תילגנא לולסמ - Beit Berl · branding model developed by the international branding agency "Added Value," which is based in the UK. Finally, I ... innovative ways to inspire

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המכללה האקדמית בית ברל

חברה, תרבות, אמנות וחינוך מסלול אנגלית

Student Conference, the English Department - 2013

Book of Abstracts

STUDENT PRESENTATIONS

Session I – Literature

Poetry: Putting Theory into Practice

Natalie Frew-Gabbay

Course: Introduction to Poetry and Fiction

Instructor: Dr. Natanela Elias

Throughout the year we have engaged in a process that has involved learning poetic terms

and definitions and learning how different linguistic conventions are used in poetry to

achieve different literary effects. We have learned how to analyze poems with respect to

these linguistic conventions in order to extract "meaning" from text.

If the assumption is that we can now transfer these skills into the classroom and teach our

students how to analyze literature and how to use different linguistic devices to write their

own narratives or poems, I wanted to test that assumption by using information which I

have attained during this course in order to write two poems of my own creation. For the

first poem, 'If the Creek Runs Dry', I have emulated the style used by Romantic Poets such as

Keats and Shelley, which we explored in class. The second poem, 'Procrastination', is more

lighthearted and humorous with a primary focus on the use of rhythm and rhyme.

A Mirror to the World – the Mirror as a Means of Reflection to the Victorian Woman’s

Profile in Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s ’The Lady of Shallot’

Idit Haimoff

Course: Introduction to Poetry and Fiction


In this work I discuss the tragic story of a woman, a prisoner in her own house, an outsider to

the world's beauty and to the events unfolding outside. Tennyson uses a well-known motif,

the mirror, as a reflective tool, both on the personal level when discussing the Lady of

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Shalott, and on the social level, in order to shed light on what was happening in the Victorian

homes.

Though the Victorian Era brings a new message for women's rights, boundaries and

limitations are still well-established in English society. It remains a patriarchal world, where

women are expected to be submissive and obedient with no high expectations or ambition.

These characteristics are demonstrated in Tennyson's poem as the Lady of Shalott weaves

her fantasy dreams (her "could have") and desires in a web that becomes her whole world.

Unable to leave the castle, with the mirror as her eyes and companion, she can only see a

reflection of the world outside. She can only imagine the smells, the sounds, the tastes, the

feelings that comprise the world outside as she is doomed to watch from afar.

When she finally finds the courage to act, she pays the ultimate price – a most unambiguous

message to women to never neglect their duties and roles as housewives.

From Puritan Breed to Symbolic Brand: John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian

Charity" as a Communal Mission Statement

Ronnie Raskin

Course: Introduction to American Literature


In this paper, I suggest that John Winthrop's speech on board the Arbella, on its way to

America, was carefully conceived to obtain the consent he needed to execute the Puritan

settlement's plans. I consider the speech to be a state of the art "mission statement,"

facilitated by brilliant creative design, which Winthrop skillfully uses to institutionalize the

newly gathered community on a civil basis. In writing this paper, I relied on the expertise I

gained in my previous career as a marketing strategist and researcher. I also borrowed a

branding model developed by the international branding agency "Added Value," which is

based in the UK. Finally, I gained inspiration from the Brand Archetype ZTM Analysis protocol

of the Millward Brown international research agency. My examination revealed striking

similarities between methods used today by businesses around the world in forming their

corporate visions and marketing strategies, and Winthrop's earlier venture of 1630. Given

his remarkable success in forming a convention that constitutes a cornerstone of the

American moral ethos and social code to this very date, I conclude that his canon may be

viewed as a classic example of a mission statement that effectively attains public consent.

