[etni] More Bagrut musings
- From: David Graniewitz <davidzalman@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2012 15:44:05 +0300
I have been following the correspondence about the literature module with
some interest not only because, as anyone who knows me will testify, I have
very definite views on the subject which I have publicised on more than one
occasion, but also due to the fact that I was teaching it in 2 schools
this year. In one school where I am the coordinator and where I have chosen
the exam over the log, I taught a 10th grade 4pt class and an 11th grade
5pt class. In the other school where, despite my eloquent protestations,
the log has been chosen, I taught a 10th grade 5pt class. (Obviously I am
carrying on with these classes in September as well.)
Firstly, I must agree with the poster who wrote that in the course very
little guidance was given about the exam and the emphasis was most
definitely on the log as this was my experience as well. I am not too sure
whether this was the fault of the person who gave the course. At the time ?
this was 2 years ago ? there was very little to go on as far as the exam
was concerned. There had been one pilot paper which we were given to
assess. It was obvious that the pupils who had taken it did not know how to
answer it properly. Very little time was spent discussing this and it
seemed that there were no clear answers to our questions. The impression
that I got was that the log was being pushed and the message was not even
subliminal. When we pointed out the shortcomings of the exam, the answer
that we got was ?Well, go for the log then.?
I must write, however, that since this first exam, I have noticed a great
change in the questions on the test. The exam is definitely doable now and
I know that many pupils would prefer it to the log. As for the grade, I
realise that this is a problematic issue and one that has not been
addressed properly. It is obvious that the overall grades for the exam will
be lower than those for the log. There are far too many subjective
variables that have to be taken into account when assessing the efficacy of
the log, for example how much of the work was done unaided and how much
backing the teacher got to enable him/her stick by his/her guns when it
came upholding the rules of the log.
It is no good simply to say that the log is an objective assessment tool as
all the work is MEANT to be done in class. We all know that this is an
almost impossible demand and one that just makes life more difficult for
the teacher. We must also remember that not all schools give the requisite
number of hours that the inspectorate recommends should be allocated for
the teaching of English.
From my experience this year, I can see that there are pupils who would
prefer to take the exam rather than the log. These are those with
organisational problems and this does not mean those pupils who have been
diagnosed with these issues. There are plenty of ?regular? kids who find it
difficult to get their assignments done in time and keep their work in an
orderly way. And I will freely admit to being a teacher with organisational
problems. My strengths lie in other fields. I am afraid that my pupils will
be penalised because I wasn?t able to keep up with the work for the log.
Also I have pointblank refused to take responsibility for looking after the
pupils? folders for the next two years. I believe that educationally this
is wrong. We should be teaching teenagers to be responsible. Looking after
a folder ? how hard can that be?
Grades aside, as a teacher I have seen that the biggest difference between
teaching for the exam or for the log is the in the way that I cover the
material. When preparing pupils for an external exam, I have to make sure
that I leave no stone unturned. I don?t want a situation in which pupils
will come back to me complaining that they couldn?t answer a certain
question as it had not been discussed in class. I realise fully that this
is a realistic scenario yet I have to do my best to prevent it. With the
log, this situation should not occur. Much of the grade is based on the
internal exam (aka summative assessment.) As a rule, teachers teach in
preparation for the exams they write themselves, therefore pupils should
not be surprised by any of the questions that they have to answer. No
teacher will want to deal with complaints that the test was not fair
especially if parents are brought into the picture. This fact could mean
that the log is leading to a far more superficial teaching of literature
than the exam is, as teachers will only be dealing with the pieces on a
?need-to-know? basis.
The truth is that the more I deal with the log the less I believe in it as
an effective teaching and assessment tool. I have heard ad nauseum all the
arguments supporting the log and none of them have convinced me so far that
the grade given will be an accurate reflection of the pupil?s understanding
of the pieces studied and of the language in which they were written.
Don?t get me wrong, I actually welcome the new literature module. It has
put English on a par with other subjects in which actual material is taught
that will be tested and consequently will make it seem a more serious
subject in the eyes of many pupils who have, up till now, been used to
regarding English exams in high school as pop quizzes for which no
preparation has to be done. The idea to give literature more weight in the
final Bagrut grade is a good one, but doing so by means of the log is not
the answer. I am afraid that within a few years all of its shortcomings
will be evident. The exam is not perfect; no exams are. Nonetheless, it is
preferable to the log and while exams may not be fair at least they aren?t
fair for everybody, which actually makes them fair, if you think about it.
Have a great summer, one and all,
David Graniewitz
Jerusalem
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