[etni] Fwd: Response to Aviva re: HOTS

From: ETNI list <etni.list@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Etni <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:01:49 +0300
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Esther Revivo <estherrv@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Response to Aviva re: HOTS

Aviva wrote: "When teachers write about the HOTS -Literature program
the following :'"WHICH WILL CAUSE OUR WEAK PUPILS TO FAIL " I am quite
shocked.. How do they know their weaker pupils will fail ?? Who says
?? "

I spent the first 1/2 of this past school year teaching literature
with HOTS ("Count that Day Lost" and "A Summer's Reading.") And, I'm
talking about the kind of class that Sara G so eloquently described:
extremely weak 4 pointers, who should only be 3 pointers except for
the fact that with 3 points, they have no future. So, we are pressured
by parents and the system to have them to pass the four point exam.(I
copied and pasted Sara's post below.)

Aviva, despite highly creative lessons (I don't want to brag, but
Mitzi Gefen gave me a 100 for the course,) my weak tenth graders found
the material exceedingly difficult and frustrating. I doubt that
they'd have found it easy in L1. There were pilot classes for 5
pointers but none for the type of class that Sara and I teach. How do
I know they will fail? Because on very easy tasks regarding HOTS they
DID fail! I had to 'redo' tasks and feed them the answers!! I taught
with great enthusiasm hiding my displeasure at the new program since I
believe that most often an enthusiastic educator is the key to class
success.

My masters thesis was on the topic, "The Role of the Innovative
Teacher: Alternative Methods to Frontal Teaching in The
Teaching of English in Israel." For years I have used "jigsaw" and
other group activities. Several times when blessed with an outstanding
group I used a Montessori-type open classroom wherein pupils got two
weeks worth of tasks and could do them when and where they chose. If
they wanted, they could play English games 1/2 the lesson. For years
my English room was made up of groups of desks instead of rows to
encourage group work and my pupils had open access to the cupboards
containing games; magazines; "cartisei avoda;" etc.

So, for the millionth time dear colleagues, please believe me that
there are hard working teachers (who have proven their willingness to
take on challenges and truly love teaching,) that simply do NOT
BELIEVE THIS PROGRAM WILL ALLOW OUR WEAK PUPILS TO SUCCEED! I pray
that a pilot be done THIS year in a few weak classes so that it can be
adapted for the type of classes that Sara g. wrote about! (See her
words below.)

All the Best-
Esther Revivo
Ulpanat Tzvia Sedot Negev
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
aviva -

we are NOT talking about LD kids, or weak 5 pointers. (at least, i'm
not). not even kids who are true weak 4 pts. you are talking about F.I
am not!

i am thinking of the kids who are true 3 point students. (maybe
undiagnosed LD, or just very weak students). our school, like many
others i have heard of, is not allowed to have "3 pt" classes. we have
"weak 4 pt - 4bet", and some of the kids, in the 12th grade, only
finish 3 pt. but some of them do do a weak 4 pt bagrut, as follows: we
struggle with them to do A, B, C. the ones who get a more or less
decent grade on C then add a section to their 3 pt project so they can
do the 4 pt oral (at least, we did in the past, before the current
sanctions of not doing projects.) they study a little more literature.
We work hard on the D writing - teaching them a lot of templates. they
usually get a barely passing grade on D and often fail E. but in the
final average, they do have a 4 pt bagrut! (maybe with a final grade
of 60 or 58. but it is a 4 pt bagrut. )
all of this is done in the 12th grade. they must finish the 3 pts
first (usually they do C in 12th grade winter, D in winter or summer
and E in summer), as a safety net. sometimes they only do D or E in
moed bet, and have tigburim until then. so when and how are these kids
going to do a D log or exam?

do they really know english on a 4 pt level? i'm not sure. are we
setting up the ones who can not do even this kind of 4 pt bagrut for
disappointment? yes - because they are told they are a 4 pt class and
if they work hard enough they will do 4 pts. but that's not true for
all of them. the problem is that the principals and a lot of other
people in the MOE (not in the english inspectorate) want as many kids
as possible to have 4 pts.

at some schools a kid with 70 in E, 60 in F and 50 in G is considered
a weak 5 pt student. if he got 85 in the oral his final grade is 65. i
have a feeling you are thinking of these kids when you say "weak
students."

are the english teachers happy with this situation? of course not. but
we are not always the ones with the final say in how kids are put into
english groups.

i hope this is a little clearer now.
sara g
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[etni] Fwd: Response to Aviva re: HOTS

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