PHASE 2 OF SUMMER DEBATE!! INTRODUCING VIRTUAL DEBATE LABS! OPEN REGISTRATION TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE DEBATE CAMP AUGUST 2ND – AUGUST 6TH AT RAINES HIGH SCHOOL. STUDENTS CAN ALSO BENEFIT FROM ONLINE DEBATE ACTIVITIES RIGHT AT HOME THROUGH AUGUST 20TH.

This year marks the first year for policy debate in high schools within Duval County. Join the great debaters as we make history! Free registration! The 2010 DUDL Summer Debate Institute is geared toward reviewing the fundamentals of debate, and then using that foundation to advance rhetorical theory and argumentation techniques for serious competitors. After completion of summer camp students will gain the confidence they need to succeed in any academic subject, any school debate, and any debate team competition. Students will also engage in online activities using various collaborative applications. The benefit of using virtual tools and applications is to foster synchronous and asynchronous sessions to reach students who may have challenges attending camp, enabling them to review materials, provide feedback, and ask feedback. Educators will be trained on using and assessing these types of tools in real time.

Small Group Learning Strategy & Practical Application

The 2010 DUDL Summer Debate Institute will challenge students to apply materials learned in daily instruction, online. We will set an agenda for each asynchronous/synchronous session. At the beginning of camp, students will know at a glance when each synchronous session is scheduled so they can make arrangements to participate. In addition, each session will have a specific agenda so that the discussion stays relevant to the national debate topic. Immediately following each mini-lecture, students will split up into small groups to strategize and put the materials discussed in the lecture into practice. After a presentation on the first affirmative and evidence, for example, students will break up in teams (of two) and be challenged to find flaws in the affirmative case presented within a limited time frame. Through instructor guidance, debaters will come up with winning strategic moves (in their words), which they can use in future debates. We envision an interactive, collaborative blackboard debaters can use for the remainder of schools year 2010-2011.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Summer camp debaters will have the opportunity to have practice debates and receive lengthy feedback on how to improve, and then deliver, speech “do-overs” the next day. We will watch all debaters carefully, drafting copious notes for improvement in each debater’s notebook. We will then challenge the debaters to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. Our aim is to see a progression of improvement by the time each debater leaves the institute.

Topic Lectures & Strategies

Our expert debate staff will teach students the art of refutation. From detailed lesson plans on effective delivery, to proper rebuttal, each student will take home a wealth of knowledge on how to successfully debate.

Online Communication Tools

Virtual tools make it easy for students to move past the classroom walls and connect with their peers around the world, as well as with experts in the fields they are studying. Access to our e-Learning applications give students an opportunity to experience learning in multiple ways, develop a public voice, and compare their own ideas with those of their peers.

National Debate Topic 2010-2011:

(2010–2011) Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially reduce its military and/or police presence in one or more of the following: South Korea, Japan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Turkey.

The camp will teach students how to:

• Structure an advanced argument strategy

• Back an argument with evidence

• Research evidence

• Understand and draft disadvantages, as well as answer them

• Write a persuasive case, as well as frontline arguments

• Draft a persuasive case

• Deliver a winning speech

• Refute the other team

• Use and answer stock issue arguments

• Take a winning flow techniques

• Use advanced pair-share techniques, and other partner strategies

• Use advanced cross-examination strategies

• Use e-Learning applications for home reinforcement throughout the year

CLICK FOR FULL SCHEDULE | REGISTER ONLINE

By Lisa Schemensky
The Forensics Community

Continuing from Part I: After reflecting on the impact Forensics has had on my life, and the benefits of Urban Debate brought to kids who otherwise would not know of Forensics, I get an inside perspective of The Duval Urban Debate League.

I learned of the Duval Urban Debate League (DUDL) while working on The Forensics Community’s Twitter account (@ForensicsFriend).  The DUDL (follow them @greatdebaters) had posted a story about a recent middle school tournament they had held and I retweeted.  What followed was an e-mail correspondence with Jermyn Shannon-El, Founder/Developer of the DUDL.  Like most, I did not know much about Urban Debate, however; I wanted to — particularly about a league so fresh and helpful to their community.  So I asked Jermyn a few questions about Urban Debate and the Duval UDL.  I hope you, the reader, finds his responses as enlightening as I did.