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The Typology of the New World

Rosalynn W. Cohen

Course: Introduction to American Literature


When we watch the news, we constantly see examples of the close relationship between

Israel and the United States. While one might think this is an occurrence only in modern

times, a look back in history will show otherwise. Even before the founding of the State of

Israel and The United States of America, the colonizing populations of the New World felt a

strong connection to the Biblical Jewish people. As the Puritans stood aboard their ship, the

“Arbella”, eagerly waiting the start of their voyage, Governor John Winthrop addressed them

in what came to be known as “A Model of Christian Charity.” Through the words of his

address, we see many comparisons between the biblical ‘chosen people’ and the ‘new

chosen people,’ between the Biblical leaders and the Puritan leaders, and between

experiences of the Jewish people in the Bible and the experiences of the Puritans. Winthrop

uses these parallels to add credibility to his teachings and ideas, and to enable him to lead

his people from a position of strength.

Teaching Literature in the Classroom.

Georgia Noy and Carl Rogers

Course: Short Stories

Instructor: Dr. Pamela Peled

Have you ever read a story and thought, “Wow, amazing! I must teach this to my class but I

do not know how?” We invite you to our presentation to see how you, too, can teach

literature in a fun and relevant way.

We will explore the ways and joys of teaching literature, and discover how to compel your

students and make them want more. We will look at the different skills and tools available

to teachers and ways to implement them. We will also introduce teaching methods outside

of the standard methodology, which will enable all teachers to engage, enthrall and instill a

love of literature into your pupils.

T.S. Eliot once wrote ‘Our high respect for a well-read person is praise enough for

literature.’ In today’s technology based world, more than ever, we must find new and

innovative ways to inspire and impart the beauty of literature to future generations.

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Literature through Film

Sandra Alon, Noa Kehet, Ofra Tal, Ofra Alfei Ilovici

Course: Literature through Film

Instructor: Dr. Pamela Peled

In our “Literature Through Film” course we examined the various ways in which three

novels: “Where Angels Fear to Tread” by E.M. Forster, “The French Lieutenant’s Woman” by

John Fowles and “Mrs. Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf are portrayed on the screen. We saw

how ”Where Angels Fear to Tread” remains faithful to the novel on which it is based while in

“The French Lieutenant’s Woman” and “Mrs. Dalloway” the director imposes his own

interpretation on the novel. It was evident that in “The French Lieutenant’s Woman” the

director uses the novel as a frame for the movie, while in “Mrs. Dalloway” the director

depicts a different time period, other characters, and thoughts than the original novel. Thus,

the film of “Mrs. Dalloway” is a totally new conception, called “The Hours.” We also analyzed

the cultural weight and the impact that both novels and movies have on public opinion. To

sum up the process we have chosen to screen a scene from “Where Angels Fear to Tread.”

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Dafna Alon, Esty Moshe, Peggy Ron

Course: British Literature

Instructor Dr. Pamela Peled

The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in Middle

English at the end of the 14th century.

Chaucer's period of artistic maturity is considered to begin at this time, marked by the

writing of the General Prologue of the Canterbury Tales. Chaucer continued to work on this

for many years—most likely until his death in 1400.

Considered a cultural touchstone, if not the very wellspring of literature in the English

language, Chaucer's tales gather twenty-nine archetypes of late-medieval English society and

present them with insight and humor. Most story collections focus on a theme, usually a

religious one.

The Tales reflect different views of the Church in Chaucer's England. Chaucer wrote about

Church corruption and other misbehavior. There is also a great emphasis on women and

their role in society.

Our presentation will look at two tales and how they represent the issues of the day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_English

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_English

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/21318

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Session II – Focus on Language, Learning, Teaching and Research – Part 1

Guest Lecture of the Academic Arab Institute

“Mirror of Thoughts”: Evolving as Artists

2nd year Honors students: Maram Abu Baker, Najlla Ghanem, Maram Gharra, and Seema

Masarweh.

Course: Dream Makers in Literature and Art

Instructor: Marlene Erez

Can EFL Students Enrich their Learning Experience by Communicating with

e-Pals?

