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Policy Change Explained
Context
Over the last two years, the debating scene in NSW has changed dramatically. One of the biggest changes that has been seen is a shift in the topic style. Typically, topics were based on comparison. That is, “That A is better than B”. One example of this is “That take away is better than a home cooked meal”. Now, these comparative topics are being used less, in favor of another style of debate : policy change.
Policy change debates in particular have seen a marked increase over the last 3 years. One of the most clear pieces of evidence for this change is a comparison from 2007 to 2009 in the Premiers Debating Challenge for Years 5&6 in NSW (Acknowledged to be the largest debating competition in the southern hemisphere).
In 2007 there were 10 topics out of 40 which involved a policy change
25%
In 2008 there were 17 topics out of 40 which involved a policy change
42.5%
In 2009 there were 24 topics out of 40 which involved a policy change
60%
What is policy change?
In a debate about policy change, the teams argue about changing a ‘social norm’ to ‘something else – In the same way that our government argues over policy changes in society. Essentially, the affirmative team must put forward the motion for change, and the negative argues against the change, showing the benefits of the way things are at the moment. One example of this type of topic would be “That we should ban junk food advertising”. The affirmative has to explain how they would put a ban in place, and then the benefits of the ban – the negative shows the advantages of the system at the moment, and why the affirmatives plan would not work.
Ladies and Gentlemen, today I will be introducing you to the 3 most important words that any debater MUST know. These are:
If you are interested in debating, you MUST familiarise yourself with these terms. Here is how they all tie in!
Firstly, Matter. In any argument, it is important that you have material to back up your case. If you were trying to convince somebody that your opinion is CORRECT and RELEVANT, then you will always have examples and information to back yourself up. I’ll paint you a rather ‘extreme’ picture. Imagine you are trying to stop a man from jumping off a bridge. He is convinced that he has nothing left to live for, and you are trying to convince him otherwise.
You conversation might go something like this :
You: Don’t do it, you have so many things in your life worth living for!
Man jumping off a bridge: No I don’t! I have nothing!
You: Sure you do! You have family, friends, a job, children, hobbies…and so on.
In this example, the ‘family, friends, job, children and hobbies’ are your MATTER.
I know, it sounds silly, but it really illustrates how much the concept of MATTER is valuable in an argument or proving your point. Without examples to prove your point, you really only are relying on your own opinion - unfortunately, in an argument, your opinion means nothing!
So Matter, is your brainstorming, examples, arguments and facts to back up your entire case! The more well constructed arguments that you have the more likely you are to win!
Next we have Method. The method is all about the structure of your arguement. Generally, teams that are well coached have a very definite and easy to follow structure. With my teams, I get them to imagine their case as a giant tree that they must grow. Essentially, they start with nothing but grass, and then must create a thick tree.
The trunk of your tree is your CASELINE or ISSUE in the debate. This must be strong in order for your team to win.
The main branches off the tree are your ARGUEMENTS : These important to ‘branch’ out your case.
Your leaves of the tree are your EXAMPLES : These aren’t as important in creating a large tree or a strong branch, but are nessecary to make your case look like a proper tree!
All of these branches and leaves must be linked back to the tree trunk in order to prove your side of the topic correct - this will ensure relevant material! At the end of the debate, the tree that stands the tallest will win!
REMEMBER: REBUTTAL IS A CHAINSAW - IT HACKS AT THE TRUNK AND BRANCHES.
Finally in debating we have MANNER. Your manner, or mannerisms, don’t include you being polite to the audience and adjudicator! We judge manner on how convincing the DELIVERY of your arguements are. Your eye contact, gestures, tone and pace has a major influence on how convincing you are overall! Remember, your delivery CAN sway an adjudicator - just convince them that you are right using your voice!
This concludes my overview of the 3 M’s!
Happy Debating!
J.
Today I have something special for my readers - one of the secret tools for learning how to win a debate! However, I will not focus on the role of the student or debater in this excerpt, but more on the role of the coach.
Firstly a story. As an adjudicator, I meet many coaches and teachers who are in charge of a debating team for their school. Some of these teachers really enjoy the job and have volunteered for the task, others have been forced into accepting a committment that they are not particularly interested in! Unsuprisingly, the team’s that have a keen and enthusastic coach tend to win more often!
Today I was presented with a prime example of 2 coaches at the opposite ends of the debating spectrum - it was clear from the begining. One coach was sitting in a chair holding a blank notepad and pen, whilst the other other was playing with a mobile phone. Keep in mind, this was before the debate had actually begun!
