גב' דבורה חן-קלדרון

Ok, this is me...

Born and raised in New York, I moved to Israel in 1970.  I received a B.A from Bar Ilan University and an M.A. in ESL Teaching and Administration from Trenton State College. I have been teaching in the English as a Foreign Language Department at Bar Ilan University since 1988. I am also the coordinator of English for Law at the Sha'arei Mishpat Law College in Hod HaSharon.

 

From 1988 to 2000, I was an English teacher and the coordinator of English at the Academic College in Judea and Samaria. At the College, I was involved in developing the Second Chance Program (Mechina) for the newly released soldiers; it was a very challenging, yet rewarding experience.

 

In the EFL Department at Bar Ilan University I teach the undergraduate Advanced level English courses and M.A. level EFL reading and writing courses. All my courses are integrated Internet lessons (20% of the lessons are online). We work with a program called HighLearn, it is the only program, so far, that supports both English and Hebrew. I have been using the Internet in my classes for 10 years, even before we had the High Learn Program, we made our own program called "Weaving the Web" - it marked the beginning of our interest in online teaching. 

 

I love teaching, I love the computer and the Internet, my vision, along with 2 of my colleagues, is to set up an E-Learning Center in the EFL dept at BIU. where we can develop additional units for EFL online teaching, in addition to a place where students and teachers can come for help with computer assisted learning in English.

 

Debbie Chayen (pronounced “chain” in English or חן in Hebrew.)

 

 

 

 

Education:           

1992           MA Trenton State College

1975           BA Bar Ilan University Teaching Certificate – Bar Ilan                             University

1970           Graduate  Yeshivah of Flatbush High School

 

Work Experience:

 

2004-2007  Co-ordinator of the Legal  English Program at the Sha'arei Mishpat Law College

 

1988-2007  Lecturer at Bar Ilan University in the EFL Department

Intermediate and Advanced Levels

 

1999-2000  English Inspector for The Society for the Advancement of Adult Education in Israel

Responsible for the pre-academic English Bagrut programs in the preparatory programs (מכינות קדם-אקדמיות,) of the universities and colleges in Israel

 

1997-2007  Test Writing Committee EFL Department Bar Ilan University

 

1996-2007  Teacher of English for Law - Advanced Level Shaaray Mishpat               Law College

 

1988-1998  Coordinator of English Programs at The Academic College of Judea & Samaria Ariel

 

1987-1998  English Teacher of 4 &5 point Matriculation Pre-Academic Preparatory Program

The Academic College of Judea & Samaria

 

1989-1992  Coordinator of English Studies Mechina Programs of Bar Ilan University

 

1983-1985  English Teacher Grades 8-11 Elkana Girls High School

Elkana, Israel

         

1980-1983  English Teacher Grades 4-8 Religious Elementary School

Kedumim, Shomron

 

 

Presentations:

 

1988           Teacher’s Development Day      Tel Aviv  University

        “Writing an Academic Essay

1992           “Brain Functions & Languages Learning”

                   Levinsky Teachers Seminary

1992           Teacher’s Development Day Ruppin Seminar

                   Teaching Writing for Matriculation 5-Point Essays

1994           EFL Colloquium Reading-Around-A-Topic

Bar Ilan University

Academic Texts organized according to subjects of  interest and levels of difficulty

 

1995           UTELI Conference Ben Gurion University “Related Topics”

1997           Bar Ilan Getaway

C ALL – Computer Assisted Language Learning

Introducing the Internet into the EFL classroom.

Creating units for combing EFL topics with websites

 

‏1998          Technology, Reading & Learning Difficulties Conference

Boston,USA

                            “Weaving the Web” (into the classroom)

Presentation of units to be used in EFL/ESL computer language laboratories, combining the use of Internet programs and websites which support English language learning

 

1999           New York University - I participated in a seminar at New York University - to observe and learn first hand the ESL method developed by Dr. Marcia Pally called Sustained Content Based Language Learning.

 

December 1999    Professional  Development Day for Teachers of English

Bar Ilan University – Beck auditorium

Topics: “Vocabulary and Dictionary Use in the Academic Classroom”

“Multimedia Programs for Teaching Reading Skills”

C.A.L.L.: Interactive Units for Reading Comprehension”

 

February 28,2007  Presentation on “Creating Online                                    

                            Internet Units” at the Center for 

                            Applied Linguistics (CAL) in Washington D.C.

 

Work Experience

 

Test Writing Committee – The Academic College of Judea and Samaria.      For three years I was the coordinator of the test-writing committee for all five levels of EFL in the Independent Tracks of the College.  This included choosing texts for each level, reviewing and revising the questions, piloting, and printing the final draft of each test.

                             There are five levels and three test dates (MOED ALEPH, BET, GIMMEL) for each, total of fifteen test per academic year.

 

Bagrut Preparation: For two years I was responsible for preparing the 3, 4 & 5 point pre-academic bagrut exams.  This included all the aspects of test preparation, from choosing the materials, writing the questions, piloting the exam, to having the exam printed and distributed to forty-five colleges.

                             In addition, twice a year I organized in-service workshops for all the English teachers in the Pre-Academic programs of the universities and colleges.

 

Bar Ilan Computer-Assisted Learning Group – I  participate in a group of 6 EFL teachers involved in developing Internet units for the classroom. We use the HighLearn program to create.Internet Units on various topics.

 

"MEITAL" PROJECT: During 2003/4 I collaborated on the development of one module of an inter-university Internet project. The English departments of four major universities in Israel collaborated to create interactive, academic internet units to be used by all the universities and colleges in Israel.

 

E-Learning Workshop: The Academic College of Judea and Samaria.

                            In July-August 2006 I gave a workshop for EFL teachers on how to create and maintain online interactive Internet Units for teaching EFL on an acadmeic level.