10
the
December 8, 2008
lion’s tale
Israel
NETA curriculum under scrutiny HEBREW, from page 1
write an essay about a leader, using the con- teaching suggestions and strategies. tions of Upper School courses that do not tent and the language that were [developed] “We know [that] no curriculum, no set of use NETA varied widely. dissatisfaction with NETA. In a survey tak- throughout the unit. And that’s a project books, can teach itself .... We cannot teach Non-NETA-based Hebrew electives en by 258 high school students on Friday, that we expect every teacher to run in every 15,000 students, but we can work hard to range from the I Speak Ivrit program, a Nov. 7, 81 percent believed that JDS should class, as the peak and the main achievement create a cadre of teachers who can do that,” course based on speaking and functioning not use NETA, and 42 percent said that the of this unit,” Kobliner said. Stillman said. in Hebrew, to Dilemmas, a class where stuprogram let their Hebrew deteriorate over This type of standardization in assessThe Hebrew Department has undergone dents discuss current events and read news the years. In addition, 22 percent said that ments and in the curriculum has been met a series of leadership changes in recent in Hebrew. the NETA program did not improve any of with varied responses. years. Dagony was the department chair “In the Lower School, they’d teach their Hebrew language skills such as speak“Typically, when people learn languages, until 2006, followed by Hava Lurya for the us grammar and then we’d use it a lot. In ing and writing. they don’t like to use a workbook or text- 2006-2007 school year, Esther Kalter from NETA, they just have a subject and we learn “I’m frustrated myself …. If a student book like NETA provides. However, I’ve 2007-2008 and current Director of Judaic vocab about the subject, except we don’t use says ‘I don’t like it,’ I can’t tell him ‘you do found that that works the best for me,” said Studies Michael Kay. However, students it in our everyday lives,” Gasko said. like it.’ But I still fail to see what the prob- senior Jonathan Ochs. did not express that this was one of the main “Is the NETA program appealing? No .... lem is … it’s a tool for me to teach, and I Daniel Green (’06) and many other stu- factors that caused the problems they saw However, I have found it to be better than I don’t have to use everything in the book,” dents found NETA’s volume of vocabulary with the Hebrew program at JDS. Speak Ivrit,” Ochs said. Hebrew teacher Yaffa Dagony said. problematic. “Students have a negative outlook on JDS has been using NETA since 2002. The Lion’s Tale “The Hebrew Hebrew class now that we’re using NETA, According to Dagony, the Hebrew curricuadministered a Hecurriculum that a curriculum that we don’t really agree lum at JDS before NETA was left up to the brew test to sevI experienced with. It’s not so much the teaching. I’ve had individual teachers to plan with the Hebrew enth-grade students in college was teachers that are really enthusiastic,” fresh- Department’s guidance. and juniors from much more man Tamar Gasko said. “The benefit of [NETA] is that there is a • The Lion’s Tale distributed a Hebrew the Scholars Hebased on gram“I can tell that [the teachers] try their philosophy, there is a structure, there is protest to seventh grade students and jubrew classes who mar than on hardest ... and they’re doing the best they fessional development, and there is a goal niors interested in participating. The volunteered to take vocab .... The can, but the program, I feel, in and of itself, for the program as a whole and an objectest was available for Scholars level it. Fourteen stuidea was that is flawed,” Rosenfeld said. tive for every level in a unit. The fact that Hebrew students in both grades. dents took the test. you could learn One common complaint was that He[some students] do not reach that level is a • Fourteen students volunteered and Students completed words along the brew teachers tend to stick too closely to the different story, but at least there is a target completed the test. their tests during way. And I think textbook. for people to aim to,” Dagony said. • The one hour test was taken either in club period. that it worked “When the teachers teach NETA, they One component of students’ dislike of one sitting or in two half-hour sesThe average much better than teach it directly from the book, and they NETA may be a disinclination to learn Hesions. The test was comprised of an grade on the objecm e m o r i z i n g don’t provide any extra information,” freshbrew regardless of what curriculum is used. essay and objective questions. Each tive portion of the lists of words,” man Samuel Yerushalmi said. “Apathy’s a big part of [why students