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Teacher Guidelines
for the Tasks and Groups
Chumash Study System
The reader is referred first to the Supplementary
Notes, which follow these guidelines.
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The class must be divided into five groups. The
groups should be composed of a mix of different abilities. Pupils will
often create their own system of differentiated learning, with stronger
pupils taking the lead but encouraging others to participate in a way
which is suited to their own strengths. Thus, all pupils become involved
and active learners.
Each lesson is divided into three.
Part one:
Pupils are directed to get into their groups. The groups are given
approximately 15 minutes to review the task (see tasks below, under ‘Homework’)
they were set the previous evening and to prepare a presentation, or ‘performance,’
to show the rest of the class. Conscientious pupils will have begun to
make notes or write scripts prior to the lesson to enable their groups
to make optimum use of the in-class preparation time.
Part two:
Groups perform what they have prepared. Each presentation should take
around three minutes. There are five tasks/groups, so that this exercise
should take around 15 minutes.
Part three:
In the remainder of the lesson the teacher will raise any issues which
were noteworthy during the performances then teach the next pasuk or
pesukim.
Homework:
Homework will be to review the new pasuk or pesukim. This can be set at
the beginning of the lesson to avoid a rush at the end. The teacher must
then be sure to cover the required new material during the lesson to
prepare the pupils for their homework task.
Each of the five groups are informed of their
task for the following evening, one of:
- ‘Where are we?’
- ‘Linear translation’
- ‘Individual words’
- ‘Own words’ and
- ‘Middot / What do we learn?’
Varying the Format
The above lesson format will need to be varied
as required. In order to spend more time teaching new pesukim the
teacher may decide to alter the routine. Different schools have lessons
of different lengths, such that the sections of the lesson described
above may need to be given varying amounts of time. The teacher may
decide to omit the group work from time to time in favour of hearing a
selection of individual children, representing the different groups,
thus regaining the group work time for longer whole class study or
discussion. Hearing individual children has the added benefit of
enabling the teacher to assess the particular pupils’ reading,
comprehension and standard of home review.
The teacher may decide to teach different types
of lesson over the course of the week. Two days might be designated for
the method described above, with other days devoted to more frontal and
whole class study. Specific time may be earmarked for abstract ‘dikduk’
(grammar) and vocabulary study. In such instances the homework may be
set to reflect the content of the lesson. Rather than setting a variety
of tasks for the different groups a whole class task might be more
appropriate.
Note that many aspects of the tasks and
groups method are suited mainly to narrative portions of the Chumash.
Guidelines for the Tasks
Where Are We?
Those tackling this task should be directed to
discuss only the content of recent pesukim. There is a tendency to
review from too far back in the story. This takes too long (although it
can be very impressive!) and, when this is done regularly, the same long
account of the whole story gets repeated daily so that the immediate
context hardly enjoys a focus and the whole task is negated.
This account of our current location in the
narrative should include relevant citations to ensure that the task
involves textual study as well as discussion based solely on recall.
Linear (translation
phrase by phrase)
Pupils are provided with a linear
Hebrew-English Chumash (eg Feldheim) to aid in their preparation and
review at home. It is recommended that a Hebrew only Chumash is used in
school.
An attempt should be made to describe how
phrases are constructed from individual words. How did the phrase by
phrase translation come to be built from the separate units in the
pesukim?
The teacher must listen carefully to how pupils
translate phrase by phrase. It will often be clear from the way pupils
translate the Hebrew phrases that they do not actually understand the
correlation between the Hebrew and English. This is why the next task,
‘Individual Words,’ is so important.
Also see ‘Individual Words,’ below.
Individual Words
Pupils should try to note how individual words
are constituent parts of whole phrases and how this affects their
meanings. Eg Vayomer Moshe – (and) he said / Moshe becomes ‘(and)
Moshe said’.
The teacher should direct pupils to point out
any grammatical features in the words they are explaining. Comparisons
may be made between words which appear in the pasuk / pesukim and
between identical or similar words or constructions elsewhere.
Also see ‘Linear,’ above.
** The way the Individual Words and Linear
tasks are prepared and performed will largely be determined by the
amount and nature of grammar being studied to support textual work.
Conversely, the pupils’ performances facilitate valuable ongoing
assessment opportunities to inform the teacher’s planning. **
Own words
The performances by the groups assigned the ‘own
words’ task should not involve the reading of written notes. The whole
purpose of this task is for the pupils to demonstrate that they have
internalised the content of the pesukim well enough to be able to
explain what they know unaided.
