[etni] Fw: HOTS in L2

From: "Ask Etni" <ask@xxxxxxxx>
To: "Etni" <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:39:04 +0200
----- Original Message ----- 
From: sbshai - sbshai@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: HOTS in L2


Hurrah Hadassah!  Finally someone else besides a group of teachers in 
Jerusalem -- and she's someone who speaks from experience with HOTS where it 
all started -- is bringing up the same valid point that we have been 'hot 
under the collar' about ever since we heard the 'not so hot' idea to 
browbeat our ESL students with so-called innovate higher order thinking 
skills when they learn literature in L2.

Hadassah (and others) will probably disagree about this, but the way I see 
it, the phrase "higher order"  refers not to the thinking skills 
themselves -- as we've ALWAYS used them in teaching  literature  (though 
without insisting that our students parrot their names); rather, the term 
comes to remind us that we teachers are being ordered from on high (i.e., 
the Inspectorate/MOE) to force these terms on our students in an attempt to 
make them better thinkers!

The ludicrousness of hanging such an albatross on students who are 
struggling with basic proficiency in English (I say this after noting a 
general decline in 5 point classes in a reputable school where I have been 
teaching for 18 years -- and many others report a similar trend ) has been 
propounded often enough on ETNI and elsewhere by many of my colleagues.  We 
have pointed out all manner of weaknesses and fallacies in the program --  
not its stated goals, to which we can easily agree -- just to the proposed 
method to achieve them.

The only thing that bears repeating here is Hadassah's point -- why HOTS in 
L2 -- which appeared on the petition letter to our Chief Inspector that was 
signed by some 34 schools in Jerusalem.

The answer we received essentially said that the Ministry is working on 
introducing HOTS in L1 in the elementary schools, which we had suggested was 
the most sensible place to start; however, there was no adequate explanation 
for the reason we are being told to start this program NOW in EFL.

Our objection to infusing HOTS into literature, a subject which presents 
enough of a challenge to most ESL students, was similarly dismissed in the 
following words:
"Even now, in high school, teachers can teach the HOTS in different areas of 
language learning.  Then, when they start to teach literature, they will 
only have to spiral their use of the HOTS and not explicitly teach them."

I'm sure this was said to make us feel better about HOTS as there now 
appears to be less rigidity in teaching it, but for me (and many colleagues 
with whom I've discussed the issue) this statement makes the whole program 
appear more befuddled than ever before.

All things considered, great strides have been made by the nascent group of 
high school English teachers in Jerusalem in redefining the parameters of 
the HOTS program so that it is more palatable for us and more beneficial for 
our students.

It's now time for our colleagues in the rest of the country to make their 
voices heard -- and towards this aim, Nina has undertaken the project.  All 
you have to do is send her your name so that you can be counted as one who 
cannot agree to implement the HOTS program AS IT NOW STANDS.  If you 
hesitate now, you may never get another chance -- so GO for it!  Send your 
name today to: golomb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wishing us pleasant days ahead,
Batya

 

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[etni] Fw: HOTS in L2

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