dissection was graded out of 100%. test was the same Green said. Dagony and Hebrew teacher Rebeca like NETA],” sophomore Jake Romm said. • The tests were graded by or with guidfor both grades. The “Right now, Rydel said that they mold the curriculum to “People really don’t like the NETA sysance from Hebrew teachers. scores of seventhI could tell you fit their classes’ needs. tem because it does challenge them, and • The test evaluated skills including: grade students were the word for “I do not rely on the teacher’s guide solemaybe they feel like Hebrew should be a grammar, vocabulary, sentence comfairly consistent, cupboard, but ly because I want my lesson to reflect my joke class,” Stark said. position, writing and spelling. while the scores of I couldn’t give specific goals and the needs of the students, Whatever the cause, students do not feel the juniors covered you a sentence so I use it judiciously. It’s a great tool...,” prepared to use Hebrew outside of JDS. a far wider range. with that [word] Rydel said. Green said that after taking six years of On the writing section, juniors, on average, in there in modern Hebrew,” junior Adam “The program doesn’t work by itself. I Hebrew at the Upper School, his language scored 11 percent higher. Rosenfeld said. am teaching NETA classes and many, many skills were about average for his introduc“[My Hebrew] has definitely worsened “The themes were a little corny, but they electives …. And the way I am teaching tory Hebrew class. …. [NETA is] reiterating things we’ve really did help me learn the words, and most those electives is the same way I learned “You can learn Hebrew at JDS for six learned before, so we’re not learning any- of my vocabulary I learned from the NETA how to teach Hebrew as a second language, years at a time and have the vocabulary of a thing new,” sophomore Julie Carmen said. system,” senior Caryn Stark said. the same way I’m teaching my classes that three to four-year-old. But if you go to Israel Hilla Kobliner, director, and Naomi The survey revealed that among JDS stu- use NETA books… I don’t think, ‘Oh, this and stay there for two weeks, one month, Stillman, associate director of the NETA dents surveyed, 43 percent felt that NETA is NETA, and this is an elective.’ I’m a He- you’ll know so many more words. You’ll program in North America, work with JDS had helped improve their vocabulary. brew teacher, and I’m teaching Hebrew,” know how to speak so much better. Obviand other schools that use NETA. NETA also focuses on teacher training. Dagony said. ously, something can be improved,” Ochs Stillman said that one of NETA’s major The program Despite their said. How do you feel that the NETA benefits is its standardized curriculum. helps train complaints about Stark felt similarly unprepared, though “[NETA’s major contribution] has been more than 150 the NETA system, she said that non-NETA-based electives curriculum has affected your the introduction of the idea of standards and high school students have had were to blame. Hebrew? objectives, of a structured sequential cur- Hebrew mixed experi“I know for a fact that when I go to IsLet it riculum,” Stillman said. teachers each ences with other rael and I talk to Israelis in my broken Hedeteriorate The NETA curriculum is divided by summer, and JDS Hebrew cur- brew, they’ll make fun of me. I think that’s Greatly 42% textbooks. Each book is based on a differ- the lesson ricula. Many felt very disappointing that I’ve been to Jewish Improved ent subject, such as leadership, furniture or plans that most comfortable day school my entire life and I only know 13% computers. The books provide a series of ar- complement with the Lower so much Hebrew, and I’m a very interested ticles, songs, stories, poems and interviews the textbooks School’s curricu- student, I’m interested in learning more,” Somewhat about their topic, as well as relevant vocabu- contain many lum, and percep- Stark said. Improved additional reporting by David Friedland lary and assignments. 15% “[For example], towards the end [of the Which skills, if any, has the Upper leadership unit], each student will be able to
About the Hebrew test
School Hebrew program improved for you? (Circle all that apply)
Do you feel the Neta program should be used at JDS? Little Impact 31% Yes 19%
Speaking 69
About the survey • • •
No 81%
None 57
•
The Lion’s Tale distributed a survey to 258 high school students on Nov. 7. The questions, the responses to some of which are shown below, addressed student feelings about the Hebrew curriculum and the Neta system. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding. Numbers at right add up to more than 258 since students could have circled multiple answers.
Writing 54 Reading 58
Vocab 111 Listening 53