Karina Ebrani Course: Didactics Seminar – Junior High

Instructor: Dr. Susie Russak

Grade 4 and 5 students develop their spoken and written skills by participating in an

international research task with a Catholic Grade 4 Class in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. They

interact through internet collaborative learning using Skype and Padlet.

Grade 5 EFL students in Hod Hasharon connect/communicate with students in Grade 4 in

New Jersey. Together, in mixed groups, they research and create a joint Power Point

presentation about both countries. The Israeli students expand their English knowledge by

speaking, writing and researching in English. Students in New Jersey develop their language

skills as well, but mostly learn about Israel, its customs and people.

Teaching 7th Graders Non-readers

Dafna Sella

Course: Didactic Seminar – Junior High


In today's world, familiarity with the English language is a vital tool. So much of the world's

information is in English and it is the most common language of communication. While

there are issues with language with every age group, the scope of my presentation will be

limited to 7th graders who fall behind and never learn fundamental skills and therefore

continue to struggle with the English language.

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The task of teaching these students English is not an easy one. The children themselves have

tested failure and many have given up on the idea of ever learning English. The teachers are

also frustrated since it is difficult to reach these children or make a difference using

traditional methods.

For this reason, an 'out of the box' solution is necessary. Studies have shown that the most

effective way to educate these students is by connecting to their world and to the things

they love doing. The key is to put the students at the center instead of the demands of the

system and to let them the kids have fun while learning English.

Pragmatically this means that students will be taught to express the things that interest

them in English. They will be given tools to introduce themselves, order food in a restaurant,

go shopping.

It is important for teachers to provide a non-threatening and safe learning environment, to

focus on subjects that the students are interested in instead of overwhelming them with

grammatical rules that alienate them.

Reaching out and touching these students is our responsibility as educators. The following

lecture will provide guidance on how the lessons should be designed/structured in order to

reach this goal.

Boring, Turned Fun!!!

Rosalynn W. Cohen

Course: Practical Experience, Elementary School Level

Instructor: Dr. Orly Haim

Students often categorize certain subjects as ‘boring’, grammar often being at the top of

their list. In order to teach past tense irregular verbs to 4th, 5th, and 6th grade native English

speakers (who think they already know everything) I had to do so in a novel way. This took

the form of a ‘Game Day.’ According to Saricoban and Metin (2000), “grammar games help

children not only gain knowledge but enable them to apply and use that learning.” Use of

knowledge and its application within a lesson is called a Task Based lesson, a lesson which

simulates real life experiences.

In preparation for ‘Game Day,’ each of the six classes involved, was asked to create a game

that encouraged the practicing and correct usage of past tense irregular verbs. The

students took on a new role, as ‘game creators,’ almost forgetting that learning was going

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on. The culmination of the unit was the combination of all six classes, each class presenting

the rules of their game, and then splitting into heterogeneous groups and playing all the

games. The two main goals of the activity were reached: every student felt comfortable

using irregular verbs in a natural setting and in the words of my students, “It was fun!”

An Example of Implementing a Course on Debating

Ortal Broner, Samar Abusnini, Gali Bayer

Course: Student Practicum - Elementary Schools

Instructor: Karen Abel

As part of the practicum at Hamagen Elementary School in Hod Hasharon, we took part in a

Native Speakers Debate Program held for 6th graders for the first time. During the first

semester, we met every Tuesday with a group of 10 pupils and gradually introduced and

taught them the art of debate. The final debate was held in the presence of the school

principal, our mentor teacher, academic staff members from Beit Berl as well as the 6th

graders and their parents. The project was a process over several months and the final

outcome was rewarding. During our presentation we will share our experiences, suggest

how debates can be implemented in every class and show some pictures.

