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Fw: etni Digest V1 #135
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Ask Etni
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Dec 18, 2003 00:05 PST
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----- Original Message -----
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To: "etni digest users" <"etni digestsubscribers"@freelists.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2003 9:15 AM
Subject: etni Digest V1 #135
etni Digest Wed, 17 Dec 2003 Volume: 01 Issue: 135
In This Issue:
[etni] reading
[etni] official answer key
[etni] (meitzav) The Education Ministry's whip
[etni] Meitzav
[etni] bagrut
[etni] Fw: re: extensive reading
[etni] teacher needed
[etni] Re: etni Digest V1 #133
[etni] professional preparation for Bagrut
[etni] " God Creates the First Teacher "
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From: "aviva" <aviv-@012.net.il>
Subject: [etni] reading
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 22:38:23 -0800
Howard wrote:
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.
This sounds a good idea. How long is a "reading lesson" and what are the
small reading tasks.
Aviva
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From: "Motti and Chaviva Isaak" <isa-@zahav.net.il>
Subject: [etni] official answer key
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 23:12:15 +0200
Does anyone have an official answer key for the 4 and 5 pt Bagrut summer
2003 moed bet? I would appreciate getting it.
Thanks
Chaviva Isaak
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From: "Ask Etni" <as-@etni.org>
Subject: [etni] (meitzav) The Education Ministry's whip
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 08:09:09 +0200
(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
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Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 17:08:27 +0200
From: Schroff <schr-@netvision.net.il>
Subject: [etni] Meitzav
| | 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.
So, that's what it was all about? Our students took the test for the
"efficiency and growth"?
Now can we congratulate all the schools who sent their weak students home,
spent months on Meitzav training and help their students cheat? I guess
their "index" will be rather high. The colorful achievement graphs will
become the object of principals' pride. The whole Meitzav business is not
about teachers and students, not about their relationship and feelings. Its
about graphs and indexes.
Meitzav is also about secrets. We could not receive the copy of the test,
because the mashgihim had a written note not to leave the copy at school. So
no way I could go over the test with my 8th graders to calm them down. Even
though the 8th grade test itself was fair, the weak learners felt rather
confused during the first listening and that feeling stayed with them till
the end of the test. What could I do with the copy of the test, rather then
use it for the purposes of "efficiency and growth"? We may have the copies
of Bagrut, but we are not allowed the copies of Meitzav?
Another secret of Meitzav is the results. When will we get them? Will we get
them at all? We might not want to know them, but our students do. They want
to know how they have done. When my students ask me about the results, I
honestly have no answer for them.
Another thing that bothers me is the whole issue of "weak students". I have
a student who moved from Chabad Yeshiva this year. He has never learned
English till this year. Now he is in the process of acquiring basic
knowledge of the language. He took the test, and obviously he didn't do very
well. Was I supposed to prevent him from taking Meitzav? There are some
other students in a similar position. May be I should have told them all to
go home and pretend they are not the part of the school. By not doing this
did I automatically lowered the chances of the school to get a pretty graph?
The bottom line is Who are we trying to fool? Ourselves? But we all know our
limits (and levels)? The principals? But they are there with us every day;
they know the kids and their abilities. The Ministry? But then it very sad
that we should all go through this just to please the bosses.
And what now? What do we get? Is it true that the schools who did well get
the "Kol Hakavod" and those who didn't succeed would receive extra hours for
teaching English? If that's true, boy, do I want to lose.
Anna
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 19:16:52 +0200
From: brenda <brbi-@netvision.net.il>
Subject: [etni] bagrut
Does anyone have the answer keys to the bagrut from last summer, 2002, moed
b?
Please let me know as we are using it for a test.
Brenda
brbi-@netvision.net.il
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From: "Ask Etni" <as-@etni.org>
Subject: [etni] Fw: re: extensive reading
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 19:34:27 +0200
From: "Hedy" <hedy-@haogen.org.il>
Subject: RE: extensive reading
Howard,
The kids can discuss the books in any way they wish. The important point is
talking about the book and in English.
I, too, believe that extensive reading should always be a part of the
English curriculum. There are so many students that really do read English
and for those that don't, well, at least we are forcing them to bring a book
to class! Who knows, they may eventually read it!
