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In high schools across the country there is a growing belief that debate-based pedagogies improve academic achievement and civility, encouraging students to think critically, construct compelling arguments and engage in reasoned discourse.
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00:08You really have to meet students where they are.
00:10Is that question, are we ready to go?
00:13Yes, yes, yes.
00:14In Debate Inspired Classroom, students are able to say why they think a thing
00:18and then explain how they got there.
00:21Is Ellie the same person on the same, okay, prove it to me.
00:27I've seen higher engagement.
00:28I've seen really amazing critical discussion.
00:31To sit in a class with a teacher at the front is very tedious.
00:35How do you know this? You don't have statistics on that?
00:38Yes, I actually do have statistics on that.
00:40Okay, let's see.
00:42A major challenge for teachers using Debate techniques
00:46is the fear of losing control over the classroom.
00:50At first, you're kind of like, I don't think I can really do this that well.
00:53We also have to think about context here.
00:56Admittedly, this is not easy.
00:58The first goal is to get them to talk.
01:01Do you think Elena was trying to replace Izzy with Pearl?
01:05I get to actually speak and actually participate.
01:09That everybody loves.
01:11We always have to get evidence for both sides before we actually debate.
01:14No, no, no.
01:15No, no, no, no.
01:16Schools are not the only influence on our democracy, but they're an important one.
01:21We as teachers are creating the next voters, the next citizens.
01:26It's a lot of pressure, honestly.
01:28Debate equals a better democracy.
01:30If you're not ready to see other people's perspective, then it's going to be harder for you to leave in
01:36America.
01:37Debate equals civility.
01:40Debate equals a better society.
01:41Debate equals a better society.
01:51Oh, Jake, are you going to cook the stuff you want?
01:54Alright, get yourself CLPor.
01:55All right, all right, yes, this is my stuff, this is my stuff, this is my stuff, I like to
02:04argue, I like to argue, I like to argue, I love arguing, tell me some negative stereotypes associated with arguing,
02:14toxic, toxic, toxic, problematic, problematic, problematic, you got a lot of fights, a lot of fights, what's some good things
02:22associated with arguing, what'd you say?
02:24Better communication, getting to see the other person's point of view, getting to see the other person's point of view,
02:30give me three main points of an argument, let's go Morgan, claim, the claim, what's the claim Morgan, it's like
02:39your point in the argument, absolutely right, your evidence, evidence, that'll be the second part, reasoning, the reasoning, right, what
02:47is the reasoning, basically to sum up like the claim, the evidence, how it goes hand in hand, you hit
02:53it right,
02:54right, right, right, or another, a claim, the statement that brings awareness to a problem, right, evidence, the scientific data
03:01and detail that supports your claim, and reasoning, the justification that links the claim is supported evidence.
03:12What is it about this that resonates with you?
03:15There's not a wrong answer, unless you can't back it up.
03:19Focus on the angle, and that adjacent side, and what happens.
03:25Oh, with the smaller angle, we have a higher answer.
03:30All right.
03:30In debate-inspired classroom, students are able to say why they think a thing, and then explain how they got
03:36there.
03:36What kind of resistance would you call that?
03:39Conformist.
03:39Yeah, tell me about conformist.
03:41Because it says, you want to...
03:42They're researching topics, they're learning to question materials, question one another.
03:47If that's the case, why let him out if he knows he did something wrong?
03:51People that have power tend to, like, use their power excessively, or, like...
03:55It's really about an approach to learning and to instruction that centers student voice,
04:03and student collaboration, where students are leading and learning from each other,
04:06and having agency in their learning process.
04:10But what if a hacker did break in?
04:12Whenever you engender the opportunity for students to think critically,
04:16and to go back and forth and wrestle with the material,
04:19you're really taking them to, in my opinion, the highest levels of learning.
04:35There's a lot of data that suggests when students are actually engaged in talking about the issues
04:41and deliberating and debating those issues,
04:43they retain the information better than if they had just been lectured to.
04:47I served as a classroom teacher, and we spend a lot of time putting those lessons together,
04:53and the last thing you want is to walk into a classroom
04:55and have students not be actively engaged in the learning and the stories
04:59or the lesson that you're presenting.
05:02Okay, that was a great discussion.
05:03When I first visited schools and doing the research for my book,
05:07I looked at classrooms where debate center instruction was being used.
05:12There was a buzz.
05:14Everybody was talking, they were chattering, the place was alive,
05:16everybody was excited.
05:18To me, that just says it all.
05:20I don't need a sophisticated statistical test to tell me whether or not this works.
05:24You can see it with your own eyes.
05:26People always get what they deserve for their actions, whether bad or good.
05:33Student-led conversations, it is highly engaging.
05:38Everybody that does something bad, they don't necessarily always give what they deserve.
05:43Great example, Emmett Till.
05:44The white woman who accused 14-year-old Emmett Till of whistling at her and making sexual advances has died.
05:52She lived 80-plus years, and she just literally got a boy and he lost his life.
05:58We live in America, like, let's talk about things.
06:00I've seen higher engagement.
06:01I've seen really amazing critical discussion, and that's all I could hope for, really.
06:08Time, like, she didn't live no happy life.