The group should try to use whole or part
pesukim in their performance. This will enable both the group itself and
the rest of the class to remain focused on the pasuk or pesukim being
explained and to ensure the explanations remain clearly associated with
the pesukim.
Middot
Pupils who teach the class about the middot and
other lessons we learn from the text must not just explain the lessons
but must explicitly link their ideas to specific pesukim or parts
thereof, or even relevant mefarshim (commentaries)
Pupils can tend to elaborate on the lessons
whilst moving further away from the source. There can also be a tendency
for pupils to expound on only a very limited or even tangential analysis
of the text. They might focus on only one or two words rather than on
the general p’shat of the local context.
The pupils must therefore be guided to think
very carefully about the pesukim they are analysing in order to be able
to draw out lessons which are either explicit or implicit, rather than
constructing lessons based on only a cursory reading of, and only
tenuously linked to the text.
Quoting the relevant sections of text keeps
everyone focused and ‘on-task’.
If it is difficult to draw moral lessons from
the immediate pesukim being studied then I allow pupils to consider the
slightly broader context, but they must make it clear in their
performance that they have done this.
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Pros and Cons of the
Tasks and Groups Method |
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Pros |
Cons
Challenges |
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Motivation and enthusiasm
Pupils enjoy working with the
different tasks and in their groups for several reasons:
- The variety sustains a
freshness
- All abilities are happy to be
involved, busy and self-directing their learning
- Pupils enjoy working in
groups; stronger pupils are happy to help less able class
mates and the latter like having so many opportunities to
participate on an equal footing
Differentiation
- …through grouping different
levels of ability together and pupils naturally assigning
tasks, within their groups, appropriate to ability!
Very active learning
During group work the whole
class is very industriously engaged in study of the text and
preparation of their performances. Even during the performances at
least a fifth of the class is active while the rest are certainly
enjoying being ‘participant spectators’. There is never a very
long wait until your group’s turn, either.
Multiple Intelligences (see
Supplementary Notes)
The open and self-directed
nature of the group work means that children can use props, draw
pictures, make audio tapes, write plays, incorporate ICT, involve
the class or use any number of other creative devices in their
performances. The variety of intelligences in the class can thus
be given ample room for expression, although the teacher would do
well to make available the materials, artefacts and equipment
which would facilitate such creativity. The Interpersonal
Intelligence is well exercised and stimulated during group work.
Generative
(see Supplementary Notes)
This method treats every pasuk
as generative, in terms of having several different aspects for
analysis and layers of meaning. Thus far we have only really been
dealing with learning for ‘p’shat’ – the simple meaning of
the text. Once Rashi and other mefarshim are regularly studied
together with the text the pesukim take on even more life, become
more multifaceted, although there will naturally also be less time
available for the tasks and groups method to operate on a regular
basis.
In as much as we are dealing
with D’var Hashem, the Divine Word, the notion that every pasuk
is generative, that it is inherently of great interest to both
teacher and pupil, should be no less than a truism. However, the
challenge is for the teacher to draw out the interest of the
children, to excite them; how can he/she do this? When
the teacher’s own love of learning comes across to the pupils it
is likely that theirs will be ignited, or awakened.
Regular ‘Performances’
(see Supplementary
Notes)
Regular involvement of all
children in performances means that they must all be actively
engaged in the learning to a significant degree. In turn, these
performances afford regular opportunities for the teacher to
assess the pupils’ knowledge and understanding and to give
regular corrective and other feedback for the benefit of all
pupils.
Mapping and Collaborative
Learning
This method effectively maps the
multilayered nature of the pesukim. The children are given
grounding in textual analysis and enquiry, which trains them to
look at the text both rigorously and reflectively.
The children are given
opportunities to collaborate in their enquiry with their peers.
Together they construct their own imaginative frameworks for
demonstrating the meanings they have discovered and the final
creative result is greater than the sum of the parts.
The mapping is not simply fed to
the pupils ‘on a plate’; rather, it is the result of the
pupils’ own endeavours, which makes it more valuable and longer
lasting.
Class Experts
During discussion the teacher
can refer to a particular group for ‘expert comment’. For
example, should the ‘own words’ group misquote a pasuk the
teacher can stop them and refer to one of the textual groups –
‘own words’ or ‘individual words’ – for their ‘expert’
knowledge. Or, should one of the textual groups produce a
disjointed or clumsy translation the teacher can ask the ‘own
words’ group to make a little more sense of the text, and so
forth.