Session III – Linguistics

What is a Dophin? – Definitions by Children

Liraz Maor

Course: First Language Development

Instructor: Dr. Ronit Webman Shafran

Defining a word requires using language to explain language. As such, it involves

metalinguistic skills such as word-concept, and word-sound awareness as well as syntactic

awareness (Benelli, Belacchi, Gini and Lucangeli, 2006). In order to construct an adult-like

definition, the speaker needs to have semantic knowledge about the meaning of the word to

be defined and also to be familiar with the formal structure of definitions. In the framework

of the course First Language Development, I conducted a mini case study whose aim was to

gain some insight into how young children define words and concepts in terms of structure

and content. My research was done with the participation of a 5 year old boy, native speaker

of Hebrew, named Omer. In order to elicit the required information I recorded a

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conversation between Omer and his mom, while Omer's mom took out all of his drawings

and asked him about them. Then I recorded a conversation between Omer and myself in

which Omer answered questions about various objects in his room. Though Omer mostly

used the appropriate format of a definition in Hebrew, he had problems with the content of

definitions. His definitions tended to be concrete, personal and associative.

Couch or Sofa? Semantics can Enrich your Vocabulary

Galit Gefen Vlassopoulos, Anat Harush, Rachel Mimran, Zev Ordower, Michal Ragutkowitz

and Aviv Vaknin

Course: Semantics Instructor: Dr. Ronit Webman Shafran

Lexical Semantics is the study of the meaning of words and the meaning relationships among

them. In the framework of our semantics course we developed ways of incorporating and

transforming our theoretical knowledge on word relations into practical means of teaching

English vocabulary. We devised exercises on word relations whose purpose was to enrich

and expand the vocabulary of English learners of different proficiency levels. These activities

focused on word relations such as synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy, metonymy,

homography and homophony and also on semantic features (semantic components of

words). For instance, we created a memory game in which pairs of word cards are matched

by word relations. Another activity involved defining words by selecting their relevant

semantic features from a pool of features. We also devised an activity that involved solving a

maze in which each cell contains a pair of words with a certain word relation. The player has

to find the path that contains only pairs holding a pre-defined relation. Our poster will

present six different exercises and activities on word relations.

Exercises that involve exploring word relations and semantic features are a powerful means

of teaching vocabulary. They do not only introduce learners with new vocabulary but also

help them better understand and remember the meaning differences among words.

Semantic features are particularly useful in differentiating meanings of similar words and

thus can contribute to a more accurate understanding and categorization of words.

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Code Switching in EFL Classrooms

Erez Ovadia

Special Issues in Applied Linguistics

Instructor: Dr. Anat Stavans

This small scale study concerns foreign language classroom discourse between teachers and

pupils. Observations of classes were recorded in seven Junior High-School EFL classes from

the same school. Six EFL teachers participated who conformed to the descriptors of novice

or expert teachers (N/E) and native and non-native speakers of English (NS/NNS). Of

particular interest, is the use of L1 and L2 in the classroom focusing on the alternation

between the languages - Code Switching (henceforth CS). In bilingual classrooms it is

relatively common to hear bilinguals mixing two languages together. The analysis of the

classroom discourse examines different types of CS ranging from simple lexical insertions to

intersentential and intrasentential switches.

The study aims at answering the following research questions:

What are the differences between NS and NNS English teachers regarding the use of CS ?

What are the differences between novice and experienced teachers regarding the use of

CS ?

Though the research is limited in scope and sample size, the results indicate a dominant use

of CS in EFL classrooms. Regarding novice teachers, the use of intrasentential switches

seems to predominate. NS teachers, use CS more than NNS in their interactions and in

teaching the pupils.

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Media Coverage of a Disaster Event: Features of Medium through Coding the

Message

Tanya Levinson

Special Issues in Applied Linguistics

Instructor: Dr. Anat Stavans

"The medium is the message," a phrase coined by Marshall McLuhan, suggests that the form

of a medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the

medium influences how the message is perceived. The phrase was introduced in his most

widely known book, Understanding Media: the Extensions of Man, published in 1964.

