[etni] Re: the Meitzav
- From: David Graniewitz <davidzalman@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Amanda Caplan <amandacaplan@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 19:50:25 +0200
Amanda,
What you write may be correct, but that still does not conceal the fact
that many pupils who are conscientious about their studies reach the 8th
grade lacking a working vocabulary. Whether this is the fault of thier
elementary school teachers not doing their job properly or to other
subjective factors is a matter of conjecture. They can get through the
regular tests that they are given because study the specific material that
they are given. Even the "unseens" that they are given are thematically
connected to the unit that they have learnt from the book and contain the
specific words that they have studied for the test.
The meitzav is a different kettle of fish though and I still contend that
it can be a soul-destroying experience for many pupils. It is,
comparitively, a harder exam than any of the bagrut modules that they will
do in high school for 2 reasons; firstly, because in a bagrut, they are
permitted to use dictionaries and secondly, the Meitzav gets them to do far
more different tasks than in any module (6 tasks in the Meitzav as opposed
to a maximum of 2 in each bagrut module.)
Although I have never allowed my pupils to use dictionaries or given them
the vocabulary before the exam, I can certainly see the reasons to do so if
the grades are only for internal use.
David Graniewitz
On 26 March 2014 18:28, Amanda Caplan <amandacaplan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Regarding the 8th grade Meitzav.
>
> It says very clearly in the instructions for the Meitzav that dictionaries
> must not be used. If you look carefully at the vocabulary, and compare it
> with the new vocabulary Bands in the revised Curriculum, you'll see that
> many of the words in the 8th grade test are on Band I, the elementary
> school list. All the words are high frequency vocabulary and there really
> isn't any need for dictionaries for most 8th grade pupils, providing of
> course that teachers are teaching useful vocabulary throughout the year.
>
> The instructions also say that the test may be adapted for different
> ability pupils. That means that if you choose not to give the third, most
> difficult unseen to your weaker classes, you can. The Meitzavit also makes
> allowances for schools who opt to do so. This way it doesn't need to be a
> "soul-destroying
> experience".
>
> Amanda
>
>
> On 26 March 2014 17:18, David Graniewitz <davidzalman@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> It doesn't really matter how an INTERNAL Meitzav test is done because (as
>> the name suggests) the results are for internal use only. I think that
>> schools should be able to adapt the exam conditions to suit their own
>> needs. Why not pre-teach the vocabulary that appears on the exam, for
>> instance, especially if the pupils in the school are weaker than average
>> to
>> give them a fighting chance with the exam?
>> The meitzav can be a fairly soul-destroying experience especially for
>> pupils who can do well because they study hard and prepare for tests. It
>> is
>> the first objective test that they have to do and studious pupils can fail
>> it as there is no way of preparing directly for it if their vocabulary is
>> weak.
>> There doesn't seem to me to be a problem if schools allow pupils to bring
>> dictionaries either as they will be allowed to do so in the Bagrut anyway.
>> The problem only arises when the schools' grades are compared.
>> David Graniewitz
>> Jerusalem
>>
>> On 26 March 2014 17:06, David Graniewitz <graniewitz@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> > From: ETNI list <etni.list@xxxxxxxxx>
>> > To: Etni <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> > Cc:
>> > Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 16:29:14 +0200
>> > Subject: [etni] the Meitzav
>> > Because the Meitzav is being done internally at some schools this
>> > year, it seems that those schools have gotten the Meitzav tests just
>> > recently. Someone I know works at a school that has prepared
>> > worksheets to help the students pass this Meitzav after having seen
>> > the Meitzav. She was asked to use these worksheets and when she said
>> > it wasn't moral to do such a thing, she was told that they got
>> > permission from above. I've heard of another school whose students
>> > already did the internal Meitzav who told their students to bring
>> > dictionaries to school that day. I haven't heard of any new policy. Is
>> > this being done in your schools too?
>> >
>> > Anonymous
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>
>
> --
> *"The most important thing any teacher has to learn can be expressed in
> seven words: Learning is not the product of teaching. Learning is the
> product of the activity of learners." - John Holt*
>
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