06:10She was in hiding, couldn't really go nowhere.
06:12Our kids need to be engaged.
06:14We know they learn more from each other than they do from the teacher in the room.
06:17The karma that she got wasn't really karma.
06:19It was just, it was, like, a natural occurrence that happened.
06:22Deeper student engagement happens when we give them the room and the space to be active participants.
06:29You mentioned the STR analysis, right?
06:31But also to be the folks leading the decisions around, you know, how we express our ideas,
06:38what type of curriculum we select and teach, and what is really important for them instead of what is important
06:45for us.
06:46You ask teachers, what do they want?
06:48They want to know that their kids are excited about learning.
06:52This will make their kids excited about going to school.
06:54And what teacher doesn't want that?
06:57You really have to meet students where they are.
07:00Are you all ready?
07:03Ready?
07:04Clap it up! Let's go!
07:06There's a direct correlation between hip-hop and poetry.
07:10Students had to analyze poems and look for literary devices in hip-hop.
07:16Zaire Bang is going to debate ICANN by Nas.
07:20Students are primarily arguing that the hip-hop song that they selected is the greatest of all time.
07:26Students are participating.
07:28They're eager to participate.
07:29And most importantly, they're having fun while they're learning.
07:33How do you learn if you don't have statistics on that?
07:35Yes, I actually do have statistics on that.
07:37Okay, let's see.
07:39All of a sudden, they have a light bulb moment or an epiphany, and then you start to see them
07:45transform in the classroom.
07:47The theme is empowerment, and racism falls under that category of how...
07:51Students are on an equal playing field, engaging with other points of view.
08:05I think if it were not a debate-inspired classroom, you'd see a lot more of me up at the
08:12front doing sort of direct lecturing.
08:15And I don't know that you would see as much student engagement.
08:18This is kind of pressure.
08:19To sit in a class with a teacher at the front is very tedious, and you don't really feel as
08:25connected to the topic as when you're debating with others.
08:28Yeah, biases of a certain person...
08:30It flips the structure of the classroom so that they are doing most of the talking and not me.
08:35I think when they're talking is when they're actually learning. It's not when I'm talking.
08:40If you think about the word slandering, it's technically the same thing as devaluation, because if you're slandering somebody, you're
08:47pretty much saying they're less than whatever it is that they are.
08:50This model really amplifies student voice and has students really leading the conversations in the classroom.
08:57One of the major differences from the purpose of education in the past and now is in the past was
09:04actually for accessing information through the teacher.
09:07The interest equals the principal times the rate times the time. The interest equals the principal...
09:13The traditional method of teaching is what we call sage on the stage.
09:16Teacher knows everything, delivers it to all the students, and they're supposed to absorb it all, and then regurgitate it
09:23on a test.
09:23On page 15 of your books, the first three problems are exactly like number one on the test.
09:29There's still far too much sage on the stage or stand and deliver type instruction, and I get it.
09:35I was a teacher. Sometimes you just have to give students information and test their knowledge around it.
09:41But I would challenge teachers to really think about how do you create more opportunities
09:45for authentic engagement in the classroom.
09:48Now, what did you want to ask the inner circle?
09:50That is what debate-centered instruction does.
09:52It's not far from where schools currently are. There's just a crucial kind of shift.
10:05Chicago Public Schools is the fourth largest school district in the country.
10:10660 schools, over 300,000 students, and students who come from a variety of diverse backgrounds.
10:22King College Prep is kind of a beacon of hope on the south side of Chicago.
10:28It serves as a destination for many students, largely African-American, who tested in, that
10:34have demonstrated that they have a certain skill set, and also want access to a rigorous
10:39college preparatory education.
10:41Do you think the city handles it well? If they do not, what do you think the proper response
10:45could be?
10:46They're serving students on the south side who face many challenges. You know, there are
10:50some students who are homeless. Many of the students come from low-income backgrounds, and
10:56they are persevering.
10:59Just an abundance of statistics about the disparities in educational achievement that
11:05were very much related to income. You can use these principles to help eliminate these
11:10gaps, or at least close these gaps in learning and achievement.
11:14Striving is consuming gasoline. Yeah, go for it.
11:17I need a lifeline. Alright, I need a lifeline. This was awesome. Good job. Congrats.
11:24People have to have passion. It's important to live your life with passion. In high school,
11:34I ran for sophomore student class president, and I gave a speech that was rousing and had
11:40all of my peers chanting my name and clapping and real riled up. My peers responded to me because
11:47of the feeling that I was expressing. And it was genuine. And it resonated with them.
11:56Teachers and educators should work with passion.
11:59They should go to school every day feeling inspired themselves.
12:04Are we ready to go? Yes, yes, yes.
12:07I was really ready to retire. Teaching was really kind of miserable. This is so much better for the
12:13students because they collaborate more, share more, and they're really looking at the evidence.
12:18We also have to think about context here. The people that are banning these books are mainly
12:22conservatives. A major challenge for teachers using debate techniques is the teacher's fear of losing
12:31authority or control over the classroom. So why are they taking away the books that are
12:35actually appealing to students? They're taking away what they want to learn. Classrooms have been about
12:40control. When you ask people to debate and bring up different topics, teachers lose the one thing that
12:45they have control over. It's a way to capture student voice and to create a space for the teacher to
12:52learn.
