debating with teenagers to enhance critical thinking skills
DESCRIPTION
DEBATING WITH TEENAGERS TO ENHANCE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS. ->This presentation aims at sharing our experience of working with debates with teenagers in an EFL classroom. It focuses on the following issues: What a debate is, why it is a good idea to implement debates and how it is implementedTRANSCRIPT
“
Damelli – Fagúndez – Prieto
“Debating with teenagers to enhance
Critical Thinking Skills”
Big Event Montevideo ,26th , 27th September
Menu What ?
Why ?
How ?
“A formal discussion of a particular problem, subject, etc in which people express different opinions, and sometimes vote on them.”
By Longman Dictionary
● A discussion on a topic of interest between two teams that takes place in the classroom as the outcome of a learning process.
Why?
Promotes Critical Thinking Skills Students move forward into Depth of
Knowledge from LOTS to HOTS Enables students to develop both convergent
and divergent thinking Fosters cooperative learning Teacher is empowered to Integrate skills Promotes values
Integration of Skills
● Language as a real means of communication● Students` progress is tracked in the different
skills at the same time.● Content learning is enhanced.● Language, cognition and social awareness are
brought together.
How?
PLAN SUCCESS
● SELECTION OF THE TOPIC● RESEARCH● COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES● DEBATE TAKES PLACE
HOW TO SELECT THE TOPIC
Topic chosen democratically Topic should be controversial
Controversial question
● Facts: Should we lower the age of criminal liability?
● Values: Should gay couples be allowed to adopt?
● Policies: Are zoos the right place for animals?
How to do research
● Using different sources (authentic material)
- videos
- magazines
- newspapers
- wikis
- blogs
- podcasts
● Students do collaborative activities to share and discuss their findings.
USEFUL PHRASES FOR DEBATING
STATING YOUR ARGUMENTS:
• THE FIRST POINT WE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IS…
• OUR POSITION IS THE FOLLOWING…
• HERE’S THE MAIN POINT WE WANT TO MAKE
• WE’D LIKE TO DEAL WITH SOME POINTS HERE. FIRSTLY,
• WE BELIEVE/THINK/RECKON THAT…
ANSWERING TO THE OTHER SIDE’S POINT OF VIEW:
• I SEE YOUR POINT BUT WE THINK…• THAT’S ALL VERY INTERESTING BUT THE PROBLEM IS…• WE CAN SEE WHAT YOU’RE SAYING BUT WE BELIEVE…• WE THINK YOU’VE GOT A POINT THERE, NOW LET US
RESPOND TO IT.• THAT’S NOT QUITE RIGHT BECAUSE…• WE’D LIKE TO FOCUS ON …. THAT THE OTHER SIDE HAS NOT
MENTIONED.• SORRY, WE JUST HAVE TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR POINT
BECAUSE…• I MUST STRESS THAT OUR POINT HAS NOT BEEN REFUTED • BY THE OTHER SIDE.
SUMMING UP YOUR IDEAS:
• TO RECAP THE MAIN POINTS WE CAN SAY….
• LET’S SUM UP OUR POSITION IS THIS DEBATE…
• IN SUMMARY WE WANT TO POINT OUT…
• ALL IN ALL, WE CAN SAY THAT…
• ON BALANCE, WE BELIEVE THAT…
DEBATE DAY
RULES RUBRIC POSITION
Jury
Moderator
Speaker 1 Speaker 1
Team Leader
Speaker 2
Team Leader
Speaker 2
THE DEVELOPMENT
PRESENTATION OF THE POSITION AS A WHOLE – TEAM LEADERS
ARGUMENTS – REBUTTING
CONCLUSIONS - TEAM LEADERS
● Team Leader FOR (2 minutes)
● First Speaker FOR (3 minutes)
● Second Speaker FOR (3 minutes)
● Team Leader FOR (2 minutes)
● Team Leader AGAINST (2 minutes)
● First Speaker AGAINST (3 minutes)
● Second Speaker AGAINST (3 minutes)
● Team Leader AGAINST (2 minutes)
ROUNDING OFF
Students become better Critical thinkers and communicators.
Students improve social interactions. Students become more understanding and
sensible. Their voices are heard It is memorable. Helps students to become better citizens of the
Real World.
You can watch this video on :http://youtu.be/adxicfHXvMk.
● Using debates in the classroom provides students with the opportunity to explore real - world topics and issues. Debates also engage students through self-reflection and encourage them to learn from their peers. Finally, debates prepare students to be more comfortable engaging in dialogue related to their beliefs as well as areas of study. By participating in a debate team, students learn the art of persuasion. Students also benefit from the experience of speaking in public. In addition, debates increase students´ academic performance.
By Leuser, D. (n.d.). Classroom debates
Bibliography
● Burden, R; Williams M. “Psychology for language teachers” Cambridge University Press 2002.
● Harrington D. Lebeau C. Lubetsky M. “Discovery debate basic skills for supporting and refutting opinions” Language Solutions Inc. 2000
● Kolb D. Convergent and Divergent Thinking
● Snider a. “Debates as a method for improving critical thinking and creativity”. World Debate Institute, University of Vermont.
● Taller K. , Vogt S. “World school championships” 2003.
