[etni] Fw: re: media change for LD
- From: "Ask_Etni" <ask@xxxxxxxx>
- To: "ETNI" <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:53:17 +0300
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dina Rosenfeld" <denro@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: media change for LD
I can only second the wonderful ideas brought here and
hope that someone in the Ministry and in the Testing
Department takes notice of these ideas and acts upon them.
Maybe we can do something to help them in the right direction?
Anyhow, the one thing I am really worried about regarding this issue
is that the new LD payment agreement only covers Hakraat Sheelon (and for
tapes
we have been paid according to this) for one pupil per group, without
taking into account the amount of time it takes to make copies of
that one tape for all LDs.
Now, if we have to record in chunks and download/transfer to other devices,
we are going back to square one: no real payment for our efforts!
Sharon wrote:
>First, I was wondering where everyone has been getting the information
>about
>a changeover from tapes to CDs. I didn't see any official posting.
>If that is indeed an option being considered, I'd like to give some input.
>CDs are definitely NOT a good option. Kids don't have the players, and they
>are expensive to buy- about twice as much as a walkman - and twice as much
>as the cheapest MP3 devices. Furthermore, it's a wasteful media - imagine
>having to make a new CD for every student for every exam. (I've never had
>much luck with multi-recordable).
>The option of text-to-speech software is problematic because there is no
>way
>to place every student in front of a computer for tests - not during the
>school year yet alone on the day of the Bagrut. There is also no way to
>prevent the student from accessing software that would help him/her in the
>exam - for example, the translation and definition options built in to
>Word.
>Really, the only way to go is MPs. However, you can't simply have students
>bring in their MP3 devices - for various reasons. First, with MP3 being
>built into phones, fewer and fewer kids will have a "purely" MP3 device and
>the device must also be ONLY an MP3 device - no radio, no internet
>connection, no phone. Second, we must assure that the exam is the only file
>on the device. We can't just "trust the kids" as some teachers have
>suggested - not to have other files which might help them. Furthermore, I
>have found that different devices work differently in terms of file
>transfer
>- some force you to use certain programs - like Windows Media player, or
>I-Tunes. It's a nightmare for the teacher. (and some teachers have already
>pointed out that the kids sometimes forget the connecting wire). The
>solution to the above problems is to have the students or the schools buy
>one, simple, standard MP3 device - a device that plugs straight into the
>UPB
>drive - a device that will be used only for HaKraat Sheilon.
>My suggestion is this: A quick search in the internet and I found that one
>can get VERY simple MP3 devices - the kind that plug straight into the USB
>drive, for about $12. I also found sites in China from which you can order
>directly. I think that the Ministry of Education should organize the mass
>purchase of such a device (or find a company that will do so). The device
>would be the simple USB type - the kind that plugs directly into the USB
>drive - it would need minimal memory - and it should be a device that
>requires no special program for file transfer. (Teachers should be able to
>simply copy from the computer to the USB drive.) The device would have to
>allow students to choose which file to play (not just random play) - and
>the
>bagrut should be divided into several files to allow for easier navigation.
>Schools would be able to order the device for its students. Students could
>be asked to pay a fee for using the device all year - in which case, within
>about three years, the cost of the devices would be covered and owned by
>the
>school.
>Because the devices would be cheap (and perhaps owned by the school),
>teachers could take them home the night before an exam to transfer files.
>There are free programs for recording MP3 files (such as Audacity) but it
>is
>a bit time consuming - especially if you divide your recording into several
>parts to make it easier for the kids to navigate. (I generally do each
>paragraph separately and divide the questions into 3 groups). It would also
>be helpful for the Ministry to allow us to upload files we've recorded so
>that we can share them with other teachers. This can be done with past
>Bagrut exams (those that are assessable on the internet anyway) as well as
>other materials we've prepared (like recordings of short stories). Within a
>year or two, we'd have a nice "bank" - so that we could sometimes just
>download files instead of recording them.
>On the day of the Bagrut, the files can be sent on a disk-on-key which
>would
>be included in the envelopes along with the exams - one disk-on-key (and
>one
>spare) for each of the three testing times - six disk-on-keys in all. These
>would be returned to the Ministry (possibly by means of the tachanot klita)
>- so that they can be reused each moed. The files would be transferred to
>the students' devices. I think this is the only method which would ensure
>security on the day of the exam.
>The Ministry can continue to use the technology for quite a long time - as
>long as the devices are around - and owned by the school - they could
>remain
>in use even if other technologies come in. The device chosen should have an
>option for battery replacement.
-----------------------------------------------
** Etni homepage - http://www.etni.org
or - http://www.etni.org.il **
** for help - ask@xxxxxxxx **
** to post to this list - etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx **
-----------------------------------------------
Other related posts: