Archive for the ‘Debating’ Category

Teachers and parents of boys take note.. Gareth Malone’s series on ABC 1 is entertaining and revealing with many insights to be gained. Debating can have a huge influence in assisting boys at a time in primary school where their reading and writing skills are still developing and their thinking is soaring ahead.  For some, this disconnection leads to a serious rejection or withdrawal from reading, writing and school.

Not doing well with literacy reinforces the idea that the student isn’t very bright and may lead to some of the serious disenchantment we are seeing amongst boys in middle and high school.  Debating is a playful way to engage boys and develop literacy skills at the same time.

Gareth Malone’s BBC documentary series details these issues as it initiates a bold experiment to address them in novel ways.  In the first program on Jan 17, the boys are challenged by a debate with girls in their classes.  They love the idea of performing, they rise to the occassion and their self esteem is visibly raised just by participating. (They are too far behind initially to win)

In the second program you watch a young boy reveal how he doubts his intellegence because he can’t read very well.  Then you see that he avoids it and stops trying out of embarrassment and lack of hope. The lure of electronic games makes the whole situation worse.   Even the small intervention shown in the series makes a huge difference and turns a young life around.

Tune in next Tues Jan 31 at 9:30 pm to see if these adventurous approaches have paid off in higher reading performance by boys.  Seeing what happens in GOZONE DEBATING each year, I KNOW gains will be documented.

Gareth Malone’s Extraordinary School for Boys – ABC 1 9:30pm

First a huge thank you to Loreto-Nedlands Primary for hosting the Term 3 Inter-school debates.

We had 5 rooms of students debating this term!  We know the staff and students at Loreto put in a lot of extra work to get the rooms ready for us.  GOZONE Debating really appreciated everyone’s generosity.

We had our first Platinum award for 2011.  St Mary’s team Claudia Reedy, Liza Kneebone and Jess Cant argued the negative case  for the topic “The internet is too powerful”

Loreto Nedlands led the awards tally with 5 Gold team awards, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze.

Everyone stepped up in their skills this term, despite having to prepare the debates in a shorter time.   We saw bolder presentations, more eye contact, more rebuttal and great research.  Well done to all debaters.

 

 

Stand Out Debaters for 7 September 2011

Loreto-Nedlands:  Basil Cyril, Carl Zoller,  Daniel MacMillan, Lucy Gregory, Maddie Hanlin,  Ruth Burden, Siena Ellison and commendations to Sarah James, Eddie Havlat , William Hu and Euan MacMillan

Presbyterian Ladies College- Junior School:  Willow Hallager, Kate Curtis and a commendation to Leisl Lucern

St Hilda’s Anglican Girls School- Chidley Campus:  Charlotte Salem, Elina Lester

St Mary’s Anglican Girls School- Junior School: Claudia Reedy, Lily Stocks,  Liza Kneebone, Monique Skinner, Alice Walton and commendation to: Julia Garas.

 

 

Best Chairpersons for 7 September 2011

Monique Skinner, Meg Ralph, Euan MacMillan, Ruth Burden, Clemmie Smith

We can’t thank parents and teachers enough for all the support they give to our young debaters.  These are future skills we are developing.  We have a large number of very empowered young people, ready to speak out on things that matter in their futures.

I was so proud of everyone’s effort.

Lesli Grant, Owner/coach

GOZONE Debating

11 September 2011

Term 3 is the Breakthrough for learning debating.

• The first In-house you experience how it all works

• In your first Inter-school debate you face the terror of the unknown opponent…..sometimes a student just like yourself…at other times the master debater!!!  You might be shocked, laugh….you learn so much….

• In Term 3 you know what to expect and your preparation is better.  You know you need more facts, you practice until you can speak up loud without reading.  YOU WORK AS A TEAM- you’ve seen how much better it is to share and support each other.

Here are the new topics for Term 3.  Its so exciting to have so many wonderful resources on the internet to help with our research.

ABC Australia- Behind the News website:  SPECTACULAR interactive things are starting to appear.

A history of Africa map which updates before your eyes!

A water conservation game where you can learn about how water and land and people’s activities interact.  AMAZING

Japanese story templates for creating your own.