As the debate started, I watched the keen coach write pages of notes on the progression of the debate. I also watched the other coach pick their nails. When a good point was stated by either team, or when a rebuttal was being said, I watched as the good coach sat on the edge of the chair and silently urged their team on. In stark comparison, I saw the second coach yawn during the middle of a speech. As an adjudicator, I could tell which coach was from which team. Nobody TOLD me until I found out at the end, but I could tell. The debate reflected the coaches’ actions! Of course, there are no prizes for guessing which team/coach won the debate.
The strangest thing happened at the end of the debate though! After losing, the bad coach decided to complain about the decision. Generally, I do not have any problem dealing with a person angry about an adjudication, but this coach was quite emphatic. She stalked up to me (whilst the audience was still in the room!) and said ‘That debate was unfair!’.
I asked her what she thought was unfair and her answer was ‘All of it! It was not easy! It was too hard.’. For my part, I agreed with her, especially for this age group. The topic was a challenging one. What annoyed me was the attitude that she approached with!
The point is, as a coach you are expected to set an example for your team. Particularly for a team of younger students. Younger students will emulate your behaviour and your mindset! So if YOU start complaining about how something is ‘too hard’ then the kids will believe it impossible for them!
At the end of the day, you should always strive to set an example to the students that you teach. Take notes, be interested, ask questions to the adjudicator at the end of the debate! Always rememeber, your students are taking their ques from you. If you want to improve, you might as well take advice from the only expert in the room - the adjudicator.
Happy Debating!
J.
Hello Everybody!
This is just a quick note to thank all the schools who attended my workshop on debating yesterday. The Northern Sydney Region is definitely one of the front runners when it comes to making sure that their students are given every opportunity to learn the skills of talking and listening.
Over 100 students attended our full day workshop and all of them found the day to be very valuable to hone their skills. Students attended from the following schools:
Last but not least I would like to thank our lovely hosts Narrabeen Sports High School, in particular Stratia Vergos (Head of English), who provided us with a venue and support for the day!
Congratulations to all involved, and I hope to see you again soon.
If you are a reader from inside the Sydney North region who missed out on our workshop, we are looking to hold a follow up seminar during the 3rd week of term 3. If you are interested, please email sales@mastersacademy.com.au for more details.
Happy Debating,
J.
Hi guys,
As the school term comes to an end, I’d like to comment on how impressed I am with all of the speakers and debaters that I have seen so far! Most schools have only completed one or two rounds, yet the amount of progress and improvement that I have seen in teams has been amazing!
I have been noticing however that there is a very simple flaw in most team’s arguments - They tend to deviate from the topic! Often this occurs when teams get bogged down in little arguements and move AWAY from the topic question. I’ll give you an example using a debate that I just saw.
The topic was ‘That parents should only allow children to watch TV on the weekends”. The affirmative team came up and gave a case outlining the flaws in television watching for children. The negative team then fell into a trap. They forgot to read the word ‘ONLY’ in the topic sentence, and started arguing FOR the affirmative team. The teamlines sounded like this:
Affirmative : Parents should only allow children to watch TV on the weekend because TV is a want not a need.
Negative: Parents should NOT allow children to watch TV on the weekend because it would be beneficial for their mental and physical health.
Basically, this meant that both teams were arguing that TV was bad and had negative effects on children. Consequently, the debate was not very engaging and confusing for both sides - just because they didn’t read the question properly!
The moral of the story? Read the topic at least 3 times before you start prep! Then find out what your GOAL will be in terms of proving, or disproving, the sentence!
If you need some help with how to break down topics correctly, I wrote an e-book called ‘The Round Guide’. It contains common topics and deconstructions for both affirmative and negative teams. For any coach or teacher that is serious about debating in their school, it is definitely worth a read! Just go to www.mastersacademy.com.au and you can purchase it online.
In summary: Read the topic, find out your goal, and then try and prepare! Make sure you don’t leave out any words - it can come back to bite you in the end!
Happy debating,
J.
Ok, so I thought I should post the first of my debating tips up on ‘The Educationalist’. Here are 5 things that you absolutely MUST include in every debate for a team to be well structured and successful. If you need more information about any of these, feel free to email me: theeducationalist@mastersacademy.com.au
1. Definition
YOUR understanding of the topic and what it means. Underline the keywords and define them to make sense of what you are arguing about! Definitions should be set at the beginning of the 1st speakers speech.
2. Allocation
Broad topics that outline each of your speakers arguments. Remember, a 3rd speaker does not get a mention in the allocation, only the 1st and 2nd speakers do. Allocations should be said after the definition in the 1st speakers speech.
3. Caseline/Teamline
A statement which outlines your entire argument. The best caselines are always simple: ie. ‘Take away is better than a home cooked meal because there are more benefits with take away’. All speakers should repeat the caseline to ensure that your arguments are linked back to prove your side of the topic.
