Workshops provide students tools for success
Each year, students from across Dallas ISD participate in debate preparation. While debate students gather at the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance’s fall debate workshop for a full day of skill-building, topic understanding, and practice, fifth-grade students participate in an interactive debate workshop designed to build essential skills for debate.
The overall goal of these preparation sessions is to prepare students for competitive debate and public speaking, honing their confidence, communication, and critical thinking skills both at the workshop and on their home campuses.
Another goal is to equip coaches with the resources they need to bring what they learned back to their campuses and prepare for spring competitions.
This fall, over 350 students from 58 schools attended the annual 5th Grade Debate Workshop at E.D. Walker Middle School. The full-day event included a large-group introductory session in the morning to prepare students for smaller practice sessions in the afternoon. Thanks to a new partnership between the University of Texas at Dallas and DUDA, 234 district students from 22 high schools attended this fall’s workshop on the UTD campus.
At the Walker workshop, three lead presenters opened the day in a large group setting. Every student took part in a shared debate experience. Topics included Intro to Debate & Public Speaking Skills, How to Make an Argument, and Refutation & Reasoning.
The format encouraged participation, energy, and teamwork. It also laid the groundwork for students to learn the foundation of debate.
“The energy in the room was incredible. Students were eager to jump in and try debating for themselves,” said Michelle Read, Student Activities coordinator. “It was really wonderful to see our fifth graders building up their confidence and self-esteem,” she said.
The afternoon sessions allowed coaches to connect more deeply with their students and help them apply what they had learned in the morning in a hands-on way. Workshop leaders and coaches facilitated discussions on the topic students will competitively debate later in January: “Artificial Intelligence brings more good than harm.”
Following the discussion, students were able to begin the process of creating their very first affirmative speeches and engaging in practice sessions.
By the end of the day, students were able to deliver a full speech with all the core pieces of an argument: claims, evidence, and reasoning.
Seeing students collaborate, brainstorm with their debate teams, and deliver impassioned speeches about the main ideas highlighted the day’s immediate success.
“They had come so far in just one day,” said Jamile Bahra, workshop leader. “Their energy and enthusiasm showed how much students gained from this workshop experience,” Bahra said.
The first tournament takes place Jan. 31 and will center around the timely topic of Artificial Intelligence.