AND NOW FOR THE CHALLENGE:

GOZONE Debating Term 3 Debating Topics

Websites to get you started

1.  That manners are the secret advantage www.abc.net.au/btn Episode 16 20011- Good Manners

2.  The houses should be eco-friendly

http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/energy_audits/index.cfm/mytopic=11170-ideas How to reduce energy use by stopping energy loss.

http://www.solarengineeringservices.com/greenEnergy/energyAudit.php Perth company outlines areas to check energy use http://www.cheaphomedesigns.com/

3.  A bottle of water a day, keeps the doctor away

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/clark2.htm

Top 10 reasons for drinking water instead of soda

4.  That the internet is too powerful

www.abc.net.au/btn

Behind the News Episode 13 Digital Footprint 24 May 2011

Episode 12 Suppression orders 17 May 2011

Episode 32 Podcasting  18 November 2010

http://www.avaaz.org                                          

Work hard, have fun, take the BIG STEP UP

Lesli Grant

Coach

Don’t be daunted by the complexity of debating. Most people have argued with a parent over a purchase or how late you can stay out.

At primary level debating is good fun. Jump in and learn as you go. With the right attitude you engage their detective work, strategy and creativity. Real life has multiple answers!! Debating can set your student’s interest in learning on fire. What are the hot topics they care about?

Order GOZONE’S newly revised Level 1 Handbook for step by step debate construction.   A great guide for the essence of debating.

20% discount for class sets (this printing) Minimum 18 copies. Free copy for the teacher. ($15 each)

These are key steps to developing a debate:

• You think about the 2 (or more) sides to the issue- brainstorming ideas.
• next, there is some research -finding out about the facts and issues surrounding the topic.
• Teams take on an affirmative or negative point of view
• Each team member develops their part of the debate. This includes an introduction, definition, a few arguements, a theme and a conclusion. And of course REBUTTAL ! (question the other team’s arguments)
  Speaker 1,2 and 3 – affirmative and negative share the tasks
  Have a chairperson to oversee the debate, warm up the audience, introduce the topic and the speakers.
  (great opportunity for the would be comedians in your midst)
• Organise a time when other classes or parents and family members can come and watch.  If you have multiple debates, use two rooms at once to shorten the time needed.  Two debates will take about an hour.

Order your GOZONE  Debaters Handbooks now.  Use the order form under resources. We accept credit card payments or order numbers from schools in Australia. Postage is $10 per class set.

Add the Demonstration DVD for $20 with free postage. Free teachers guide. View an excerpt from the DVD below in an earlier post and under resources.

18 copies normally $270 now $216
20 copies normally $300 now $240
24 copies normally $360 now $288
28 copies normally $420 now $336

Have some fun with your students- jump into debating.

Is it a challenge to develop the writing skills for NAPLAN testing with the students you have? Do your talkative students have enough outlet for their talents? Need more action in your classroom?  Why not try some Debating?

Have a look at clips from the Debating DVD in the Resources area at the right.

For $20 you could be showing your students how debating works and helping them to build life long skills with their boundless energy!

When I started teaching debating to a large group of interactive, energetic boys, I found it was just what they needed to focus and motivate  them.  They had trouble concentrating in a small room with all this energy bottled up.  We found a larger space for an hour and worked in small 3 person teams.  We spread out  so that the noise was subdued but the energy was channelled into brainstorming ideas for arguing their cases and deciding who would take on the different speaker roles.

What was really wonderful is that even those with slow developing writing skills were able to jot down key words and phrases at first (spelling doesn’t matter).  All they need is to note their ideas so that they can remember them.  This frees up their creativity and works with their passion to have their say.

Once you get excited about the idea of arguing as a team about a topic, there is more reason to write and research ideas online and even talk it over with your parents!

Of course, the teacher is encouraging your interesting approach to the topic and respecting your thinking about it and you start believing you can.  ( I never met a student that couldn’t)  Yes, the logic may be flawed at first.  The arguments may be really inventive.

Some need more support, even someone to start them off by jotting down their best thoughts for them, but once the enthusiasm kicks in….with family, team and teacher support, a budding debater is born.

With GOZONE Debating Handbooks, the DVD and the debating template, you have the ingredients to get started.  You can have In-house debates, just in the classroom or you could invite parents or a younger class to watch.

THE SELF ESTEEM IT BUILDS IS AMAZING.

It will completely change your ideas about what students can achieve.

Lesli Grant

GOZONE Debating

Debating for Fun is a challenge that provides the motivation children need to move past their fears about research and writing.  Many children love having their say about things, being in the spotlight.  Why not use this natural enthusiasm to build thinking and writing skills?