This research investigates media language and its linguistic means which draw on one

single and common event - the disaster hurricane Sandy in the U.S. on October, 2012. More

specifically, this investigation studies written journalistic articles in prominent newspapers in

three different countries: The Washington Post (USA), Haaretz (Israel) and Vesti (Russia).

Following Marshall McLuhan’s idea, these articles are regarded as the medium that affects

or shapes the message for different target audiences. The analysis highlights differences and

similarities in coverage paying special attention to the media language – genres, linguistic

features and stylistics. The expected findings will shed light on how differently the medium

(namely, journalistic written reports) covers the same event and how the language is used

for coding the message for the target audience.

Interlude: Exhibition of Language Learning Materials

Matriculation or Bagrut, explain yourself, Please!

Carl Rogers

We know it as Bagrut, yet have heard the name Matriculation used often. We know it

consists of varying components; however, we wouldn’t like to say what exactly is involved.

Whatever grade we teach, it is important for us to know the structure, goals and parts of this

sometimes aloof and distant friend. Understanding of the exact build-up of the

Matriculation exam is a must for every potential teacher in Israel. So come and see how this

exam, taken over a two to three year period, really looks; in all its shapes and forms. There

will also be a chance to get a first look at the new literature addition. You will be able to see

sample exams and various teachings aids, as well as materials used in the classroom.

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Games Day - Ziv school

Inbar Peretz, Shirit Yosfan, Daphna Sella, Tali Wilf, Zev Ordower



It is important to give students the occasional break from the intensity of learning a language.

Games are fun and highly motivating, enriching learning activities that engage students in a way

that makes learning joyful and at the same time challenging. They are generally amusing and fun

so the challenging pedagogical component is rarely perceived as adverse. Games improve

communication through practice of meaningful contextual language skills and can be adapted to

promote many different language learning outcomes. Through the informal rigour of play,

students satisfy competitive urges and tap into their emotional side allowing them to discover

their passions and reflect inwardly. Depending on the type of game played, they can help

students learn grammar, build vocabulary, improve speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills

and build confidence in students that may not otherwise have a chance to develop in the regular

classroom lesson.

Recently a Games Day was organized at Ziv School in Ra’anana for students from grade 4 and 5.

Practical experience students from Beit Berl worked long, hard and diligently to prepare games

that would challenge and enthrall the students at Ziv. Many hours of planning and thought went

into these unique creations, with the intention of fulfilling all the pedagogical potential that

games possess. The games prepared included “Opposite Adjectives” chutes and ladders, “Body

Parts” board game, “Occupations Dominoes,” “How Do You Say?” vocabulary practice game,

learn reading rules with “Go Fish Phonics,” “Animal Names,” “Days of the Week,” “Months of the

Year,” “Numbers,” “Food,” and “the Weather” board games. A special thanks go to the staff at

the Beit Berl Games Workshop for their help in production.

Each grade at Ziv School has 2 classes averaging 25 students per class. Both classes of grade 4

played during the first hour and the two classes of grade 5 during the second hour. The children

were randomly divided into groups of five by Cochi Cohen, the Vice-Principal. Players sat on the

floor in the large foyer of the school along with one of the student teachers. Each group was

given a board game, as well as explanations of the instructions of the game and away they went.

When a group was finished playing, there were fun crosswords and word-search games to occupy

them. Moshe, the custodian (אב בית) took many photos of everyone playing which were instantly

uploaded to the school computer system and displayed on the monitor in the foyer. The day was

a huge success full of excitement, fun and learning. All games produced were donated to Ziv

School for their continued use and enjoyment in the years to come.