12:52from the student. Show vulnerability, which is what we're asking our students to do every day when
12:57they show up in the classrooms. Now the teacher is a student in their own classroom. You have 29 other
13:04experts bringing their experiences into that setting, sharing with each other, pushing towards a new
13:11level of innovation. Instead of it being rote memory, you're actually developing ideas in real time.
13:17You all demonstrated that you are highly skilled in leading instruction in this
13:22classroom. The teacher is assisting the kids in the process of learning. So it's a different skill set.
13:29Now, admittedly, this is not easy.
13:41The work of the teachers is really complex and we believe that we need to support them
13:47and give them opportunities to learn these strategies, to apply them.
13:51Um, developing their ability to use scientific reasoning to just...
13:56So what Les is doing is taking the principles of competitive debate and try to implant them
14:01in the classroom environment. I think this is another opportunity for the students to consider
14:10the counterargument. Les Lynn is so supportive. Like at first you're kind of like, I don't think I can
14:15really do this that well, but he's in there. He's in there helping you. He's in there helping the students
14:21and he's just so available. Teachers will be honest with me. If it's hot garbage, they are going to say,
14:27you know what? Nope, I can't do this. This is too much work. Did you guys actually meet and discuss
14:31it?
14:31Les remembers what it's like to be a teacher and remembers that we don't want to be bothered with
14:37more work. Argument-centered instruction requires a little more planning for teachers and also
14:44preparation on the students' end. But I think once that is done and those pieces fall into place,
14:50as teachers we get to step back and watch the magic happen. You lay awake all night and you're
14:55dreaming about what's dangerous. Some teachers are overburdened. They're underpaid. They don't feel
15:05the need to go the extra mile to improve their own situation. So that's the challenge. We're going to
15:12get to every teacher in every classroom we can. And if that's not 100%, we're not going to despair.
15:19We're not going to give up. The gratefulness that I have, that I get to have these teaching and
15:24learning experiences. Like I said, I was ready to go. And then I'm here every day enthusiastic about
15:29what I get to do with students in the classroom. Using argument-centered education in order to
15:36facilitate students speaking to each other has been transformed. I can't say enough of how he's a
15:42legitimate partner and he's supportive. Oh my God, I'm getting emotional. He's just great. He's been really great.
15:57When people think of debate, they think
15:59of the competitive environment. Debate clubs attract students that want to compete.
16:06It's become hyper-competitive. Some of the champion debaters talk at 350 to 400 words a minute.
16:20It's all about winning. It's not about learning. And the point is for them to get as many arguments
16:28out there as possible to prevent the other side from being able to refute all those arguments that
16:33are tossed out there on the table. I believe has become too competitive. You can use the techniques
16:40that are used in the competitive environment as a way to teach kids in a non-competitive way.
16:46There's not a winner or a loser. It's where everybody's winning. It's a positive sum. And that's
16:50what debate-centered instruction does. Traditionally, competitive debate has attracted a very small
16:58percentage of students and they tend to be students of privilege. I ran competitive debate leagues and
17:04and programs. And what I found was that those programs only affect about one to two percent of
17:11a school's student population. With argument-centered instruction, you can affect and do affect every
17:18student in a school. So I didn't want to begin until we all have both poems. The current unit Unheard
17:29Voices Through Poetry, we made sure to pull poems from different topics, genres. They have read poetry
17:35from those who are incarcerated. And they had to create the argument that that poem more convincingly
17:41shows how the poet found hope or salvage or refuge in prison to keep themselves going.
17:47If you have nothing, you have to make something. That's the whole point of this. Making something out
17:55of what you have there and finding hope. Scholars, are we ready to go?
18:04Today we're doing a mock trial on whether Steve Harmon is guilty based off what's happening in the book
18:09Monster. The conclusion to be drawn from this passage is quite clear. For these reasons, we ask that you
18:15we find Steve Harmon guilty of being an accomplice to the murder of Olin Guadal-Nesbit.
18:20I'm asking the students to take a book that we've read and instead of just reenacting the story
18:25itself, I'm asking them to take on a new trial. And they are the ones that had to come up
18:31with the
18:31claims as to why Steve Harmon is innocent or why Steve Harmon is guilty.
18:35I've started looking at it differently now and thinking that maybe he is guilty. I just love
18:41this class and I've always loved English, but she makes me love it more.
18:45When they are talking to each other about evidence, about ideas, and they're questioning each other as
18:51to how valid those ideas are, where and how can we use this evidence, that's the joy of teaching.
19:08This is an age-old debate about which strategy was more effective for the rights of black people,
19:15civil disobedience or a more militant approach. Each group had to argue both sides.
19:20The militant approach can lead to unexpected backlash. The threat of violence can lead to a
19:25response to violence. There has to be some type of violence or rebellion to be put in place in
19:30order for our nations or just our people as a whole to be able to have the rights and freedom
19:35that we
19:35deserve. It's a way to sort of get them to be critical on each side of the issue and to
19:40articulate
19:41and frame their thoughts in that manner. We always have to get evidence for both sides before we actually
19:46debate because you have to make sure that you're not like biased on one point. Most of the teachers
19:51have used claim evidence and reasoning, but we didn't have that added debate format and now you're
19:58you know, bolstering that with the engagement of the debate. Kudos, clap it up. Good work, good work.
