My class and I are now working on our Winter Exhibition project focused on debate! When I first heard what this project was going to be about, I was a bit nervous. I had no idea how to do formal debate or any sort of debate at all. I also thought i would have a hard time remembering what to say while under pressure. I quickly learned that in this project there is nowhere to hide and you have to use your words to certain ea powerful debate without being rude or obnoxious.
Launch
To start, we watched The Great Debaters, a movie I actually really enjoyed. The story starts with a group of students who discover how powerful their voices can be when they learn to speak with confidence, and purpose. In class, we discussed the key themes and what debate meant for the students in the film. These conversations helped us think about our own learning intentions and the project’s driving question: “How can we use a formal debate to convince an audience of our perspective.”
What I know so far
From what we’ve learned already, debate is not just an argument. It’s a structured in a way of presenting ideas, listening carefully, and using strong reasoning to support a point of view. I’ve realized how important evidence, clear communication and being confident in your voice really is. A strength I think I already have is staying calm when I speak and being able to communicate my ideas in a straightforward way with out having to over complicate things. I also enjoy working with others, which I know will help when collaborating as a group.
My Learning Intentions & How They Connect to My VMV
My main learning intentions for this project come from the skills that will help me answer the driving question and connect to my VMV. In my VMV, I focus on becoming more confident, thoughtful, and willing to take on challenges. Debate fits perfectly with this because it requires all those things.
One of my intentions to push myself to take risks and not be afraid of failure. I will also come up with my own imaginative ideas before asking for help. Practising this will not only help me in the debate but also strengthen my critical thinking, which connects to becoming a more thoughtful learner. I also want to work on thinking on the spot. Being able to respond to arguments quickly will help me feel more confident in the moment. This supports my VMV because I want to grow as a communicator and push myself to be more confident sharing my ideas.