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Highland Games – Bartov school

Amy Shmulevich, Natasha Rozenfeld, Natalie Gabbay, Alexandra Greenholz, Nadine Yadid



Our display and/or presentation will reveal the highlights of English Day at Bar Tov

Elementary School. All student teachers will organize and lead a station that will involve

both the English language and knowledge relating to a specific English speaking country or

countries. The day will kick off with an assembly that will feature musical performances in

English and then transition to our carnival/fair. There will be games, storytelling, arts, and

food tasting. Apart from the student teachers, the older students and native speakers will

assume a leadership role in a variety of ways.

English Day will be on display at the conference in through a slide show, a learning center

style poster, and a variety of other meaningful ways. The purpose of English Day is two-

fold: one to culminate the annual studies and experiences and two to inspire the students to

study of English. The games and activities chosen will be based on previous lessons to

maximize the learning and entertainment value of the event.

The Fisherman and his Wife – a Puppet Play

Nadine Yadid

Course: Didactics Seminar


The play was on an ongoing project spread out over the course of 3 months during the

Partani hour with 4 "Native Speakers" in the sixth grade. During our sessions, which were

solely conducted in English, we watched clips of puppetry in theatre and discussed the

different types of puppets and how they are used in adult as well as in children's theatre.

We made hand puppets, using various materials such as papier-mâché, clay, fabric, paints

and will study the basics of operating such puppets and creating drama with an inanimate

object.

The story came up by chance when we read in one of the texts books a different version of

"The Fisherman and his wife" and "The lady who lived in a Vinegar Jug" and we discussed the

theme of greed. It immediately sounded familiar and I brought in the Grimm Brothers

version which I later adapted into a puppet play (using other sources as inspiration, such as

Eric Carle's animated version)

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The project then became part of the forthcoming English Day at Hayovel School.

I intend to involve the other "Native Speakers" in making the scenery and the puppet booth.

I believe that using art as a method of teaching, enriching and maintaining English is

powerful and fruitful as well as fun. I feel that I have also changed some prejudices young

people have to one of the oldest forms of art. For me, personally, it is a fun opportunity to

share my enthusiasm of the subject.

As for the audience, the play will be performed in front of the whole school and will allow

the ESL learners to experience original material of a familiar story in an original fashion.

Developing Self-esteem Amongst Pupils and Further Promoting Success in

English Language Learning.

“You can’t touch it, but it affects the way you feel. You can’t see it but it might be there when

you look in the mirror. You can’t hear it but it’s there when you talk to yourself or think about

yourself…

What is this important but mysterious thing? Self-esteem.”

(Quote: kidshealth.com)

Students of the Didactic Seminar- Junior High Course: Didactic Seminar – Junior High Instructor: Dr. Susie Russak

During our practical experience as teachers we have become aware that self-esteem plays

an integral part in the success of our pupils. A healthy self-esteem is a child’s armor against

the challenges of childhood, whilst an un-healthy self-esteem stifles a child’s ability to

progress and succeed. It is our belief as teachers that we must help to develop ahealthy self-

esteem in our pupils, via our teaching methods, enthusiasm and encouragement. In this

way, we can ensure their future success in the challenges they face, academically and in life.

Our ‘digital poster’ (power point slide show) presents these beliefs and summarizes this

fundamental issue.

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Teaching about Leadership – Yahdav School

Joelle Brenner, Aya Yakobovitch, Lilach Rozental, Leelach Inbar, Anat Abramovitz


Instructor: Dvorah Bohak

For the academic year 2012-2013, the Israeli Ministry of Education chose "Leadership" as its

annual theme. As such, our unit was created out of a desire to explore together with the

pupils the concept of leadership. The unit includes a quest to discover the meaning of

leadership and what defines a leader in general, while also focusing on a important leader

from an English speaking country - Martin Luther King.

The timing of the unit was ideal: Memorial day or "MLK day" took place a few days after

teaching the unit which was taught in the period prior to the national elections, making the

subject even more authentic and relevant. We decided to emphasize the value of the

democratic method of election by having the pupils experience it firsthand by using a ballot

box and a procedure for casting votes for the leadership qualities they considered most

important.