20:27Boston Debate League, we're almost 20 years old. We are an educational nonprofit that uses debate as a tool. So
20:33our vision is that all
20:35young people in Boston are engaged in critical discourse, informed by evidence. They both have
20:41a segmented body. Exactly. That's what we want our evidence to sound like. What we try to do is support
20:46students in developing their critical thinking. So with a lot of our activities, we ask students to look
20:52at what's presented to them and then make sense of it to then develop an argument. The best thing is
20:59when a
21:00teacher comes into this like, and then they see something happen. Oh, she found it. There it is. It's like
21:12now I see
21:13how much students can do if you are patient and believe in their ability to engage at a really high
21:22level. Good, good, good.
21:23Thank you. One of the exciting moments for me is when I get a teacher saying, how do I incorporate
21:31a full debate into this topic that I'm teaching versus the other way around, where I as the coach,
21:37who's technically almost like selling it to them, trying to get them to see the value in these activities
21:44when they see it versus like another initiative that comes into a school and you just have to sort
21:50of trudge along and get it done. At the beginning of the year is a little bit difficult. It wasn't
21:57quite
21:57as easy to get them to just start talking or to really care about the text, but now that we've
22:04done
22:04it many times, they've practiced. She just wants what's best for her, but she's not really doing
22:09a good job at it. They really feed off of each other's energy and feed off of each other's questions.
22:15Do you think Elena was trying to replace Izzy with Pearl? I don't feel that Elena would do
22:21that kind of thing to try and abandon her own daughter, but rather she's just very invested
22:26in the life of Mia and Pearl. We do a cycle of coaching that involves planning with the teacher,
22:34getting into the classroom to support and observe, and then debriefing. What did we learn? What did the
22:40students learn? What can we think about then for next time for the next planning? It's always great
22:45to have Marisa be here during the lesson. She can come up with ideas in the moment. She can also
22:51check
22:51in with the groups because obviously during a mini debate, there's a lot of conversations happening
22:56and you can't observe all of them. You're explaining what the exoskeletons are.
23:06They're planning a lesson. We'll say, what are you trying to teach? What are you trying to accomplish?
23:11Okay, let's think about what we can do. Do students, are they struggling with evidence right
23:15now? So we might do an evidence sort. Are they struggling with building a complete argument?
23:20If they are, we might do a class challenge where they're in groups, they're building the strongest
23:24argument. And then we'll observe that teacher teaching the lesson, and then we'll follow it
23:30with some feedback. We'll debrief that lesson. So it really is a full coaching cycle in which teachers
23:35get to plan, be observed, and then get some feedback. And that's powerful for teachers. I was a classroom
23:41teacher. I didn't get that. What we're going to do today is we're going to keep practicing the four
23:47models of resistance that we were talking about this week. I work with Melanie Shea. Melanie from the
23:53beginning understood the idea of what we were trying to do and why. I saw you reading it,
23:59and then you hit a part and you go, oh, transformational, right? So I want you to
24:03underline that piece that kind of like set that light bulb off in your head. One of the things that
24:08we like to do as we coach teachers is point out the things that a teacher might not have seen
24:13in the
24:13moment. I was thinking about today's class and that little paragraph I wrote about giving students
24:21their voice. What did you think about that? Teachers are interrogating their practice through this
24:26program and really looking at, hmm, is there another way that I can increase student voice
24:31in this classroom? My goal this year was like, get more kids talking. And that's happened, but they,
24:37some, a lot of times it can be a struggle to get them to talk with each other and not
24:41through me.
24:42She even has something that she says in her class, which is like, bring the heat with love. So students
24:48understand that getting, you know, really into it with each other and saying what they really think
24:54and feel, but with love to each other is key. And that's like, that's the heart of what we do.
25:16Please just be quiet and listen, because let me tell you something. You're not the hell you're
25:19talking about. Will you just shut up for a minute and let me tell you. The question is. The radical
25:24left.
25:25Will you shut up? Here's the truth. You're just scum. The easy answer. Many studies have been done
25:30that our democracy is not healthy.
25:35You want to do it now? I'd love to do it right now. No, no, sit down. You're a United
25:39States
25:40senator. Sit down. There used to be a program called Crossfire on CNN. They called it a debate show.
25:46We've got two prime specimens from the animal house of American journalism. But what you really got
25:50are partisans, usually from the extremes of the positions. You can't mention God in school. Why
25:57that's going to harm the country? Really trying to score points. They were trying to win.
26:03The only way we're going to solve these problems is by having civilized discussions,
26:08reasoned discussions, grounded in evidence. What would they say and how will you defend yourself?
26:18It is even more critical, given where we are as a country, that students wrestle with big ideas
26:24and look at opposing viewpoints. One way to bust out of these silos of information that are trapping
26:32people into narrow points of view is to teach them to be more critical in their thinking about
26:38their information and media sources. Schools are not the only influence on our democracy,
26:46but they're an important one. We as teachers are creating, you know,
26:52the next voters, the next citizens. It's a lot of pressure, honestly.