The children love to be in a
particular group which receives the temporary title ‘class
experts’.
***
Issues
There is a possibility of peer
pressure to learn at home in order to be prepared for group work
– this works for some but not for others.
The system can be made
competitive, with the groups being awarded points for the
quality of their performances.
From time to time the teacher
can alter the order in which the groups are heard.
Groups can be asked to perform
different tasks from what they have prepared at home.
Sometimes it might be
beneficial to set one task for the whole class. (See ‘Varying
the Format,’ above.) For example, the teacher may decide to
focus on the ‘middot/lessons we learn’ task.
Instead of group work, the
teacher can call on individual children to perform the task
which they (as a member of their assigned group) had been set.
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Assessment
The question arises as to how
the teacher can assess during the tasks and groups activities. The
most common question would probably be: "How can individual
pupils be assessed using this method?"
However, the assumption here is
that the only meaningful type of assessment is that which tracks
and evaluates the performance of the individual pupil. Of course
we want to assess individual children, but there is also value in
assessing the group.
The following list of questions
now begins to emerge:
Groups
- What do we want to assess?
- How will that inform planning
and benefit pupil learning?
- What methods can we use to
make these assessments?
Individuals
- What do we want to assess and
why?
- How can we assess individuals
during group activities?
- Does the tasks and groups
method need alterations or additions to facilitate individual
assessment?
It is also relevant to split the
category ‘assessment’ into ‘formative’ and ‘summative’
subcategories. Much discussion of assessment centres around
summative assessment, the most traditional example being end of
unit/term tests – written or oral. Summative assessment informs
the teacher what might be worth doing differently next time the
unit is taught. It also highlights gaps in a child’s
knowledge/understanding which need filling and gives clues as to
what might be effective remedies.
Formative assessment takes place
during a process, not just at its completion. Its particular value
is in its ability to inform the teacher how best to move on to the
next stage of the unit. When a single, mid-topic piece of work is
marked by the teacher, the teacher is engaged in formative
assessment. This is a valuable opportunity to provide meaningful
written and/or verbal feedback to the child and to make reflective
assessment notes in the mark book.
The group work sessions
potentially offer valuable opportunities for some interesting
formative assessment. Watching and listening to pupils in a group
working together will enable the teacher to gain an insight into
the way the pupils are thinking about their particular task.
Therefore, the teacher needs to be careful to avoid simply
circulating between the groups aimlessly, enjoying the generally
industrious hubbub.
The teacher may be surprised at
the sophistication with which the children are preparing to
represent the text. He/she may nevertheless pick up on
shortcomings, either in their understanding of the demands of
their task or in their preparedness for carrying it out. The
teacher will provide informal verbal feedback in order to direct
the pupils to work more appropriately and employ their skills more
effectively.
Alternatively, it might become
apparent that the children are not working satisfactorily at all.
Their discussion may betray various weaknesses that need urgent
attention. In such an instance the teacher might decide to review
or teach new material to the whole class. It may become clear that
some intensive work on vocabulary, grammar or sentence structure
is necessary.
The group performances afford
assessment opportunities to be made by the pupils’ peers as well
as by the teacher. One of the most important functions of the
performances is to bring the whole class together in a communal,
shared learning experience of the particular tasks. Pupils should
be directed to reflect on the work of their classmates. One of the
key features of Ongoing Assessment in the Teaching for
Understanding framework (see supplementary notes) is that feedback
should "come from a variety of perspectives: from students’
reflections on their own work, from classmates’ reflecting on
one another’s work and from the teacher." (Blythe &
Associates, 1998. P.80)
Every teacher will need to
develop his/her own assessment criteria and methods of assessment,
on both group and individual bases.
What is important is that the
teacher constructs clear assessment criteria and provides feedback.
The criteria should be explicitly articulated, relevant to goals
and made public. The feedback should be frequent, informative
enough to improve future performances and to inform planning, and
come from the different perspectives noted above. (Blythe &
Associates, 1998. P.79, 80)
Safety in avoiding homework
A lot of regular group work can
lead to individual children feeling safe in not doing their
homework because their personal effort, or lack of it, will not
get picked up by the teacher and they can be ‘carried’ by the
rest of the group.
