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

The costs of white privileged forms of competition were that the quality and truth of arguments really didn’t matter, so when I wrote great arguments about racial issues, the techne and arugment strategies of the game allowed those arguments to be ignored or dismissed in the evaluation process. None of this was inviting to African American students interested in using debate as a training ground to become a better advocate for their desire to address the problems of the black community through logical, reasoned, advocacy training. So I struggled to make good on my promise to use debate as a tool of empowerment for African Americans.

Read more

Family First: The Value of Debate

Originally Posted – February 25, 2010 12:46pm

Atlanta, GA – After declining in popularity, high school and college debate teams are now making a comeback. Today, there is a new pool of young students who are learning to battle against each other using words and their wits and gaining important life skills along the way.

On the court and on the field, kids love to compete. And now on the intellectual front, a familiar type of competition – a contest of reasoning and persuasion that some kids misunderstand – is gaining popularity again.

“Before I got into debate, I thought it was for geeks,” 15-year old Hannah says.

Willie, 14, echoes those sentiments. “I thought you had to be a nerd or you were geeky or you weren’t cool [to debate].”

As it turns out, many students say it is cool to match wits and win an argument against other students. And while these students are having fun, they are also learning.

“Debate teaches us three things that we can use in almost any field we go into,” says Bill Newnam, associate director of debate for Emory University. “It teaches us incredible critical thinking skills, very good research skills and strong organizational and presentational skills.”

In fact, some studies show that teenagers who participate in organized debate for at least one year are able to significantly improve their critical thinking skills. And kids say that debating is training for the mind.

“It’s helped with my school work and my articulation skills,” Willie says. “I speak out more. I comprehend better.”

“In class, I used to not talk. I used to sit back in the corner, but now it’s like I know what I’m talking about so I talk more,” Hannah says.

Participating on a debate team also helps boost kids’ confidence and teaches them how to use words and ideas to resolve a conflict.

“Words are strong enough themselves. So if you speak what you think is right, people will accept or reject it,” Willie says.

In the past, competitive debate was mostly associated with students who attended private schools and came from affluent backgrounds. But the argumentative practice is now gaining popularity with students all across the United States, even those who attend inner-city schools. In fact, the Urban Debate League (UDL) says approximately 3,000 students take part in its nationwide program.

So why are more students choosing to exercise their minds by joining high school debate teams? According to a study conducted by Gary Alan Fine, author of Gifted Tongues: High School Debate and Adolescent Culture, the reasons for teens’ involvement in debate fall into three categories:

Strategic Involvement – Many students associate debate with the worlds of politics and law, and some who desire to follow these career paths say joining a debate team is a “logical choice.” Others join in an attempt to “beef up” their transcripts before applying to college.

Fun Experience – The number of students who join because “I always liked to argue” is considerable. These students find competitive debate both challenging and conducive to camaraderie.

Network Recruitment – Many students join a debate team because their friends are members. Others say that their parents, siblings or teachers whom they admire often influence their decision to try competitive debating.

Tips for Parents

The UDL says that because students involved in debate regularly engage in writing, information analysis, and in-depth library and Internet research, they often receive higher grades than non-debaters in high school and are more likely to continue on to post-secondary education.

A recent study published in the journal Communication Education lends further evidence to debate’s educational benefits. The study’s findings showed students who participated in organized debate for at least one year improved their critical thinking skills by 44 percent. If you want to encourage your teen to join a debate team, the Puget Sound Speech and Debate Association suggests informing him or her of these potential benefits of participation. Debating …

Offers preparation for leadership.

Provides for investigation and intensive analysis of significant contemporary problems.

Develops proficiency in critical thinking.

Emphasizes quality instruction.

Encourages student scholarship.

Develops the ability to make prompt, analytical responses.

Develops critical listening skills.

Develops proficiency in writing.

Encourages mature judgment.

Develops courage.

Encourages effective speech composition and delivery.

Develops social maturity.

Develops multicultural sensitivities.

Develops computer competencies.

Although the popularity of debate is rising, many schools do not have a debate program in place. The National PTA encourages parents to approach their children’s school administrators with concerns about student programs or the lack thereof. If your child’s school cannot provide a forum for debate, you can find information for student involvement in national or state high school debate programs by contacting the UDL or the National Forensic League.

References

Urban Debate League

Gifted Tongues:  High School Debate and Adolescent Culture

Communication Education

Puget Sound Speech and Debate Association

National PTA

National Forensic League

Related articles by Zemanta

• Duval UDL starts virtual debates on DebateHall.com (dudl.org)

Forensics is defined as competition in speech, debate and dramatic presentation, but it is really about the power of words to influence ideas, uncover higher truth, change minds, and for Tommie Lindsey’s students in room 408—change lives.

A Teacher with a Bigger Mission
Most of the students who participate in forensics at Logan High School are at-risk or come from troubled homes. Many of their performances are personal and sometimes painful. “A lot of kids have issues going on at home, and they escape those by coming to Forensics,” says Tommie. “You’ll see that they are hurting but they are not in a situation to know how to express that kind of hurt.”

Tommie Lindsey is available for speaking engagements across the country.

One student says, “Mr. Lindsey is such a father figure to everybody. He just puts out his heart and soul; he cares about his students. Whatever it takes to get a student to where they want to be, he will do it.”

The Conduct of Champions
Through Tommie’s dedication and coaching, students learn to draw on their personal experiences and unlock their potential. Tommie’s students have won four state titles and several national championships with cutting edge pieces about street life, race and discrimination. They regularly beat the country’s elite schools and most importantly, they beat the odds.

“People are amazed, because these kinds of kids aren’t supposed to be in forensics,” Tommie says. But he isn’t surprised. “I expect them to be champions and to conduct themselves that way, and they respond.”

An Outstanding Record
Although only 40 percent of students at Logan High School go on to four-year colleges, about 90 percent of Tommie’s forensics students do…to universities like Harvard, Yale and Berkeley! That kind of success rate has drawn students like Pierre to the program. He quit the football team when he learned that more Logan Forensics students go to college than football players. Pierre is now a senior and considered to be one of the best high school debaters in the country.

Despite the team’s accomplishments, Logan’s forensics funding was cut. Tommie often digs into his own wallet to keep his students competing. Tommie says, “I have always had a passion for kids who others believed just couldn’t do it.”

A former student says, “The effect years down the road is that he creates another powerhouse of a person, who can stand in front of anyone, speak about any subject with confidence.”

See what’s on the James Logan Forensics Team’s wish list!

For more information, please contact:
James Logan Forensics Team
1800 H Street
Union City, CA 94587
PH: 510-205-7089
FAX: 510-471-0514
E-mail: Tommie_Lindsey@Hotmail.com

For more information on Tommie Lindsey and the James Logan Forensics Team, visit www.pbs.org/accidentalhero.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Community Debate Banquet – MLK Week (dudl.org)
• the Us Drop Out Rate Presents Devastating Challenges for Young Black Males and the Nation’s Economy (dudl.org)

Duval UDL students tune into intense debate instruction

demonstration at Paxon Middle School from 10am-3pm on Saturday, November 14th. Local debaters will convene to debate this year’s national topic and present a plan for the following case, “The United States Federal Government should substantially increase benefits for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program.”

Sign up here if you are interested in attending or volunteering at this event.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Debate Tournament – Novice Rules (dudl.org)

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password: