[etni] Fwd: re: grouping of 9th graders in high schools in the north
- From: ETNI list <etni.list@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Etni <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2013 19:36:18 +0300
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From: sbshai <sbshai@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: grouping of 9th graders in high schools in the north
I completely agree, but I'll offer a bit of historical background concerning
the rationale for this methodology:
When I started teaching in Israel 22 years ago,
heterogeneous classes were the mode. In the course I took for morim olim,
it was actually considered narrow-minded to disapprove. I recall one
instructor telling us that the term "homogeneous class" was oxymoronic since
every class is composed of individual students who come there with different
levels of proficiency. I suppose the logical extension of this was that we
might as well therefore teach a highly mixed group, but many of my
colleagues considered this to be yet another example of educational
sophistry!
In any case, it seems to me that there is usually enough diversity (as well
as sufficient challenges) among the students in our 4 and 5 point classes to
classify heterogeneous classes as relics of the (socialist?) past -- for
most of us, anyway -- at least until another "innovation" comes our way to
revive it.
Batya
Ilana wrote:
> WOW! From a straight testing perspective that (keeping them in
> heterogenous classes) makes no sense at all!!
> Why maintain such classes where there clearly are ability groupings.
> The ninth graders that are headed to 5 points in yud are qualitatively
> different than those destined for 4 point classes.
> Their English language knowledge in all the relevant linguistic
> domains differ... grammar, vocabulary, listening comprehension,
> reading comp and speaking (although that is not ever tested by Misrad
> haChinuch).
>
> We do no one a service by prolonging such groupings. Instead of
> win-win, you will have lose-lose. It's not good for the better kids;
> it's not good for the weaker students who need support AND it's not
> good for the teachers, either. B'kitsur, it's unrealistic!
> And that's before we talk about the fact the various textbooks are
> designed with different ability groups in mind...
>
> What would be a benefit to such an arrangement?
> I cannot think of a single pedagogical advantage!!
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