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kardisa
Joined: 26 Jun 2009
Location: Masan
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 Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 4:35 pm Post subject: Best way to teach a debate class? |
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Starting today, I will teach a once-weekly private debate class to two students. We've already picked out book with debate topics, but I'm not sure what would be the best way to structure my class. There are two main issues that I feel I will need to work around:
1. Difference in ability.
One student spent 2 years overseas in middle school and scored a 110 on the TOEFL iBT. The other student's English is still excellent, but she has trouble finding words and seems embarrassed about having a lower ability than her friend.
2. Similar opinions on most topics.
In our initial meeting last week, we discussed several possible debate topics. While their views differed slightly depending on the subject matter, they were overwhelmingly the same. I tried to frame the questions in different ways, in order to have them consider alternate viewpoints, but it always ended with one girl saying "I agree with ___'s opinion."
Does anyone have any recommendations on the best way to structure this class while keeping the aforementioned points in mind? I'm considering assigning them 1-2 topics at the end of each week's class so that they can prepare arguments for the following week. I've also thought about having them prepare conflicting arguments for the material (i.e. one student has to play devil's advocate). |
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Khenan
Joined: 25 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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One: run short presentations each class before your debate. Let the students choose any topic. The purpose is to work on their individual presentation skills outside of a formal debate.
Two: don't bother asking their real opinions. Have them do rock paper scissors to decide who gets which side. |
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Fishead soup
Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 4:45 pm Post subject: |
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Use Small Group Discussion Topics, for High School Students and Young learners. Give them the material in advance and have them read it, .
It's really important to get them to prepare their answers in advance. If you ask for imprompt answers you'll get blank looks. |
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kardisa
Joined: 26 Jun 2009
Location: Masan
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| Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 5:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Fishead soup wrote: |
| Use Small Group Discussion Topics, for High School Students and Young learners. Give them the material in advance and have them read it. |
If you're referring to the book by Jack Martire, then that's the material I chose for the class. I was definitely getting blank looks during our first class (We just jumped in with a topic), so I'll try your suggestion this week.
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| Two: don't bother asking their real opinions. Have them do rock paper scissors to decide who gets which side. |
I like this idea as well. The one thing I don't want to do is favor one student (specifically, the one with the higher English ability) when I'm assigning which sides I want them to debate. Introducing a random way to decide should help prevent that. |
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Louis VI
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
Location: In my Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 5:49 pm Post subject: Re: Best way to teach a debate class? |
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| kardisa wrote: |
| Starting today, I will teach a once-weekly private debate class to two students. |
Only two? Hmmm...
I teach a debate class (one hour a day every weekday) and started with the "Open to Debate" book on Korean issues but quickly supplemented it with a more formal debate structure from "Intro to Debate" with two affirmative and two negative speakers, judges, and a moderator, in a class of eight students the size and structure was almost perfect. After four months we finished with the korean issues book and have moved on to CNN Reading 3, mined for its issues basically. The class is fantastic, mostly high to intermediate level second year middle school girls with one third year boy and a whipper snapper grade 5 elementary school gal.
With two students only I'd recommend you do tennis debates. Have them read an issue, have them form an affirmative statement from that issue, then have them choose a side and argue against each other. Each side presents its reasons (3 to 5 of them) and then have objections and replies, followed by closing remarks and then judge's decision (by you in post debate analysis). At first you need to model a couple of debates, show them what a good debate looks like, lead them into constructing the affirmative statement, so they have some examples of the form.
Differences of ability can be overcome through both the prep stage and post-debate critique stage in providing feedback differently. You can spend extra time helping one of them express her reasons, all the while emphasizing that grammar is beside the point! that in debate and in public speaking in general it's more about communication, that clarity of expression can come in many ways: have her paraphrase her reasons, state them three different ways ("what I mean is...", "the point is..." ). The other student you can spend more time focusing on developing support for the reasons (examples, stats, expert opinion). Treat them equally, but differently, focus on different things with each of them, equal time in terms of feedback, give them a sense that they are each progressing at the same pace.
I don't believe in making students play devil's advocate, which has made it harder to get issues, working to frame in ways that split the class in terms of opinions. I reserve devil's advocate only for games, once or twice a month in special exercises. The point of debating is to have them expressing themselves, thinking and saying what they think, defending their positions. I recommend you have the girl who always copies the other girl's opinion to give her opinion first! Then the more confident girl will likely have a different position. It doesn't take too long to find differences of opinion with middle schoolers, really, there are plenty of differences among them. You just have to end the habit of robotic agreement, false unanimity. Once you get them past that, it'll be clear sailing. Have them look for differences, make sure they understand the point of it all, and keep digging. Any one topic has plenty of different ways of framing an affirmative statement. And the number of topics are endless.
By all means, google is your friend. Show them some school debates online. And after a few months, or on some special holiday relaxed class, show them Denzel Washington's film The Great Debaters. It went over well with my bunch.