If a full debate seems too daunting, why not start with panels on a topic of interest to children.  What are some local issues that students have ideas about?  In Western Australia earlier this year, a man camped in a tree for weeks, trying to save it from being cut down.  What are the stories in your community that might capture children’s imaginations?

The whole class can start with a brainstorm, dividing the issues into pro and con and neutral.  Be sure that you have people recording and capturing all these great ideas.  For a team of 6-8 children, each child takes one idea, finds out more, writes a short talk with an introduction, his or her idea and a conclusion.  The “panel” of experts does their presentations to the whole class.

Children with writing issues could possible just note dot points, key words to help them remember their talk.  They soon begin writing more, they can’t help themselves!  Palm card are also a great help.  Limit the number of words on one card.  Key words, written boldly- different colours can be used.  Drawings or symbols can be used as well.  I once had a very quiet child (that liked to draw) start by making signs.  It wasn’t long before she was saying her points alongside everyone else.

After the panel presentation, everyone can discuss which points seemed most convincing and why.  The group might “vote” on the issue.  This kind of practice is bound to help everyone improve on their exposition writing. …..even if you don’t use the big word.

If you haven’t tried debating yourself, you might think it would be hard to start using debating with your primary,  English or Social Science class.  What many children today are craving is more CHALLENGE.  Keep it fun and learn as you go.  Have a look at what these Year 5 and 6 students in Western Australia have achieved.

GOZONE Debating’s new instructional debating CD could provide a quantum shift in understanding and help all primary students to have a go at debating.  If you can see it done, it’s much easier to do it yourself.

With the assistance of  the 2009 Loreto-Nedlands Primary debating team and  film maker Ned Radov, everyone can now see what a  primary school debate looks like.  A good argument involves confident delivery as well as exciting content.

The CD includes 2 full demonstration debates.   You can watch  whole debates or view speakers individually in any order you choose.  Each debate takes about 20 min. to view.

>We would like to thank Radov Media and the administration, parents and Year 5 & 6 students at Loreto-Nedlands Primary School in 2009.

PLEASE POST your order using the form under resources  $20 includes postage.

Teaching guide to follow.  SORRY, THE FAX IS NOT CURRENTLY WORKING

Best Wishes to North Perth Primary

Students in Year 5, 6 and 7 for their

upcoming debate.

Remember to :

Make eye contact with the audience

Have a go at rebuttal

Be strong

Argue like you mean it

June 2010

Read the rest of this entry »

Congratulations to everyone who submitted a topic for the competition.  You may find a version of your topic appears in the debate topics for next year.

A double movie pass has been sent to the following students for their winning  topic suggestions.

The winning debate topics for the Term 4 Grand Final are:

That there should be an age restriction on U-Tube

- Alice White, St Hilda’s

That a social life is more important than academics

- Laura Waring, PLC 7

That the Olympic games are a waste of money

- Olivia Tan, St Hilda’s

That cities without nature are harmful to humans

- Lauren Jones, Loreto

The ZANIEST topic was submitted by Kayvan Gharbi, Loreto

That everyone in Australia should drive Hyundais

Be thankful all you HOLDEN or FORD fans that you don’t have to argue this in front of your family.

Happy debating for Term 4, Medals AND Certificates await your successful Grand Final debate.

Lesli Grant

Patricia Cameron-Hill the marvelous Australian public speaker was told at an early age ” Patricia……YOU CAN TALK“.  ( This usually means you are talking too much and should stop.)  At one of her workshops, Patricia relates that it took her a long time to realise that talking was a real talent in her case.  After years of nursing and teaching, she decided to take her “talking talent” seriously and is now part of a dynamic team offering inspiring seminars and talks.  I heard her speak more that 10 years ago and I still remember being inspired.

Personally I hope more Australian primary school students have the opportunity to participate in debating or public speaking.  Young people with the “talking talent” may have no idea what they can do with the energy and enthusiasm which they have for expressing themselves. Most will find parents and teachers reflect back that this is a problem to be minimised rather than a talent to be developed.

My premise is that providing an outlet and affirming this talent will allow students to develop this energy constructively.  Who knows, they may even be able to have more control over talking when it isn’t appropriate.

The future needs…comedians, television comperes, public speakers, lawyers, teachers, salepeople….and more comedians please.

Lesli Grant