26:57We're going to be making the future decisions for America. Not just one race is living in America.
27:04Everyone has different perspectives. Everyone comes from different cultural backgrounds. And if
27:09you're not ready to see other people's perspective, then it's going to be harder for you to live in
27:15America. About eight percent of all high school students in America are reported to being lesbian,
27:20gay or bisexual. Kids have access to social media. Everybody has an opinion. Everyone has a platform
27:28and a vehicle to share those thoughts. And so why not create that space in the classroom, but create it
27:33with some structure. You offer your opinion, but you also have to equally back it up with evidence and
27:39reasoning. When you build a safe space in a classroom where opinions are valued, even if they're not the same
27:46as yours, you can see this magic. It's inherently selfish because you're trying to take away all
27:52these things that are relevant for the people who are going to read these books, which are children.
27:56We're going to have disagreements. We have to have a way to do that without threats, without hyperbole,
28:04without extremism. So please look at the yellow sheet in the middle of the desk. I'm not going to lie,
28:10before I was one of those people that silenced others because I felt like my opinion was right.
28:14But now I like to listen to other people's opinions. One of the things that debate teaches is that the
28:21world is not black or white. It's shades of gray. It's not always about being correct. It could be
28:27reactionary and self-defeating. You're going to have to work with people. It's also setting you up to
28:33expand your thinking. So you agree with something and somebody gives a point of, oh no, I disagree and
28:39this is why. And now you're thinking, okay, I can see their point and you can have a back-to
28:43-back
28:43conversation. We're trying to think about what led to a boycott. Debate equals civility. Debate equals
28:50reason. Debate equals a better democracy. Debate equals a better educated workforce. Debate equals a
28:58better society.
29:06It turns out debate principles can be used in STEM subjects. Science is at its foundation,
29:15and this is true of math as well, it's positing arguments. You might start with evidence and then
29:21you use that to arrive at a claim, or you might start with a hypothesis and then test it out.
29:25This is all argumentation.
29:27Good morning. Come in.
29:28Right now we're working on an expedition called Solving Crimes with DNA. They've learned a lot about
29:33DNA evidence and its strengths and its limitations. And now we're going to debate whether it actually
29:39will increase the fairness in like a criminal investigation. So one partner will say yes,
29:44and the other one will say no. And they will have to obviously have evidence to support their claim.
29:51Either labs we've done in class or techs we've looked at in class that I hope is going to make
29:55their mini debates today like a little bit more rich. Technology has progressed to the point where
30:01they can use much smaller and more sensitive samples and still have an accurate DNA test.
30:05They enjoy like the argumentation piece,
30:08but to make sure that they stay grounded in the science, that's the piece that we're trying to
30:14develop this year. You said that there was mistakes in the lab, but the mistakes in the lab aren't
30:19happening so frequently that all of it is incorrect. When is it more likely that the chances of mixing it
30:25up, when do those chances get a little bit greater? Maybe when the crime happened like in public,
30:30everything would be wrong now. All right, good. You can go into a meteorology class and have a
30:36deliberation on climate change. The corporations will be producing climate-friendly things if the
30:41government allows it and regulate it. Science professors love to do this because one of the
30:47problems they have is they train students sometimes that can only talk to other scientists, and they
30:53know they need scientists who can speak to the public. Corporations already found sustainable solutions
30:59to climate change, but since it is a little more costly, they choose to continue to...
31:03I have seen our math teachers and our science teachers really understand and take to the
31:10strategy because it fits in with students having to explain and think critically about math and science.
31:22I came up in my years where you used to teach in a chalkboard, so I love the chalkboard. That
31:27was one of
31:27my things, but then I've obviously moved away from it instead of teacher-centered being more student-centered.
31:33Students are using a debate-inspired activity called thematic evidence sort. What he's saying to them is
31:40look at these different triangles, sort them with commonality. These are missing hypotenuses, which is
31:47like the long side of the triangle. So this is something where students are using their background
31:52knowledge and what they've already been learning in this geometry class, but also thinking critically and
31:57expansively and creatively. Look at the triangles. G, H, J, and K. You're not going to solve them.
32:05He asked them not to go straight to the procedure, but to think about what they know about triangles
32:10to make predictions. You could say, well, where's the debate in that? But there's such deep argumentation.
32:16They're looking at evidence. They're bringing in the reasoning of their content knowledge.
32:20The challenge is always finding that sweet spot. When have we done enough background knowledge that
32:25they could bring to it? And then we can sort of let them understand that on their own. And when
32:30do they need more?
32:32I learned better, like communicating with others other than just him giving me a problem and telling
32:37me to solve it. We don't want students to just regurgitate what we give them. We want them to be
32:43able to analyze a concept and then apply their understanding to it. And then the adjacent is 15.
32:50That's perfect. I really do think that students at the end of two or three or four years,
32:57they are better mathematicians. They're better rational thinkers and problem solvers.
33:04We used that answer to solve for angle X.
33:12There's a dearth of STEM programming in underserved communities and also high quality out of school
33:20time programming that's rigorous. We want to make sure that the African-American Latinx students have
33:26access to high quality out of school time programming.