The teacher must employ
strategies for preventing this from happening and penalties for
when it does. At least offenders will still be forced into the
learning by the group work. They will likely slow their group down
and disadvantage their fellow members, but they will nevertheless
end up learning and performing their task to a certain degree.
Knowing the Pesukim
Does everyone get to know the
translation of all the pesukim, as is more the case with the
relatively straightforward but often more monotonous (though it
needn't be!) daily learning of pesukim by the whole class?
Are we spending enough time on
more mundane but crucial background learning?
The teacher will need to find a
balance between developing the pupils’ basic knowledge and
skills and giving them opportunities to put their skills into
practice.
The next point deals with a
closely related issue.
Too much pupil-directed work
The teacher must be careful not
to allow too much pupil-directed activity without the requisite
preparation, guidance and correction from the teacher.
For example, for the ‘individual
words’ task to be carried out properly there will need to be
regular and systematic reference to syntax and grammar.
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To conclude, the Tasks and Groups Method
involves a lot of variety and the pupils enjoy it. It gives pupils
a rigorous foundation in textual enquiry, albeit on a fairly simple
level, and does so in a systematic way. Pupils are given regular
opportunities to work together in self-directed, highly imaginative and
creative ways.
However, the teacher must be very careful to
factor certain key elements into his/her planning. Where is
assessment going to go? What form will it take? What targets
do you have in terms of dikduk (grammar), key vocabulary, the reading of
Rashi script and the study of his commentaries, even basic issues such
as monitoring Hebrew reading standards?
I hope these notes prove to be useful for
anyone who may chance upon them. Do let me know by using my email
link below.
BeHatzlachah Rabbah!
J. Richards
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Supplementary Notes
1. The Teaching for Understanding
Framework
Please note that in developing this
method I have been influenced by the ‘Teaching for Understanding’
framework.. The main components of Teaching for Understanding (TfU) are
as follows:
- Generative topics
- interesting, accessible and diversely connectable;
Understanding Goals
- three to five for a short unit of study;
Understanding Performances
- the main events of learning for understanding: thought-demanding
activities which demonstrate understanding;
Ongoing Assessment
- informative feedback early and often in the learning process. It does
not typically call for extra events that constitute official tests and
require separate preparation.
The components in this framework which
I have integrated the most into my work, to this point, are ‘Generative
Topics’, ‘Understanding Performances’ and ‘Ongoing Assessment’.
I have based elements of the Tasks and Groups system on broad
conceptions of these ideas, in ways that suit the study of Chumash.
The TfU framework is becoming
increasingly popular, not least due to the ALPS website (Active Learning
Practices for schools - http://learnweb.harvard.edu/alps/tfu/index.cfm)
and its sister website, ENT (Education with New Technologies - http://learnweb.harvard.edu/ent/home
).
These are interactive websites which have been set up to promulgate and
support teachers in their application of the Teaching for Understanding
framework.
I would draw the reader’s attention
to the interactive Collaborative Curriculum Design Tool in the ENT
website (at http://learnweb.harvard.edu/ent/workshop/ccdt_framework.cfm
)
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2. Multiple Intelligence Theory
The following overview of Multiple
Intelligence Theory is available at:
http://www.thirteen.org/wnetschool/concept2class/month1/
Howard Gardner claims that all human
beings have multiple intelligences. These multiple intelligences can be
nurtured and strengthened, or ignored and weakened. He believes each
individual has nine intelligences:
1. Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence
-- well-developed verbal skills and sensitivity to the sounds,
meanings and rhythms of words
2. Mathematical-Logical Intelligence
-- ability to think conceptually and abstractly, and capacity to
discern logical or numerical patterns
3. Musical Intelligence
-- ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch and timber
4. Visual-Spatial Intelligence
-- capacity to think in images and pictures, to visualize accurately
and abstractly
5. Bodily-Kinesthetic
Intelligence -- ability to control one's body movements and to
handle objects skillfully
6. Interpersonal Intelligence --
capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the moods, motivations
and desires of others.
7. Intrapersonal Intelligence
-- capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner feelings, values,
beliefs and thinking processes
8. Naturalist Intelligence
-- ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals and other
objects in nature
9. Existential Intelligence
-- sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human
existence, such as the meaning of life, why do we die, and how did we
get here.
***
References
Blythe & Associates. (1998) The
Teaching for Understanding Guide. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
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Our Method
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Key
Skills