Lisa: Is the DUDL a member of the National Association of Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL)?  I am kind of making the assumption here that Urban Debate leagues across the country are all unified under that National group…

Jermyn: First of all, thank you for this wonderful opportunity to publicize the Duval UDL. I absolutely love the ForensicCommunity. During our inaugural year, our administrative staff, selected to organically grow the League to ensure DUDL met local and state requirements both academically and socially based on student/school/and district needs. We anticipate to become a member of the NAUDL next year. All urban debate leagues are not necessarily a part of the NAUDL, particularly in the South where policy debate is practically void at the secondary and post-secondary level.  [Note: Policy Debate is the main type of Debate practiced by the NAUDL, thus why the NAUDL is not a major factor of Southern Debate.]

Lisa: Is the DUDL strictly for middle schools?  If so, does it feed into a high school Urban Debate program?  And what is the success rate of middle schoolers who debate sticking with it in HS?

Jermyn: DUDL started out at the Middle School level (6-8) to meet the challenges most students face to stay in school. (continue reading under image to the right)

"The Duval Urban Debate League kicked off began as an in-school/after school program for 6th-8th grade students. The Leagues mission is to aggressively enhance the academic curriculum over a 5-6 year period. This is a critical stage for most students who transition from middle to high school. With seven middle schools in the first year, the League is poised to expand to an additional five middle schools and a minimum of five high schools next year in Duval County alone, in addition, we are processing two elementary schools. We developed our League to meet the five year strategic plan of the local school district and Florida state-wide Strategic Plan. We are currently developing a strong evaluation of the program not only based on where the students are, but where we hope they will be academically and socially as graduates in 2014. The majority of our schools this year are Turnaround Schools, though next year will not necessarily reflect such, we plan to expand to the feeder high schools of our targeted middle school debate teams." - says Jermyn Shannon-El, League Developer

Lisa: I read how your program’s “lesson plans are designed to enhance debate course work inside and outside of the classroom.”  This implies that the DUDL is not just an after school activity like most Forensics teams at schools (I apologize if I am wrong).  How does this program work?

Jermyn: The private-public partnership affords us the opportunity to introduce career education incentives for our debaters and debate coaches. It opens doors for professional development beyond the classroom. We use a variety of technology solutions and applications, such as VoiceThread and Google, to empower students, parents, and coaches with debate enhancement tools and lesson plans that are leveraged 24/7. The debate coaches that are educators go out of their way to incorporate these tools in their daily instruction to better prepare students for test, tournaments, and overall academic performance.

Lisa: So students sign up for debate and have competition on weekends?  How much like an after school class/activity is the DUDL?

Jermyn: Yes…we host student recruitment workshops once per quarter at each school to engage new and existing debaters in the program. Each month we host a policy debate tournament at a different site location to engage students, parents, and educators with a different learning experience at a middle or high school or diff college campus.  It follows the tradition of urban debate with After School activities and instruction, however we try as much as possible to engage novice debaters in public forums and community service learning projects

Lisa: I love the approach here and genuinely wish to know more about how the DUDL is integrated into the classroom/education system.

Jermyn: Thank you. It is definitely a work in progress with very high expectations from all involved. Debate has been strategic in rallying the entire community of Jacksonville around higher learning activities for all youth.

Lisa: What qualifies a school or student access to use of the DUDL’s resources?

Jermyn: Nothing more than a special interest in in speech and debate at the secondary or post-secondary school or district level. They can visit our website at www.dudl.org to sign up as a student, school, volunteer, or donor.

Lisa: How many schools are involved?  Also, on the DUDL site student membership is listed around 150; is that number still true?

Jermyn: We currently have about 100 registered and active members and roughly 15 schools going into the Summer.

Lisa: What can people do to help their local Urban Debate League…or even start one?

Jermyn: Our initial goal in developing a successful, fully-engaged debate program is to get the support and commitment from the District, Principals, and Parents during initial registration. We visit all entities to carefully explain the program and to have participation/consent forms  from all parties involved. We then set up a fund development strategy for each school and a “train-the-trainer” program with ongoing professional development for the debate coaches and educators involved. For interested parties who wish to sign up, they can simply visit DUDL online to complete the form here.

Summary

It is because of leagues like the Duval Urban Debate League and the people behind them that young people in America are given a chance. The frustrations caused by those in control’s desire between wanting to provide for students and their inability to do so is endless.  Yet, not one person or practice can be accused.  Blame No Child Left Behind’s failures, the Economy, poverty, a focus on teaching towards a test instead of a general enrichment of intelligence, misappropriation of funds, lack of focus on the arts, and so on.  The simple truth is funding cannot be relied upon, nor is funding alone enough to create a solid league – or school system even. What can be counted upon are the people behind the league. The dedication, passion, and will they possess is inspiring.  Without Debate and Speech fighters like Jermyn, battling for those without a voice, for kids who never dreamed they could even find a whisper, nothing would get accomplished.  The Duval Urban Debate League would not exist;  nor would the National Association for Urban Debate League have such a presence.  The first Urban Debate League in Atlanta could never be.

