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Virtual Visitor Project
Habad School Nazareth
Elite
Report written by Jack Pillemer October 2008.
In an attempt to increase pupil motivation when learning English in classes
in the Central Galilee, Israel,
a program called Virtual Visitors has been established.
For detailed description of the project , Click here
or go to http://www.geocities.com/pillemerjack/virtual_visitor.htm
The program was particularly successful in a Grade 6 class in the Habad School in Nazareth
Elite taught by Tobi Hendel.
Tobi's class of girls was paired up with Virtuial Visitor Tova Britvan of Michigan, USA who volunteered to write regular
letters to the class via email which were then used by Tobi
as texts for the the English lessons.
Over the year, Tova wrote about her family, her
home and her work. She wrote about a previous visit she had had to Israel and
mentioned places where she had been. She talked about the snow in Michigan and going
snow sledding. She wrote about things she used to do when she was in
school such as putting on a school production and tells about her sister's
school play. She discusses "shmitta" in the USA
and wonders what it feels like in Israel.
Although the class need not respond personally to each letter (according to
the demands of the program), Tobi required her
girls to respond each time. This was done individually or in groups in various
ways with the girls expressing themselves and asking questions which made the
entire process very meaningful. The pupils sent pictures of
themselves and a video of their Bat Mitzva
performance and Tova sent a surprise Purim package
for them.
It is clear that all of the English skills for that grade level
(reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary-building, grammar and later even
speaking) were taught and practiced throughout the year alongside
the regular English program. The requirements of the Israeli English
curriculum were being met and authentic relevant and very
meaningful performance tasks carried out .The principal of the school Dani Levy explained the the
Virtual Visitor project became a central motivating factor in the class
around which much of the learning took place.
The climax to the Virtual Visitor program in this class arrived in October
2008 when the girls were already in Grade 7. Tova Britvan came to visit Israel and a meeting between her
and the class was arranged.
I was invited to attend and left
feeling elated and inspired.
When Tova came into the classroom, the girls all
stood up and held welcome signs. No sign was the same as Tobi
had insisted on this to increase the vocabulary used. Then each girl, in
turn, got up and read out aloud, fluently and well-practiced, a personal
comment to Tova, a little about themselves
and they sometimes related to an object that was meaningful to
them which they had brought with.
The next part of the face to face meeting was an all-girls event so I
left the room together with the principal. The girls sang songs they had
prepared for the occasion. I had to be satisfied with a booklet of the lyrics
and a CD. Yet again, the learning process was made relevant and
exciting. The use of songs and chants and repetition of this kind makes the
learning of chunks of new vocabulary so natural.
We returned for the game
"Jeopardy" which Tova had agreed to
prepare and run. Tobi had sent her a list of 100
words the pupils should be expected to know and the game was prepared using
this vocabulary. The girls played with interest and enthusiasm and
indicted that they knew what was expected of them.
The
success of a very simple program which aims at bringing English from outside
the classroom into the classroom and opening a window to the real
world, was achieved here as a consequence of the exceptional dedication
of Nazareth Elite Habad School English
teacher Tobi Hendel and a
wonderful willing Virtual Visitor volunteer Tova Britvan.
I, with
the help of Stephanie Fuchs, hovered in the background to try to make sure
that the project succeeded.
Five other classrooms in the Central Galilee benefitted
from the Virtual Visitor program and it is hoped that many other teachers
will appreciate the simplicity and effectiveness of having a Virtual
Visitor "come in" from time to time.
Back to a description of the Virtual
Visitor Project
Back to Jack Pillemer's site number 2
Back to Jack Pillemer's site number 1
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