The unit was made up of three lessons, and was taught in all sixth grade classes. During the

first lesson, the pupils were introduced to the theme of leadership and discussed what it

means to be a leader and which traits they thought a leader should have. The pupils also

gave examples of leaders they knew and learned about Martin Luther King. They also

listened to his famous speech “I have a dream” on You Tube. They made their own "I have a

dream…" speech by writing their ideas for changing the world on a thinking cloud. The

pupils' products were collected and presented on a poster.

The second lesson focused on important leadership traits. The pupils made their own

suggestions and each selected the top 5 traits believed to be the most essential for good

leadership. These five traits were then written in the five fingers of an image of a hand.

Eventually, pupils had to vote for the five leadership traits considered the most important by

the class as a whole.

During the third lesson the pupils worked in five groups - each group representing a different

trait. Within each group the pupils read through a number of sentences and selected the

ones that were relevant to their trait. Then, they added their own new sentences. The new

sentences were presented to the class which had to guess the trait described by the

sentences. The unit ended with a class election where pupils used voting cards and a ballot

box.

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In conclusion, this unit attempted to involve the students in an authentic and meaningful

learning experience, in which they could experiment using the English language in a safe and

comfortable environment. In doing so we hope to have engaged them in an enriching and

empowering process of language learning.

An Integrated Approach for Beginning Readers

Rachel Levi

Course: Tutor Course - Small Group Methodology for EFL - Foundational Level Instructor:

Dvorah Bohak

This activity is intended for students who are on their way to reading acquisition, but haven't

quite reached that threshold -- children who have had exposure to phonological awareness

and letter recognition exercises and are ready to move on with the acquisition of automatic

letter recognition, orthographic patterns and sight word recognition.

The systematic and repetitive activity allows the child to learn with pictures/drawings,

through listening and sound production, the application of motor skills and through dialogue

with the accompanying adult. It also allows for vocabulary enrichment and can be a good

supplementary activity for struggling learners.

Vowels and consonants are color coded to help the child differentiate between the two

types of letters and to implicitly guide the child into awareness of the special place of vowels

in English words.

Phonological awareness can be maintained throughout by working with the child on

production of phonemes, blending/separating onset and rime, working with rhyming

patterns, etc.

The activity is modular and can progress from simple CVC words to open syllables, magic-e

words, compound words, blends, digraphs, double vowels and more, depending on the

student's progression and need.

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Panel Session on Innovation and Creativity in Language Teaching

Panel Participants

Debbie Lahav, NCJWR Institution for Innovation in Education, Hebrew University,

Ruppin Academic Center, Sha’anan Teachers’ College

Nava Nakash, District Counselor for English Language Education Ministry of

Education , District of Tel Aviv

Sarah Martin, English Coordinator at the Kfar Shmaryahu – Hof Hasharon School.

Lorraine Gur, Beit Berl Academic College, Ish Shalom High School

Session IV - Pecha Kucha

Introduction: Aya Yakobovitch. Pecha Kucha: Roy Kfir, Liraz Maor, Chaya Cohen, Inbar Peretz, Michal

Regutkovitz

Course: Yumna 1 and 2

Instructor: Margaret Porat

As a reaction to the lengthy power point presentations, and in order to allow young

designers to meet, network, and show their work in public, Pecha Kucha presentations

came into existence in Japan in 2003. Since then, Pecha Kucha presentations, which

began in the field of design, have spread to many different fields and Pecha Kucha events

take place all over the world. In a Pecha Kucha presentation, each presenter prepares

twenty slides and each slide is on the screen for only twenty seconds (all in all, each

presentation takes six minutes and forty seconds). The images advance automatically and

you talk along to the images. There are many benefits to this kind of presentation, the

main ones being that this format keeps presentations concise and fast-paced and enables

many speakers to present in a relatively short time. This year, all the students in the two