But they do.  Because there are dreamers and those with compassion willing to sacrifice.  To endure. To grow.

Works Cited

Shannon-El, Jermyn (follow on Facebook). Personal Interview. 13 May 2010.

We invite you to join us for one to three weeks of intense debate instruction at the Summer Debate Institute 2010. The final week of one-to-one instruction will take place at William M. Raines High School, 3663 Raines High School, Jacksonville, Florida.

Students can sign up for FREE OPEN REGISTRATION FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN DUVAL COUNTY.  In addition to one-on-one and collaborative debate instruction found at most debate institutes, such as theory lectures, lab work, and community debate forums, the Duval UDL will places special emphasis on digital literacy, civic engagement, and service learning.  Debate participants will have a wonderful opportunity to learn from many of the top debate coaches from across the country and to develop a personal debate portfolio to enhance their college and career opportunities.

The staff of the debate leadership institute possess highly diverse skill sets.  Dynamic educators in English, Language Arts, and History will join us to offer a variety of perspectives on debate. More important, staff for the institute are selected with particular attention to their instructional abilities in addition to highly competitive debate accomplishments.   Students from previous years remain in close contact with each other and with their lab leaders.

I hope that you will choose to join us this summer at Paxon Middle School beginning Friday, July 19th, 2010. Please complete the form below to get started. Please bear in mind that the Duval Ur­ban Debate League works hard to fundraise to support scholarships for stu­dents in Duval County. Each scholarship is valued at $1000. If, for any reason, you are un­able to attend, please let us know as soon as possible so that another student has the chance to take advantage of this opportunity.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions.

Sincerely yours,

Duval UDL Administration / Community Debate Council
info@dudl.org | 904-419-3211

REGISTER BELOW

My involvement in Forensics Debate began when I was a Sophomore in high school. Being rubbish at acting, and unable to get cast in a play, I decided to join my school’s Speech Team.  I had several friends who were active members in both Speech and Theatre. They enjoyed Speech. Could not quite explain to me what it was (“competitive speaking and acting…sort of”), but their obvious jovial nature aroused when speaking of Forensics was plenty to transform me into a Speech Kid.

Three years later I qualified to compete at Sectionals, was a Team Captain, and had sharpened my acting/analysis skills so I was successful in high school drama. Despite some strain on the team my Senior year, I loved the experience. Even my decision to attend Bradley University was influenced by the knowledge that if I continued involvement in Forensics I would be competing on one of the Nation’s strongest teams.

Although I might not have joined Bradley’s Speech Team, opting instead to pursue my dream of obtaining a Minor in Theatre, Forensics has been a constant source of growth, development, and confidence since when I entered my first round to perform a scene from Alice in Wonderland. I could not imagine having not been in Speech. Where would I be? Who would I be? If people truly are a composition of their past experiences and what was learned through them, I doubt I would be who and where I am now. Frightening. It is impossible to know how a lack of Speech would have transformed my life. What is possible to measure is the positive influence it has had. Every student should be so fortunate.

But the fact is they are not. I have no idea the scale of high school’s with Forensic or Debate teams. With The National Forensic League, at least one State run Speech and Debate League per State, and there exist various other leagues as well, Forensics is strong. Yet, there are still an enormous amount of students without access to Forensics. Especially with the current economy, school’s are being forced to make challenging decisions to cut “unnecessary” programs. And Speech and Debate can become expensive with travel costs. Couple that with a small program and disaster occurs.

There are sources of good though. Educators and Forensics alum know of Speech and Debate’s benefits. So much so that there are independent organizations that exist to provide students with access to Forensics. For instance the National Association of Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL) is a network of Urban Debate Leagues across the country. Started in 1997, or 1985 if including the first Urban Debate League ever from Atlanta, the NAUDL recognizes Debate’s importance for students. Debate has been linked to a higher GPA, a higher chance of attending college, a lesser chance of dropping out of high school, increased communication skills, improved analytical and critical-thinking skills, more confidence/motivation/community awareness, et cetera for most students who participate (Urban Debate Value). As you read there are currently over five-hundred high schools which are part of the NAUDL. The number continues to grow with newly formed Urban Debate Leagues across the country.

