[etni] Fw: Just for the record
- From: "Ask_Etni" <ask@xxxxxxxx>
- To: "ETNI" <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 16 May 2010 05:45:16 +0300
----- Original Message -----
From: sbshai - sbshai@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Just for the record
After reading Daniel's message and the responses to it, I think I might have
found a few points we can all agree about, no matter on which side of the
HOTS divide we may find ourselves:
1) HOTS (& the logs) may provide the fuel for some teachers to ignite an
interest in literature -- but for other (similarly successful) teachers, the
fire will rather extinguish the appreciation of literature they have always
strived to achieve.
2) It's not possible to make generalizations about the program based on a
few examples. We have heard of cases involving reputable teachers whose
native speakers were annoyed by the explicit teaching of thinking
strategies, even when they were challenged to present them.
Similarly, though there are weaker classes who seem to like the structure
that the thinking skills provide, many have no patience for it.
I'm sure that someone will reply by saying that an enthusiastic teacher
makes all the difference -- and that's another point:
3) A teacher who has taken the course, read all the material and tried out
some of the strategies but still remains unconvinced should not be forced to
go along with a program whose benefits remain conjectural at this point.
Now if someone wants to take up the challenge of turning non-believers
around, that's another story! But we'd have to be convinced that the
program does not come at the expense of teaching basic proficiency because
when all is said and done, our students have always demonstrated admirable
thinking ability in relation to the literature we read -- but their ability
to write an English sentence to express those thoughts does NOT measure up,
generally speaking (and this is true of too many 5 point students as well as
4 pointers). Are we to abandon the goal of improving that ability?
We certainly don't have enough teaching time to implement a new program,
follow the other directives from the Inspectorate and try to ensure that the
level of language proficiency does not slip even further. So if someone can
guarantee us more teaching hours ...
Shavua tov,
Batya
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