Oral Proficiency classes were required to give half a Pecha Kucha presentation. Each

student had to prepare ten slides - a total of three minutes and twenty seconds. It was not

an easy task, but the students all managed and learnt quite a lot about how and how not

to present. The students could choose any topic they wanted. At the conference, five of

the students will present their Pecha Kucha presentations. We would like to thank Leo

Selivan of the British Council for introducing us to Pecha Kucha

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Session V – Focus on Language, Learning, Teaching and Research – Part 2

Connecting Pedagogical Theory and Practice through Student Research

The students from the Didactic Research Seminar

Course: Didactic Research Seminar


Within the framework of the Didactic Research Seminar, students choose a topic or an issue

that is related to their practical experience and explore it through a chosen research

paradigm with either a qualitative or a quantitative or a mixed method of data analysis. By

going through this process, students gain a deeper understanding of their pedagogical

actions within an academic framework. For example: if a student begins the process with a

hunch that giving feedback to pupils in the EFL class is beneficial, by the end of the research

process, through a systematic collection of data in the form of classroom observations, the

student can learn exactly what kind of feedback is beneficial to the pupils and in which

educational situation. The insights gained from these small scale studies become an integral

part of the students’ expanding teacher knowledge.

In this presentation, the students from the Didactic Research Seminar, 2013, will share their

research topics and preliminary findings. Topics to be presented include: the use of humor in

the EFL class, the connection between motivation and good grades, the use of Facebook as a

teaching tool, the teaching of grammar, group work, putting teacher’s beliefs into practice,

among other topics.

Integrating Technology to Teaching English

Project at Yarkon High School: Planning a Trip to a City

Samar Abusnini, Natalie Itamar, Galit Vlassopoulos Gefen, Hollie Moscovitz, Fida Dabbah,

Dafna Selah, Inna Klotts

Course: Didactics Seminar: Secondary School Level

Instructor: Dalia Stein

Course: Practicum – Junior High

Writing skills can only be developed through practical experience. The hours spent on

grammar and reading will help improve writing skills, but these are not enough. We believe

students should practice writing in junior high school and in this presentation, we would like

18



to report on our experience with students using technology for improving their writing. We

became acquainted with the project through Ravit, an English teacher at Yarkon Junior High,

and we announced the project to our classes. The objective of the project was to have the

students report on many features of information about a foreign city, write a dialogue and

present a Power Point Presentation. Ideally, the teacher starting such a project will have a

fully-equipped computer lab with up-to-date word processing software; a direct connection

to the Internet available to the students is also desirable. Our school did not meet these

criteria. Our Internet connection was only through one or two computers given to us

through our mentor teachers. This made it very difficult to teach, but it did not discourage

us. Even with minimal hardware and software, a technology based project is possible.

Students were given a sample presentation on the projects' website, a rubric and a self-

assessment check list, so they knew what was expected of them. Although we encountered

plagiarism, the majority of students met the objectives of the project, and each group had an

opportunity to show off their work. Overall, students learned how to formulate a

presentation, hunt for information on the Internet, copy and paste photos and exchange

emails. This demonstrates how stimulating and inspiring it is to connect students to English

and to the world using technology. In addition to improving their writing skills and gaining

valuable keyboarding and computer experience in English, students actually enjoyed it. We

encourage teachers to use technology in their classrooms for teaching writing.

Closure

Carl Rogers

"Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time, that nothing

that is worth knowing can be taught." Oscar Wilde

We often talk, and rightly so, about the skills and academic needs of a teacher, however, we

rarely touch on the humane side of the profession. Today we will discuss the joys and gifts of

being a teacher; the opportunities to shape a future generation; the beauty of that moment

when you see a sparkle in the eye of a pupil most had given up on, and to know that it was

you that ignited the fire. We will hear from the kids themselves and what they have to say

on the matter; a rare and beautiful insight into the minds of those numerous faces we see

every day.

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