33:32MAPSCO is an after school program that teaches high school students how to think about their
33:37community's health. They research its history, its current impact, and they advocate for a policy response.
33:45Redlining had such a major impact on Chicago. We're all coming together working on new solutions
33:51to better the community and the flaws within it.
33:57We have them out in the community collecting survey data. They interview local residents.
34:04They also interview business owners. Do you feel safe working in this community?
34:09To find out data related to their research questions and then analyze it back in the classroom.
34:19MAPSCO has a really strong program design. Argumentation fits into it to enhance critical thinking
34:26and the analysis of data. MAPSCO kids come from all over the city of Chicago. Often they come from
34:32minoritized communities that have been under-resourced. We have more liquor stores than we have schools.
34:38They've researched high unemployment. Some MAPSCO students have researched issues related to
34:45high breast cancer mortality rates in their community.
34:49We did the research on breast cancer. I was able to talk to people and to my surprise,
34:55a lot of people didn't even know where to get the help that they needed.
34:58I remember this one lady, I gave her the survey and she told me I really appreciate it that someone
35:05is
35:05actually going out their way to do this because this is what the community needs. It brought joy
35:10to me because she said that. It really helps our youth build their critical thinking skills,
35:17their scientific literacy skills. They learn about the power of their voice using argumentation
35:24and how it can be used to affect change in the community.
35:28Jibari, can you come up there? Kids, especially boys, really love to debate. They debate about
35:34the best athlete. He's just one of the players that revolutionized the game and made the best shoe,
35:40the cutest girl. And so what I wanted to do is let's bring that energy and that excitement to argue
35:48into after school programming and say, well, here's how you argue using the languages of power,
35:55which are data and research and policy.
36:03Once our youth complete their research, we have a scientific symposium where they get to present
36:10their findings. The study of 264 U.S. cities observed the increase in community centers operational
36:19over years helped reduce violent crime rates in the city. Oftentimes they're speaking to people in
36:24power and position who are hearing it. And the expectation is that they're going to take that
36:29information back and do something with it.
36:31This gives me more evidence and more information that you all have surfaced
36:36to help us change how we make decisions in the district. So thank you.
36:42Being able to go out and get support from the people that are in the community,
36:46things that we've heard from for years now, we have the opportunity to solve and we have the opportunity
36:51to implement the ideas that we've been planning.
36:55I really hope that they follow through on their passions to pursue STEM careers.
37:00When we do our post-program surveys, we had over 75 percent of them say they were interested in doing
37:07that. And so if they follow through on that and we're able to see that they go to college and
37:11major in STEM majors, I would be completely excited about that work.
37:17I think we are a game changer.
37:20So how many more do we need to come...
37:22I can only say I'm so grateful to have this opportunity.
37:26Our policy includes building a clinic which in turn helps our community.
37:31Opportunities like this help shape me and shape all of my friends as people.
37:40So just because a majority believe in one view doesn't make it true.
37:46There are some students who are terrified to speak up.
37:53School itself can be an intimidating environment.
37:56Kids can also be afraid of embarrassing themselves in front of their peers.
38:01Can I ask you before I embarrass myself?
38:03You're never going to embarrass yourself.
38:05You start out in non-threatening conversations with students talking to each other.
38:11You are going to begin this argument in three, two, one, go!
38:16Hershey's has better, better looks, better packaging, better taste.
38:20Who eats care of mouth?
38:22But Hershey's are so pleased.
38:27This whole idea of student voice, understanding the elements of a good argument is fundamental
38:34to middle school.
38:36It is an age where students are trying to find their way in the world and where they fit in
38:41the world. And in order to engage in those conversations, you need to understand claim
38:47evidence and reasoning.
38:49The first goal is to get them to talk.
38:52He was getting whipped, but he wasn't really screaming or crying. He was just like taking
38:56all the pain in.
38:57Maybe he just gotten used to the pain already because he probably gets beat a lot.
39:03So he's like adapting to the new environment.
39:06We've been moving through night very, very quickly. The kids absolutely love the book.
39:13Is Ellie the same person on the same? Okay, prove it to me.
39:19He didn't go to the synagogue. He wasn't praying. He never sang anymore. He went from
39:23very religious to not practicing religion at all.
39:26He was more so upset with his God about not giving them the piece they deserve.
39:33I've also seen students who are very quiet and shy, but they just rise to the occasion when there's an
39:39opportunity to present on a topic or, you know, engage in a debate in the classroom.
39:44It gives me more experience. I get to actually speak and like actually, um, participate.
39:51Oh yeah, see, the treatment.
39:53The principles of students collaborating with each other, making arguments, using evidence and reasoning,
40:00that's very exciting.
40:01If he's dynamic, that means that he did what during the course of the story?
40:05He changed.
40:05He changed.
40:06Sometimes they go down rabbit holes and you have to bring them back to the topic at hand,
40:10but with prompts, you can get them there. You just have to provide some different scaffolds,
40:15but I think it can absolutely work in any grade level.
40:18You're not going in depth enough. There's no kind of evidence. There's no kind of anything.
40:22And look at me. I know how deep you can get.
40:29I was pleasantly surprised to the degree the students collaborated with one another,
40:35collaboration around academic enrichment. That's what we as teachers live for.
