Sample debate videos

Hi all,

Do take a look at these clips (extracted from a training video from the Debate Association Singapore) - if you don't have time to look through them all, you might want to just take a look at the relevant speaker's role that you are preparing for (click on the left/right selection buttons on the embedded video player). The format of the debate is closer to what we'll be doing, just that they have a lot more time with their speeches than you will.

If you are really short on time, I would advise you just take a look at the first video for examples of how Point of Information is offered at 3:30 and 5:45. She is actually first offered one at 2:05, but rejects that (and quite a few others) - take a look at how this is done rather fluidly.
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Motion: This House believes that the media has become too powerful.
Courtesy of the Debate Association (Singapore)

Debates #2: Dissecting the debate

Thanks to Mrs Albar for these slides.

These slides will serve as a good resource when preparing for your assessed debates (when complemented with the handouts you already have). I have attempted to convey the essence of it to you in class, but you may now take a look at them at your own pace.

Competition participation

Just a clarification about the Youth Writers Awards Asia 2010 and your annual competition requirement.

If you have already participated in an English Language/Literature competition this year (and are able to provide evidence for this), you will not be required to submit an entry for this competition.

You can check here if I currently have a record of your competition participation. If you still have a copy of your entry, you may forward it to me and tell me which competition it was used for. Otherwise, if you'd submitted the entry via the school, please let me know which competition it was and I will check it against our records.

Your competition participation (or lack thereof) will be submitted to the school at the end of the year.

Debate assessment clarification

Please take note of the rubrics for the debate attached to 'What adjudicators are looking for'. One will be used by me to assess each individual speaker (Debate Rubric, 25m), and the other will be used by the student judges to decide which group wins the debate (table with 'Chairperson:____________ near the top left).

The teachers are still in discussion whether or not to amend the assessment mark to include the team strategy component, but as previously stated, the emphasis is primarily (or solely) on your own performance.

In addition, for the three-speaker groups, the choice of having a reply speaker will be optional. The reply speaker's role is actually not as easy as it seems - he will have to condense the 6 previous speakers' points into a rather short summary, as well as explain why his team's case is stronger than the opponent team's.

As mentioned before, a speaker who chooses to double as a reply speaker will not be penalised if he performs poorly for one role.

Debates #1: In-class blog discussion

1) Visit this website - Preparing de bait

2) Select a preferred article and read it.

3) Write a 2-3 paragraph comment on the WordPress site as a response to it. Your response should carry a title (first line of comment) and make an argument regarding an element in the article. You are free to choose to go in any direction with this, but suggestions are listed under the 'tags' for each article. Avoid making a balanced viewpoint at this stage - you will need to leave some room for the next step.

4) Write a reply to an existing comment (click 'Reply' below the commentator's name to reference that comment), disagreeing with what was said. You should give examples or arguments to show why their viewpoint was incorrect.

p.s. WordPress seems to believe that all the RI Com Lab users are a single entity (probably due to IP address), so you are advised to write the comments out in Notepad/Word prior to posting.

Pre-debate admin instructions

1) As mentioned today, you will need to start forming your debate groups already. It is not confirmed that this will be your final debate assessment group (I have not yet received finalised instructions regarding this), but for the time being you should just assume that it will.

I will settle the groupings in the same way I did with the Social Advocacy ones - via email submission, first-come first-served. Since I am looking for 6x (groups of 3) and 2x (groups of 4), you might be asked to re-organise your group should the quota for either type be already met at the time of your submission.

I will probably post the groupings on this blog as well, and inform you if you need to re-organise your group.

2) In addition, please keep in mind that your Social Advocacy package is due this Friday. As you have been given much time to prepare this already, I will be stricter with applying the late penalty should it not have been submitted by Friday's last period. The package should include your final proposal, the group members' individual reflections, and any appendices you wish to attach (e.g. documented correspondence).

GEB Literature Seminar

Brochure (Link expires after a week)

The Gifted Education Branch is holding the annual Literature Seminar soon and our Secondary Two and Three students have been invited to attend, as well as showcase any projects or drama performances that they have.

The details are as follows:

Date: 29 August 2009
Time: 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Venue: Nanyang Girls' High School

If you are interested in attending or showcasing a project/performance, please let me know by this Wednesday.