Leagues like The Duval Urban Debate League (DUDL) of Jacksonville, Florida. The DUDL is “a public-private partnership operated by the Duval Urban Debate League Community Debate Council…a private group of civic and business leaders, and [the] Duval County Public Schools”. The goal can be simply stated: provide a league and activity that can help a child achieve both character and educational development. The means to do so are not so easy. Finding backers to fund the League, train and organize teachers and parents to operate tournaments, teach educators and adults how to Coach Debate, getting the community and students involved, integrating a Debate course into the curriculum, and so on.  Forming an Urban Debate League is NOT an undertaking for the weak. Yet, the Duval Urban Debate League has not succumbed and is a growing League after only being formed in September of the 2009-2010 school year.

Jermyn Shannon-El leads next wave of Great Debaters

I have been fortunate enough to be able to speak with a leader of the Duval UDL, Jermyn Shannon El.  More of this in Part II.

Thus concludes Part I.  Stay posted for the release of Part II.

Works Cited:

“About.” dudl.org. Duval Urban Debate League, n.d. Web. 25 May 2010.

“Urban Debate Value.” urbandebate.org. National Association of Urban Debate Leagues, n.d. Web. 25 May 2010.

Debate competition didn’t introduce Eugene Butler Middle School eighth-grader Davon Bostick to the skill of arguing – that’s something he already knew.

“I’ve always been good at that,” Davon said. “I’m always getting into it with my sister, so that was the easy part.”

The hard part was learning the art of research and the how to apply facts and history to his arguments. And learning those skills has helped Davon become a better debate participant and student.

Northwestern Middle School brings home the goal after an intense final debate round against Ribault Middle Debate Team. Support the urban debate movement!

“Debate helps me better with research classes such as science,” he said. “While we’re doing the science fair, it’s easier for me to research topics.”

That’s the whole point of the Duval Urban Debate League, to help students master research and improve their academics. The league held its first championship Saturday at the University of North Florida.

Davon and 29 other students from five middle schools put forth their best affirmative and negative arguments on whether “the United States federal government should substantially increase social services for persons living in poverty in the United States.”

That was the 2009-10 resolution selected by the National Federation of State High School Associations and debated by all students in the country.

Read more >  http://bit.ly/dqrGfw

Created to enrich the academic experience for Duval County Public Schools’ students through debate, the Duval UDL is especially interested in students with untapped potential, who are disengaged from the contemporary classroom setting.  Although debate is not an entirely new phenomenon,  it is a powerful venue to encourage critical thinking, confidence, personal expression and tolerance for the opinions of others among our youth.

“Our young debaters can’t seem to surprise me enough! Their confidence, performance, and passion for speech and policy debate is a clear indication that Jacksonville will deliver national contenders in a few years. This last event was a tremendous showing for what’s in store when you raise the expectations and provide students with variants in learning,” said Jermyn Shannon El, DUDL Developer.

More information about the event, click here >

The purpose of the Community Debate Forum is to create dialogue around the holistic development of urban youth and the importance of a global education.

Two main themes of the event will touch on each point, as follows:

1. Brenda Priestly-Jackson, keynote speaker, will highlight the future of education and how the community-at-large must alter our perspective on life to create effective change. Mrs. Priestly-Jackson will give us a snap shot of what education looks like in 2020.
2. The panel will consists of various key figure heads who will share the significant roles they play in state and local government, as well as their perspective on the benefits of social services. On the other side of the panel, we have the Great Debaters, the majority of which are the recipients of social services.  Their role will be to discuss how debate has afforded them to analyze the Cons/Negatives of social services.

Click here for more details >

Jacksonville, Florida – Novice debaters Maia Ambrister and team mate Ebonee Maxey kept their winning streak alive at the first Duval Urban Policy Debate Competition at Florida State College of Jacksonville (FSCJ) this past weekend, just edging out Butler Middle Debate Team, Adrian Lord and Leroy Harrison III who took home the 2nd place trophy.

Twelve teams went head-to-head for three rounds of policy debate on the topic “the federal government should increase funding for Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (food stamps) for persons living in poverty in the United States”.

The tournament featured 6 schools from around the inner city of Jacksonville.

“Our young debaters can’t seem to surprise me enough. Their confidence, performance, and passion for is a clear indication that Jacksonville will deliver national contenders in a few years. This last event was a tremendous showing for what’s in store when you raise the expectations and provide students with variants in learning,” said Jermyn Shannon El, DUDL Developer.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Urban Debaters Take the Infinite Scholar and Career Challenge! (dudl.org)