40:43I think that's just being complacent of where he is rather than a new mindset.
40:48There is an element to debate-inspired classrooms that is just good teaching.
40:54So I would suspect that any place where there is good teaching, that there are elements
41:01of this happening in those classrooms. In middle school, there is never a boring moment. And
41:07I am oftentimes very, very surprised in the classroom. And that's part of the journey.
41:18I think debate really belongs in every single classroom in our country. Of course,
41:25there's a natural fit in our liberal arts classrooms. But I would argue that you could include debate in
41:31to almost any classroom.
41:37All of my students are doing different people that have inspired them in their life.
41:42We've also had class discussions on the why are we choosing that individual.
41:47I'm just creating like a sports themed sculpture. It's based off my uncle. And I'm going to paint
41:53memories that we had together as well. This is where arts, I think, is so important in the education
41:59system is you're learning how to express yourself in a creative manner and also how to justify your
42:05actions, your designs, your own beliefs.
42:11Face off here.
42:16The whole title of the class is physical education. So it's not just physical. We need the education in
42:20there. It's not just roll the ball out and away we go. I have the students do peer analysis in
42:26a
42:26variety of different skills. One student will perform. Another student watches that performance,
42:32analyzes, provides feedback, tells the performer one thing to improve on.
42:36I do like being reviewed because I know what I'm doing wrong or what I'm doing right.
42:40The person analyzing has to provide evidence that their partner has improved in that key action.
42:45We record our video on them and paste it on there so we can see.
42:48Everything should match up with the videos that we provide.
42:52One teacher with maybe 30, 35 students, I can't give that much individual feedback.
42:56In this, every student's getting direct one-to-one feedback.
43:00Handshakes! Knee piles!
43:06Our students come to us with different backgrounds. They speak, you know, over 40 or 50 different
43:12languages. And it's our job to make sure we account for that in the education that we provide.
43:181,400 per month? Oh, that's good!
43:22I have six people in my family. My parents and my older siblings are from Jamaica.
43:26And my younger brother and I are born in America.
43:30America is a land of opportunity. This is the place your dreams can become a reality.
43:38Both of my parents come from Mexico.
43:40My brother and I were born here in the United States and my sister was born in Mexico.
43:45My family is originally from Somalia, which is in East Africa.
43:49We moved here when I was about six years old.
43:53Everybody knows that, you know, African Somali parents are very strict.
43:57But education always comes first. Good grades, make sure you get into a good school, all of that.
44:03So we're going to focus on education today and school as an institute.
44:08What is the purpose of education? What's the point?
44:13What made me initially shy was the fact that I didn't see a lot of people who were like me.
44:19And when I say like me, I mean like who are wearing a hijab.
44:22I didn't really fit in as much because I didn't see myself in any of the people that were there.
44:28And being the only like Muslim girl in the class was kind of difficult at first.
44:37Militancy is more active compared to claims made on paper and in a system that does not favor black people.
44:42I'm happy I was introduced to debate-based education. I was not really comfortable speaking at first.
44:49We counter that by saying our rights are still being taken away.
44:52Everyone has different views and different ideologies.
44:56So to understand that, especially in a civil manner to talk about it, I think that's important.
45:03The debate-based education is a good approach because it helps our young people to be more vocal
45:10and to be able to express themselves. Because she used to be very reserved. And I was like,
45:16who is this person, you know?
45:17They're developing confidence. The confidence to say what they believe is correct, but also
45:23the confidence to question something. All of that makes for a student who can build those
45:28muscles and then transfer them to other places. I believe that argument-based instruction is really
45:35helpful for me. There is more time for the information to be said. There's more time for
45:39the information to be processed. I feel like I'm heard more. I chose the quote,
45:46I can live with myself and I'm amazed at myself. Minorities like me and other people in this class
45:51do not have our voices heard as much as other people might. So I feel like learning how to speak
45:56now
45:57instead of just holding our peace is better than just being silenced. Students who never would have
46:03thought, oh, I can't stand up and do that. And yet when they do, oh, the transformation. Now,
46:08now I am someone who can do that because I have. Does everyone have equal access to a good education?
46:13It depends on where you live or where you grew up. Now it's like I'm more open to sharing my
46:20opinion,
46:20whether what other people think or not.
46:24Kadra can do absolutely anything. She's really grown into herself, I think, over the last year.
46:32I learned about the morning announcements and I was like, I'll try it out. And so for the past two
46:37years, I've been doing the morning announcements here at Madison Park.
46:40Good morning, Madison Park. Today's Thursday, May 18th.
46:50I graduated as Salutatorian, second place in my class. I'll be going to Illinois Wesleyan,
46:58and I will be double degree in biochemistry and studio art.
47:03I am very proud of the one. A proud is an understatement.
47:08She made a decision that, you know what, this opportunity is given to me. I'm a citizen.
47:13I have full access to the American dream. I'm going to make the best of it.
47:23All right, so this is yours.
47:26Every summer, we start off with a week-long graduate course, and it's an opportunity for
47:31teachers to get fully immersed in this instructional approach. They get to talk about what the challenges
47:37are. They get to talk about what works really well with students for each activity.
