[etni] Re: HOTS
- From: Bari Nirenberg <bnirenberg@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "lu_mmm@xxxxxxxxxxx" <lu_mmm@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:20:50 +0200
I agree with much of what Louise has stated and I would like to add
that I found the tone of the Irgun letter quite disturbing and the
wording downright ridiculous in places. Teachers no longer need to
teach their students higher order thinking skills (and note that the
Irgun letter left out the words "higher order")??? So, we can conclude
that our students will no longer be required to think? Is it even
possible to teach literature without teaching higher order thinking
skills like, as Sharon mentioned, identifying different perspectives?
Perhaps you don't want to teach the skill out of context, but not
teach it at all? Explaining cause and effect is a skill that regularly
appears on the bagrut exam and, in fact, examinees are asked to
complete a "sequence of cause and effect", yet according to Ran Erez,
we no longer need to teach this skill.
To me, the letter from the Irgun proclaimed ignorance, not victory. It
is painfully clear that it was written by someone without even a
partial understanding of what he was talking about and it presents
English teachers in a very unprofessional light (we're the teachers
who think that teaching thinking skills is unnecessary and a burden on
us). I also think that the ministry directives are more unclear than
ever -- which six HOTS? Can teachers who have already started a log
with their 4-pointers in 10th grade continue and have their students
do a log instead of module D? I have a whole list of points that are
now unclear to me.
Although I am an instructor in the HOTS literature course, I have
always had my own misgivings about certain aspects of the program and
I have made them clear to the appropriate people. However, I believe
that it is possible to tweak the program and adapt it to our needs and
our limitations -- I am in no way in favor of letting it just die a
slow death, which is clearly what most of those who have been vocal
here want, despite the fact that the majority of them never even
bothered taking the course to find out what the program is about.
I find it sad that a very vocal group of teachers proclaimed war and
that those who disagreed with them were too intimidated to speak up.
Bari
On Wednesday, October 20, 2010, Louise - <lu_mmm@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Dear All,
>
> I must say something.
>
> While I am not a 100% fan of how the HOTS program was to unfold, I am left
> with a bitter taste in my mouth with the recent news. I see no victory here.
> I have heard many say they love literature and love to teach it. But what
> about the scores of teachers who dont, and probably havent been teaching it?
> What kind of experience have their students had over the past years? What
> kind of experience will they have now? Think about the students in their
> classrooms.
>
> Additionally, I have really objected over the past months to the acrimonious
> tone and often downright bullying by many teachers whom I admire otherwise.
> It really turned me off. I do not believe people felt they could openly state
> their feelings on Etni unless you were an anti-HOTS person - if you look at
> the messages over the past year, you will see a dwindling of pro-HOTS or even
> lukewarm comments and a dominance of the other. I am also of the opinion that
> there are tons of teachers who dont care one way or another. Now we are left
> with a group splintered into many factions which is sad as we have enough on
> our hands as it is.
>
> Personally, for the next 3 years, I would like to see a task force made up of
> a cross section of teachers to meet along with the Inspectorate in a series
> of "roll up your sleeves and get to work meetings" to achieve what we all
> want - an excellent program for our students and to look at all aspects of
> the Bagrut. The requirement to join is a pledge to work with those who may
> have an opposing view. I would like to see this group earnestly work together
> in a spirit of cooperation under the motto: "There are no problems. Only
> solutions to problems." Call me a cockeyed optimist.
>
> Louise
>
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