Hi Renee et al, Checking the tasks for the logs is much less than what I usually do, say, for my 10th graders. For each piece of literature in the log, you are only required to give 2 grades - one for one of the steps of the unit- which might be a drama activity or anything else you want to do, and one for the end of the unit, a writing piece or a test or some alternative assessment. That's hardly 5 times the amount of marking any good teacher does! As for the time marking the logs, the quality of the peices should have already been assessed when the unit was done. I agree that teachers aren't paid enough in general. Good teachers always spend many extra hours marking compositions and tests beyond the hours that they are paid for, but this program does not add extra hours. This work is instead of other work you might do. I can "truthfully claim that this work is not in ADDITION to our subject" The time spent focusing on the relevant HOTS can take as little as 5 to 10 minutes of a lesson. I don't know if it's pactical to institute a program gradually. My guess is that most teachers, comfortable in what they have been doing all along, would wait until everyone was required to do it to try it. Perhaps the 4 point part of the program should have been put off, but I don't know what all of the considerations were when the decision was made. I do know that the number of people who have to approve each little change boggles the mind! Mitzi --- On Wed, 7/22/09, Renee wahl <wahlrenew@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: From: Renee wahl <wahlrenew@xxxxxxxxx> Subject: [etni] Lit discussion To: etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2009, 10:08 AM I've seen pretty much of everything that could be said both pro and con the lit courses and the implementation of the program so I don't know how much my 2 cents will matter.... 1) It seems to me that we all agree that the new program is a valuable addition to our toolbox of teaching pedagogies, that the courses are great and that all those who were involved in their planning and teaching have done a terrific job and are using our feedback to further improve them. 2) Just as we are aware that there are different learning styles, and we are urged to design our lessons to meet these various learning styles, we must always consider not only whether a new pedagogical tool is valuable, but to whom and to what it should be applied. Just because the pilot program reports that we heard at ETAI were glowingly positive, doesn't mean that the master teachers (usually the ones most likely be first to take innovative courses and be able to adapt/adopt them) who gave these reports represent a true crossection of the teacher population or their classes. Why must the program be applied across the board all at once? Why can't it be applied gradually as an option, like the translation unit, or as a 5 pointer option? We could be a little less ambitious here to begin with, especially since the results of the pilot have not yet been analyzed thoroughly enough nor changes resulting from feedback been completed. Need I bring up the example of "Whole Language" R.I.P? 3) Regarding the issue of payment: Of course we insist on being paid at the rate of Bagrut graders in order to check the logs. Though having checked Bagrut papers in the past, I have serious reservations regarding the amount of time checking the logs will take as compared to grading a Bagrut paper. Even if they have been checked on an ongoing basis, it will take more than 10 minutes just to checklist that all the requirements are there, not to speak of the quality or relevance of the twork. But what about the part re checking the logs as we go along? Do you mean to tell me that this isn't extra work for the teacher? Not only does s/he have to find resource material, design the multiple tasks, extract the relevant HOTS, but then s/he has to check at least 5 times the number of tasks as previously! This is what we are demanding extra pay for - not only for grading the final product!!!! Too much of our already diminished class time will be taken up with explaining the tasks, instead of discussing the literature. No one can truthfully claim that this literature program is not an ADDITION to our subject, so why isn't the Ministry demanding extra hours (except from the teachers) in order too fit it in? ----------------------------------------------- ** Etni homepage - http://www.etni.org or - http://www.etni.org.il ** ** for help - ask@xxxxxxxx ** ** to post to this list - etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** ----------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- ** Etni homepage - http://www.etni.org or - http://www.etni.org.il ** ** for help - ask@xxxxxxxx ** ** to post to this list - etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** -----------------------------------------------