47:42How would learning be different for you if those activities were not incorporated in the lesson?
47:48We have students from debate-inspired classrooms come and talk to teachers about,
47:54these are the things that you can do to make my classroom more engaging. These are the things
47:57that will make me want to take a risk in the classroom. School can be really stressful sometimes,
48:02and debate-style activities in the classroom could really help ease that stress.
48:07I feel like if you make it something thoughtful or fun, then people are going to want to talk about
48:12that and think deeply about that. Once they hear their peers talk about something, they're going to
48:16maybe have an idea and want to share it. It's powerful to hear from these young people. Teachers are
48:23taking copious notes and thinking about, oh, I need to do more of this, or maybe I need to do
48:28less of that.
48:28I don't tend to do really well when teachers that just give you a lot of busy work.
48:32I'm always hopeful about what they share and what they're doing with the skills they've learned.
48:38I think being able to take the skills that they've learned in a debate-inspired classroom and apply
48:42them in their lives, that's powerful.
48:49Debate offers lifelong skills that go way beyond the classroom. This ability to think critically
48:57and to look for multiple viewpoints around any issue.
49:02You have teams of people that work together to solve a particular problem, reach a particular
49:07objective, achieve a certain level of profit, and people have conversations or, quote,
49:12debates about how to do that, but they're working to solve a problem.
49:16They learn to hone the skills that they need to have these
49:19conversations that are necessary to advance society.
49:24I think that's really helpful for life in college, but it will also help with just the world
49:30in general because everybody's different. I think students that have participated in well-run
49:37programs that focus on debate are just better prepared to deal with the craziness that happens
49:43in this world. I think they're better leaders as a result.
49:55One of the things employers cited as a defect of American education is they couldn't even get a 30
50:01or 60-second elevator pitch on any topic. Even from some of the most educated kids that were coming out
50:07of school,
50:07they couldn't verbalize what they learned. So that's a perfect example of how it helps on the job.
50:18Yes, yes. How to properly form a argument. Sometimes when I feel like I wasn't being heard,
50:25I feel like nobody was understanding what I was saying. I would get really, really frustrated,
50:28and that's when I started yelling and screaming. She was a challenger. If you said something,
50:36if she didn't agree with it, she would just say, that's not right, and this is why it's not right,
50:40and that would be it. Even with teachers, even with us. Understatement.
50:49For her, MAP course was the answer to making her a complete awesome person and an advocate.
50:56Speak with comfort. If you go look at your own argument, see what's weak in your argument.
51:01I was first introduced to debate-based learning in high school. When I was introduced to it,
51:05it was definitely like shocking. I couldn't believe that it was actually a real thing.
51:09Arguing in education. I never could imagine those two being put together and actually in educational
51:15settings. Because arguing has such a negative connotation, especially in such a formal setting
51:20like school. First thing, so when I got up here and I said I like to argue, what's the first
51:25thing you
51:25thought about? Sometimes children are not allowed to be that expressive and compassionate and speak up for
51:34yourself. The survey is quantitative data because debate-based education basically was my key that
51:41I wasn't doing anything disrespectful or out of the ordinary those years. It just gave her a voice
51:49that was able to be heard and appreciated as well. It was life-changing. It's the same Ailey with the
51:57same
51:57passion but tone down. I got to college by being a student athlete. I chose to study both education
52:06and social science and now I am a teacher at a high school in Chicago. My mother and grandma were
52:15both
52:15teachers and they definitely had a major influence on the way that I perceive education. So if my subject is
52:22plural,
52:23what do I want my verb to be? We are proud of her but it's not surprising because Ailey has
52:29always been
52:29such an amazing kid and a lot of times she would ask, oh I'm always getting in trouble and my
52:35mother
52:36used to always say it's because you're destined for greatness. I like that shirt too. You all good today?
52:42Arguing has always been in our society. It happens in courtrooms, it's happened in political parties,
52:47it happens almost everywhere. So why not bring it to education field and teach our youth how to
52:52advocate properly? Very often we see our students who come from these communities return as activists,
53:00as teachers and it's really really important to empower students so they can be the leaders in
53:07their communities so we can see the change that is needed in these communities.
53:16All of us evolve in our thinking and understanding and it really starts in the classroom. And debate
53:24centered education really offers an outlet for that type of thinking and discourse.
53:29Debate centered instruction is in its relative infancy. It's been around for probably a decade or so,
53:34but it hasn't yet spread widely enough to the point where it can be systematically studied. But we need it.
53:42We're seeing some really positive signs and I'm super excited to see where this will take us few years from
53:48now.
53:49I learned really well in an activity or like a project. I can understand the work that we're doing so
53:56well.
53:57The more people that try it out, the more evidence builds up and the greater ability we have to study
54:02whether it so-called works. And by the way, I know it works. The question is, how can it work
54:08better?
54:08Every teacher I've ever talked to that has employed these kinds of pedagogies is enthusiastic about it
54:14since the students become more engaged, more involved. They become accustomed to the whole idea that they have a voice,
54:21that their voice, that their voice matters. Everybody in the classroom has a voice.
54:54they get providers, I understand how to do their careers, other between the students becomes more influential,
55:09Legenda Adriana Zanotto
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