[etni] Even more about HOTS

From: David Graniewitz <davidzalman@xxxxxxxxx>
To: etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:39:45 +0300
It?s taken me a few days, but I have finally decided to sit down and write
my impressions of the HOTS debate that took place at the end of the ETAI
conference last week.
Firstly from a purely biased point of view, I must state that the anti-HOTS
faction won on points at least. (That is boxing terminology for anyone who
doesn?t know.) Their arguments were well-thought out and backed by sound
theories.

I was a bit disappointed that the speakers backing the new programme only
spoke from their personal experience. I realise that personal testimonies
describing how successful it has been should be convincing enough, but all
the same, I was hoping to hear the anti-HOTS faction?s arguments being
debated one by one.

The fact that a few teachers might have liked the programme doesn?t mean
that all teachers will succeed in getting it to work. Indeed, those of us
who follow the posts on ETNI will know that a very dedicated and experienced
teacher in a development town has written in several times describing her
dissatisfaction with the programme. The teacher would have come to the
conference and spoken up had it not been for medical issues. However,
amongst the anti-HOTS speakers was a colleague of mine who has trained to be
an instructor of the programme and was less than enamoured with it.

In addition, who is to say that the positive experiences that many have had
with the programme do not stem from an initial enthusiasm that comes with
any innovation? How will these teachers feel a few years down the line when
they realise that they have been teaching the same thing again and again, or
when they see that work being given in by their pupils is identical to
pieces that they read a few years beforehand? The log, in my opinion, could
encourage plagiarism. Our time and effort will be spent on preventing this
rather than teaching. Why should English teachers be put in a situation in
which they are constantly being forced to change materials in order to keep
one step ahead of the pupils? We are overworked enough as it is.

As for the supposed improvement in grades, I feel that the data that has
been thrown up to prove this is very misleading. (This is a point that was
brought up at the conference.) How is it possible to compare a grade given
by a class teacher on pieces of work done over a 2 year period to a grade on
an objective test given by an anonymous examiner? Of course the grades will
be higher, but is that the point? Teachers who decide to do the log (which I
suspect will be the majority as it allows them greater freedom of choice and
because those that will not want to do it will probably cave in under
pressure from all sides to do so when it is realised that the log will yield
a higher mark than the exam,) will end up giving 62.5% of the final grade.
What will the English Bagrut exam be worth in the eyes of universities, when
this happens?

I have to admit that I am taking the online HOTS course at the moment,
defying the directives of my union. I decided to do this for several reasons
amongst which was the will to see what all the fuss is about. I have to
admit that I have yet to be impressed by anything I have seen. This, I must
stress, is not the fault of the course?s instructor, but is the fault of the
material that we have to study.

I can fully understand why many senior teachers, at the moment, feel
insulted and outraged that the programme looks like being implemented in
spite of their well-thought through protestations. I cannot understand why
the fact that the chances are that a great many teachers will be
implementing the programme against their will and better judgement is not
reason enough to put a complete moratorium on it for the time being.

David Graniewitz

Jerusalem

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[etni] Even more about HOTS

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