[etni] another perspective on the HOTS

From: aviva shapiro <shapiroaviva@xxxxxxxxx>
To: ETNI <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:06:02 +0300
Hi all, I don't live in an ivory tower.  ( just  a small house in a small
yishuv near the shrinking Kinneret) so  I know just how hard English
teachers work !!(Really hard)  Now, I want to add my 2 cents to the
whole hullabaloo!!   I took part in the pilot and subsequently began to
teach a few of the Infusing HOTS into Literature courses and I did this
mainly as I believe that this "new" way is better For one it allows those
students who are NON test oriented to excel. (and I was told this by my
pupils who did the pilot and loved it !!)  As it stands today our pupils
 have to take  two  external English tests, so if the teacher chooses the
Log, it caters to some of the kids who have gotten lost in the shuffle over
the years. (and shouldn't we be catering to as many of our students learning
styles as we can ?) .
THERE are a myriad of  reasons not to like the program and to be
apprehensive of not being ready to begin implementing it and concerned about
how much work it will be . However, there is ONE main reason to embrace it
whole-heartedly with it's flaws and that is simply because the students (OUR
students) will benefit from it !!  From my experience , having already
 implemented it (both during the pilot and now with my 10th graders) most of
 the students really like it !!  They found the lessons much more
interesting and so did I .  WE did not just do writing ( although it was
part of it) We also did enactments/ role plays/ group work/ graphic
organizers in pairs, class discussions etc..

So I say , put aside your fears and try it.  Is it perfect .?? * NO *.. But
it will be "a work in progress" and the sooner you get involved the sooner
you can put in your input !! But mostly , . do it because it makes teaching
much more creative and interesting for our students. ( for us too !!) and
making them think and know that  they are thinking isn't a bad thing..


I apologize that I won't be at ETAI (Dafka this year) but am more than
willing to talk (online / by phone) to anyone who wants to talk to me.


Wishing us all a bit of rest and a happy , safe and relaxing summer vacation
!!
Aviva
An optimist and a thinker !!


"It must be remembered that the purpose of education is not to fill the
minds of students with facts?it is to teach them to think.?
Robert M. Hutchins

Aviva Shapiro- 052-4501830

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[etni] another perspective on the HOTS

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