Texas Republicans against Critical Thinking

[Tenuto]

Knowledge-Based Education – We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/texasgop_pre/assets/original/2012-Platform-Final.pdf

So. What's the justification here for opposing "the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills?" There must be some hyper-secretive right-wing political illuminati that's trying to keep everyone brainwashed into obedient Christian sheep!

Only it's not secretive at all. Courtesy of 'The Amazing Atheist,' but I won't bother to link to his video. He's too obnoxious to listen to for any length of time, even if you agree with most of the stuff he says.

So, is this TX Republican platform representative of all Republicans? Or just TX Republicans? Are we ruled by anti-intellectual morons? How did this happen?

[Tony XerxēsTWD Stark]

Not exactly surprising. Political parties don't really want thinkers, they want voters.

[Primetime]

The answer to your question is presented in the very quote you present:

"are simply relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority."

Read this report:

http://www.ourcivilisation.com/dumb/dumb3.htm

Here is an excerpt:

The following statement from OBE literature is typical: "OBE schools are expected to become `success based' rather than `selection oriented' by establishing the instructional management procedures and delivery conditions which enable all students to learn and demonstrate those skills necessary for continued success." OBE salespersons don't tell parents that "success" for all children means "success" in demonstrating only the dumbed-down outcomes that the slowest learners in the class can attain. OBE means "success" in mediocrity rather than excellence.

[Tony XerxēsTWD Stark]

I'm trying to find something actually negative about HOTS, but I can't seem to locate any.

The best description I could find said they teach kids via behavior modification about thinking critically and not assuming everything is absolute right/wrong.

I can definitely understand why some people would hate their children knowing that 99% of life is filled with gray areas and can not be boiled down to right/wrong, but what about intelligent people?

I can't seem to find anything good about OBE, just that people keep trying to shoehorn HOTS in there, while acknowledging that it's actually different.

[Primetime]

HOTS and OBE are different, but OBE is trying to assume the label of HOTS in order for it to be looked at more positively.  That is why the statement stresses the point of "simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education". 

Since this has come out, I see folks on the Left holding concretely to the idea that Texas Republicans are against "higher order thinking" PERIOD, while continuously disregarding the relabeling part.  It reminds me of how many seek to treat the "progressive" label literally. 

[maizeblue]

Only in the south.

[Tony XerxēsTWD Stark]

HOTS and OBE are different, but OBE is trying to assume the label of HOTS in order for it to be looked at more positively.  That is why the statement stresses the point of "simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education". 

So it's OBE that's being misrepresented as something it isn't(a better thing)?

[Primetime]

So it's OBE that's being misrepresented as something it isn't(a better thing)?

That is basically what they seem to be alleging.  They state that "critical thinking skills" was an error and was not supposed to be included in the statement.  The bottom line is that they see certain new educational trends as involving ideological indoctrination under the guise of higher order thinking as opposed to solely developing knowledge and intellect.

[Thunder 85]

http://s3.amazonaws.com/texasgop_pre/assets/original/2012-Platform-Final.pdf

So. What's the justification here for opposing "the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills?" There must be some hyper-secretive right-wing political illuminati that's trying to keep everyone brainwashed into obedient Christian sheep!

Only it's not secretive at all. Courtesy of 'The Amazing Atheist,' but I won't bother to link to his video. He's too obnoxious to listen to for any length of time, even if you agree with most of the stuff he says.

So, is this TX Republican platform representative of all Republicans? Or just TX Republicans? Are we ruled by anti-intellectual morons? How did this happen?

I'm not entirely sold on the idea that OBE or even HOTS are superior to traditional teaching methods. Much of what HOTS advocates is what you get in higher education. Primary education is more about foundation building. I wouldn't necessarily treat or teach a toddler in the same method I would a high school student, nor would I teach a high school student the same as a college student. For that matter, grad students are generally taught differently than undergrad students. While there is some argument for accelerating the process for the entire population, there is also evidence that these proposed methods just can't be applied across the board.


Point is, this is a debate on teaching methodology, not substance. This isn't like teaching creationism, or selective history.

[Tony XerxēsTWD Stark]

That is basically what they seem to be alleging.  They state that "critical thinking skills" was an error and was not supposed to be included in the statement.  The bottom line is that they see certain new educational trends as involving ideological indoctrination under the guise of higher order thinking as opposed to solely developing knowledge and intellect.

I could see that being pretty upsetting for everybody involved. I'll have to do some more research. Thanks!

[Panthergod]

lol, Leftists always couch their laughably biased emotional ideology in terms of 'objectivity'. At least irrational religionists are honest enough to admit that their belief structure is based on faith.

[Red Volcano]

There is nothing wrong with questioning things.  But questioning things that were aren't anything to question is a waste of time (conspiracy theorists).  Or trying to fix things that aren't broken (having something working fine, then try to improve upon it but fuck it up even worse in the process (often trying to go back to something that has been proven to not work and think its going to work)).