projects
Have asked for group projects for many years and always made it THEIR
responsibility of the group to make an appointment and present. School
schedules always mess up the "best laid plans" we make...
Presentations can be recorded on video for those groups that haven't gotten
it together with you. I actually have some of these gems from previous
years, before the projects were "required". Now many kids have these digital
cameras, so they can "film" themselves and then send things by email--they
never have to show up to hand their work in! :-\
--
Keep in touch, Gail Shuster-Bouskila
HOMEPAGE: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Pantheon/8127/
"If we are taught what to think, but not how to think,
we end up not thinking at all" -- Mordecai M. Kaplan
------------------------------
From: "howard klyne" <howard-@msn.com>
Subject: [etni] extensive reading
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 21:26:59 +0200
Hedy your idea sounds wonderful. One of the things that I do is give small
book tasks each reading lesson which can be completed in a few minutes on
that day . This helps me see that they are reading a book for the book
report and not one that they have pulled from last year's stock.They must
then bring the book tasks to class on the day of the book report abnd submit
them these are basically graded as pass or fail.
On that day they fill out a form and are quizzed briefly by me on their book
but perhaps a group discussion would be a more efficient and meaningful
process.Do you have a page which guides them or is it just a free
discussion?
It would be a shame to give up on Ext. Reading altogether. When it does
work, it can enrich and improve a student's English and overall wellbeing
immeasurably.
Yours
Howard Klyne
_________________________________________________________________
MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE*
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 23:36:49 -0700
From: as-@etni.org
Subject: [etni] (meitzav) The Education Ministry's whip
(Article about the Meitzav in Haaretz - December 16, 2003)
The Education Ministry's whip
A few weeks ago, elementary school children sweated over the definitions of
complicated geometric shapes. Rhombus, for example, or octagon. The lucky
ones had no difficulty at all. A nice teacher bent over their small heads,
asked what the problem was, and even helped them solve it.
Thus a few schools whose pupils sat the "Meitzav" (School efficiency and
growth index) test, won clemency for another year. Their students proved
relatively good proficiency in the material, their teachers were marked as
having relayed this material successfully, and they - the schools
themselves - could get onto the "good" list. As if that were not enough, at
the next press conference, thanks to this fraudulent magic, the Education
Ministry could record the progress on some graph, indicating the increase in
student achievements, meaning the ministry's achievements.
Thus instead of locating the true weak points in the system and trying to
find solutions that would train better teachers and more skilled students -
the whole system is busy covering its patched behind.
This is how the representative feedback test - an innocent, though somewhat
clumsy and imperfect tool, but one with a reasonable potential for
evaluation - was turned into a tool that is clearly partly political and
partly economic. Political, because any minister can use feedback tests and
various efficiency and growth indices for his own purposes; and economic,
because in the accelerated process of the privatization of education, which
long before the era of Education Minister Limor Livnat and ministry
Director-General Ronit Tirosh had already earned the politically correct
name, "independent management of schools," the focusing on the achievements
of schools had become a whip in the Education Ministry's hand.
(Read the whole article at - www.etni.org.il/news/meitzavwhip.htm or
www.etni.org/news/meitzavwhip.htm )
The ETNI Team
------------------------------
End of etni Digest V1 #134
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