Enjoy.  |
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alljokingaside
Joined: 17 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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Have the students form a circle. Equip them with drums, which they will use to produce a steady beat while they drone a monotonous drone. Instruct the class to get progressively louder with time. For a moment, cue the students to pause, while shouting out the names of the debaters. The student might become confused. It will be useful to instruct the remaining students to lovingly, yet firmly shove their bewildered classmate out into the center. (This probably will come naturally to many.) It is important to note that the comba...debater's hair and/or clothing should be a bit rumpled at this point. His demeanor should express something between horror and shock. (The proposition of potential English usage should suffice.) As the instructor, make a random pronouncement to the class. Arm motions should be large and sweeping. (It is also important to note that your head should be slightly tilted back, as if you've something in your throat. An extra plus if you can get that "I'm yawning, but trying to look fierce!" look. Think Tyra.) Have a student bring forth the Chalice of Suggestion (ie lime green plastic bowl), which will have scraps of paper written by the students on the subject of debate ideas. They will be illegible (of course) or uninteresting, so you will want to have one pre-packaged. Insert hand and grab paper. Look intent. Nod head several times in agreement. It should appear mysterious, yet oddly comforting. Procure and produce two "love sticks." Toss each by each debater's foot. Proclaim your idea (eg "Moon Pies are neither moon nor pies.") Produce a Chocopie. Throw it centerward. While walking away, laxly say "...aaaand GO." (Backs turned!) Have the students resume chanting and drumming.
Watch and enjoy! |
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Skyblue
Joined: 02 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 11:49 pm Post subject: Re: Best way to teach a debate class? |
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| kardisa wrote: |
| Starting today, I will teach a once-weekly private debate class to two students. We've already picked out book with debate topics, but I'm not sure what would be the best way to structure my class. |
Cool. Debate's a lot of fun, and great for confidence and creative/critical thinking. It's kind of hard to do with no audience though. It's a performance, and for that you need an audience.
| kardisa wrote: |
1. Difference in ability.
One student spent 2 years overseas in middle school and scored a 110 on the TOEFL iBT. The other student's English is still excellent, but she has trouble finding words and seems embarrassed about having a lower ability than her friend. |
Nothing much you can do about that other than emphasize that debate is not all about linguistic accuracy. A lot of it is about crafting persuasive arguments, keeping within time limits, organizing ideas, and clashing effectively. Also, emphasize good use of voice (tempo, volume, pitch) and body language.
| kardisa wrote: |
2. Similar opinions on most topics.
In our initial meeting last week, we discussed several possible debate topics. While their views differed slightly depending on the subject matter, they were overwhelmingly the same. I tried to frame the questions in different ways, in order to have them consider alternate viewpoints, but it always ended with one girl saying "I agree with ___'s opinion." |
Again, emphasize that this is not about YOUR opinion. It's about your ability to construct arguments whether or not you believe in them. Many debate classes take turns for and against. They will each have a go being "for" a woman's right to unrestricted access to abortions, and then the next day they will have to be "against" it. Culturally, this is kind of hard for Koreans maybe. Do you ever get the sense that it's bad form to disagree with your friends here?
Also, note that debates are not about diametrically opposed views. There are different types of debates (fact, value, and policy), but just imagine you're doing a policy debate, the whole thing is really about how the affirmative side makes their case, and the variations that the negative side wants to make.
| kardisa wrote: |
| I'm considering assigning them 1-2 topics at the end of each week's class so that they can prepare arguments for the following week. I've also thought about having them prepare conflicting arguments for the material (i.e. one student has to play devil's advocate). |
Time for research broadens the range of topics you can use. It's also good if they're younger and don't know much about the world. They can learn a bit about social / political / economic issues along the way. If they're willing to do the work and have adequate information literacy to be able to locate useful sources and mine them for arguments ... A big if ... |
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thegadfly
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 11:59 pm Post subject: |
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| alljokingaside wrote: |
Have the students form a circle. Equip them with drums, which they will use to produce a steady beat while they drone a monotonous drone. Instruct the class to get progressively louder with time. For a moment, cue the students to pause, while shouting out the names of the debaters. The student might become confused. It will be useful to instruct the remaining students to lovingly, yet firmly shove their bewildered classmate out into the center. (This probably will come naturally to many.) It is important to note that the comba...debater's hair and/or clothing should be a bit rumpled at this point. His demeanor should express something between horror and shock. (The proposition of potential English usage should suffice.) As the instructor, make a random pronouncement to the class. Arm motions should be large and sweeping. (It is also important to note that your head should be slightly tilted back, as if you've something in your throat. An extra plus if you can get that "I'm yawning, but trying to look fierce!" look. Think Tyra.) Have a student bring forth the Chalice of Suggestion (ie lime green plastic bowl), which will have scraps of paper written by the students on the subject of debate ideas. They will be illegible (of course) or uninteresting, so you will want to have one pre-packaged. Insert hand and grab paper. Look intent. Nod head several times in agreement. It should appear mysterious, yet oddly comforting. Procure and produce two "love sticks." Toss each by each debater's foot. Proclaim your idea (eg "Moon Pies are neither moon nor pies.") Produce a Chocopie. Throw it centerward. While walking away, laxly say "...aaaand GO." (Backs turned!) Have the students resume chanting and drumming.
Watch and enjoy! |
+11...'cause other amps only go to +10! |
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lovebug
Joined: 29 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 12:48 am Post subject: |
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i do a short intro lesson on the topic. i try to use really current and relevant topics. a great one to start with is the new initiatives in the states to actually pay kids for their grades. you can google Roland Fryer. i show a short cbs news video and we read an article about it.
especially if your students' levels are different, you can have them work on the pros and cons together. then assign a side and have them take time to prepare individually. perhaps you can spend time working with the lower level one while the other one does work on their own.
if they're doing this in one class, i'll supply other texts and websites for them to gather facts from. if it's over a few classes, they can research for homework. |
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