[etni] Fw: RE: Testing Oral bagrut and thank you Sharon
- From: "Ask_Etni" <ask@xxxxxxxx>
- To: "ETNI" <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2010 07:03:42 +0200
----- Original Message -----
From: rafaella beigel - rafibeigel@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Testing Oral bagrut and thank you Sharon
Thank you for those words and hopefully the teacher who proudly told me
that she will award a grade of 40% to any child who has not done his project
will realise that it is the CHILDS' ORAL ABILITY which is to be tested and
that, if they, as examiners. were true professionals , they would be able to
determine the oral ability of a student even if he were to spend the entire
exam talking about his pet rabbit,the weather or the phone book. You cannot
seriously suggest that a two minute pre-prepared blurb about a project
should be the deciding factor in assessing linguistic accuracy or ability.
"Doing it a bit Brown" as Bertie Wooster would say. (of course that is
English Literature, but that is another ball game!)
R
Eleanor wrote:
>I wish to comment on the legalities of the debate of testing, projects etc.
The Ministry does hire us and as Sharon has pointed out -- we do it (oral
testing) out of a sense of obligation. Many years I have found my form in
the back of my planbook --waiting to be signed and mailed -- and just never
mailed it. The whole "Ktav Minui" thing is rather recent.
I am a Ministry employee as a teacher. I went on strike -- this too was
"against my employer" and all of us who were striking "went against our
employers." That is what labor sanctions are all about. But the Ministry
had a way to penalize me: to not pay me for the hours I didn't work -- and
indeed, we were forced to do replace the lost hours.
The problem here is that WE are not going to be penalized: our pupils are.
The same way, when nurses strike -- patients suffer, when the electric
company goes on strike, we ALL suffer. If no one suffers -- strikes,
sanctions -- don't work. Since so many of us are concerned about our
obligations to our pupils more than our obligations to our families and
ourselves -- we did projects and left those who didn't HANGING IN THE WIND.
I find the question of honesty regarding the projects, the testing and all
that has been said, very problematic to say the least. I personally don't
see it as so black and white nor do I think teachers who are trying to
salvage the situation are sneaky, cheating liars. I felt that the comments
sounded a bit sanctimonious and acrimonious. I have been very uncomfortable
with the tenor of the discussion. Sharon Tsur's words of wisdom and
harmony were heartening. I hope her efforts provide some solution
On ETNI we usually help one another -- let's continue to do so, even when we
disagree.
A pupil taking the oral bagrut is being tested on his English proficiency--
not on his teacher's work ethic. Whether the Oral Exam he undergoes is the
one intended, we must ask ourselves --how is his English? HE is being
tested, not the teacher. His grade on the exam will not determine if he
really passed his driving test, if he really is read to fly a plane, drill a
cavity in my tooth or do neurosurgery. It should determine if he can speak
English well. If a tester gives an alternative exam, despite the MOE being
the one to pay, are the tester, the teacher and the poor pupils all sliding
down the slippery slope of dishonesty? Is this evidence of an absolute lack
of values or a distortion of the truth?
And if it were your son or daughter being tested and about to forfeit 60
points? Does it change the cards in the deck?
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