Hedy
Howard wrote:
| | 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.
|
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From: "Mavis Keinan" <gil-@013.net.il>
Subject: [etni] teacher needed
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 21:24:09 +0200
The Hativa in Mevasseret Zion is looking for an English teacher starting
immediately for grades 7, 8 , 9. The position runs until the end of the
school year.
If you're interested please contact Mavis on 02-5335010.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 10:57:12 -0800 (PST)
From: Barry Praag <bpr-@yahoo.com>
Subject: [etni] Re: etni Digest V1 #133
Just had to reply to you Batya. Got to keep the flag
flying, stiff upper lip and all that long live Queen
Vic etc.
We may have, IN THE LONG FORGOTTEN PAST based our
educational system on the Brits but that was in the
long forgotten past.
Today there is absolutely no doubt which way we are
headed and that is ACHIEVE or be trodden on. Does that
remind you of any educational system not 12 hours
flight time from here?
I may add that we were so scared of our teachers in
the old Brit system that it was more than our lives
were worth to cheat. It would certainly never have
crossed our teacher's minds to tell us the
answers.They would rather have walked barefoot across
burning coals ( ok I'm exaggerating )
Anyway
Long Live Queen Liz and all who sail in her.
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now
http://companion.yahoo.com/
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 22:10:34 +0200
From: Miriam Kalla <mka-@netvision.net.il>
Subject: [etni] professional preparation for Bagrut
Does anyone know of an institute or school with professional English
teachers who prepare students for English Bagrut? The institute should be
in the vicinity of Hadera.
There is a high school which would like to get some teachers to teach
pupils after the regular school hours and prepare them for the Bagrut.Any
suggestion would be appreciated.
Miriam
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2003 06:31:54 +0300
From: Ann Shlapobersky <ashl-@netvision.net.il>
Subject: [etni] " God Creates the First Teacher "
I got this from a friend and thought it was a good way to begin the
holidays,
Hag Samach,
Ann
On the 6th day, God created men and women.
On the 7th day, he rested.
Not so much to recuperate, but rather to prepare himself for the work he
was going to do on the next day.
For it was on that day - the 8th day - that God created the FIRST TEACHER.
This TEACHER, though taken from among men and women, had several
significant modifications.
In general, God made the TEACHER more durable than other men and women.
The TEACHER was made to arise at a very early hour and to go to bed no
earlier than 11:30 p.m.-with no rest in between. The TEACHER had to be
able to withstand being locked up in an air-tight classroom for six hours
with a room full of antsy students on a rainy Monday. And the TEACHER had
to be fit to correct 103 term papers over Spring break.
Yes, God made the TEACHER tough...but gentle too.
The TEACHER was equipped with soft hands to wipe away the tears of the
neglected and lonely student...of those of the sixteen year old girl who
was not asked to the prom.
And into the TEACHER God poured a generous amount of patience.
Patience when a student asks to repeat the directions the TEACHER has just
repeated for someone else.
Patience when the kids forget their lunch money for the fourth day in a
row.
Patience when one-third of the class fails the test.
Patience when the text books haven't arrived yet, and the semester starts
tomorrow.
And God gave the TEACHER a heart slightly bigger than the average human
heart.
For the TEACHER's heart had to be big enough to love the kid who screams,
"I hate this class; it's boring!" and to love the kid who runs out of the
classroom at the end of the period without so much as a "goodbye", let
alone a "thank you".
And lastly, God gave the TEACHER an abundant supply of HOPE.
For God knew that the TEACHER would always be hoping.
Hoping that the kids would someday learn how to spell...
hoping not to have lunchroom duty...
hoping that Friday would come...
hoping for a free day....
hoping for deliverance.
When God finished creating the TEACHER, he stepped back and admired the
work of his hands.
And God saw that the TEACHER was good.
Very Good!
And God smiled, for when he looked at the TEACHER, he saw into the future.
He knew that the future is in the hands of the TEACHERS.
And because God loves Teachers so much, on the 9th day
God created "Snow Days."
Blessed holidays!
------------------------------
End of etni Digest V1 #135
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