4. Scope
The boundaries of a debate. For example, if the topic was ‘That we should change the flag’ the scope could be ‘In Australia’. A scope should be set in the 1st speakers’ speech
5. Issue
A one word summation of your entire argument that is; the overall reason WHY you believe your side of the topic. Common issues include ‘more benefits’ or ‘more advantages’. An Issue should be used as a linking statement in the same way as a caseline to prove your side of the argument.
Happy Debating,
J.
Ok readers, I’m back…I lost track of time while I was writing last night so I thought I’d finish the story today!
If you missed the last post, I’m telling the story of when I volunteered at a careers day last week! Essentially, I had no idea what to tell the children that would be of any use to them!
The day before the careers day was about to start I still didn’t feel prepared. I’m used to nerves, and used to impromptu speaking, but this is a completely different arena! This is a careers day - and I’m not even sure I have a career! Then it hit me. There is nothing wrong with being honest about who I am and what I do, I’m proud of myself and I like to believe that I will help people during my life!
And so I was that I wrote a list of steps that I took in my journey from year 9 and 10 to now. Maybe if I let some students know about the steps I took, they could copy the positives and be saved from the many negatives!
Anyway, I’ll fast forward to the day. I had spent a couple of hours getting my clothes ready the night before. I had ironed a nice shirt and a pair of pants, picked out a suit jacket and polished my shoes! Anybody who knows me would probably be laughing at that sentence. That’s because anybody who knows me understands that my ironing skills leave a lot to be desired….I regularly singe clothes - not to mention the fact that somehow MORE creases are in my clothing at the end of my ironing session than when it began! I’m not talking about those awesome looking INTENTIONAL pressing creases that dry cleaners put into clothes; I’m talking about the bad kind.
So, despite my best intentions of maintaining a professional image, I arrived at my office in the morning wearing a mismatching suit, crushed pants and shirt and deep black shoes. Well hey, at least I tried! Luckily, clothes tend to iron themselves during the say and shoes lose some of their shine which meant that after I ditched the suit jacket and tucked in my shirt, I didn’t look half bad walking in to the hall to take a seat at my booth.
It was an interesting experience. The hall was filled with around 40 professionals, all of which had donated their time to make sure that students knew what their job was all about. After scanning the room I saw representatives from the council, web designers, artists, accountants, lawyers, authors, marketing and sales experts, real estate agents and many more. I tried to look happy and relaxed as I found my chair in the corner of the hall, but seriously, that many experts in one room can be very intimidating! It was like a strange cat walking into a room full of dogs…except that I was the strange cat! I can honestly say that I was regretting my decision to attend the day at this point!
I’d love to say that it got better…but that would be lying. After I took a seat, I had a quick conversation with the people next to me. On my right was a translator (Japanese to English I believe) and on my left was a man who owned his own law firm. I don’t mean to repeat myself, but it was very intimidating! Still, I decided to soldier on. I figured that nobody would really find me interesting sitting between those two, so maybe I could just work on turning myself invisible!
Then I saw something. A sign that made me groan inwardly. Above each person’s desk was a description of their role and industry. Sure enough, I could quite clearly see ‘Translator’ on my right and ‘Lawyer’ on my left. My sign; “James Smith - Educationalist”.
To be honest? I didn’t know there was a term ‘educationalist’. But apparently I was one. What I did know was that a word like ’educationalist was bound to bring a lot of attention to my desk from children with confused looks on their faces. At this point I was wondering if a higher power was punishing me for some reason! So I decided to grin and bear it - I’ll be an educationalist.
For the first 15 minutes of the careers day I’ve got to say my self esteem was pretty low. The children were told to go around to 3 of the desks that they found most interesting and ask the professional sitting behind it questions about that career. I had a lot of people walk past my desk, look at the word ‘educationalist’ frown, shake their head, or even laugh, but nobody really wanted to talk! The only person less popular than me was the accountant and that’s only because nobody was rolling their eyes at me! At around the 20 minute mark, just as I was honestly considering leaving the hall with a ’stomach bug’ a girl approached me.
Let me add here that I’m pretty sure she only approached me on a dare. Kids can be unkind sometimes. Our conversation went like this.
Her: ‘Hey. Whats an educationalist?’
Me: “I have absolutely no idea. I think your deputy made it up”
I gave her a 10 second rundown of what I did in terms of education, running my company and teaching public speaking and debating. I’d love to say that she was interested, but she really wasn’t. Still, at least she stopped people staring at me for a while!
Then it hit me. Maybe I could just give her some advice! So I asked her a series of questions about the day, what her interests were and what she had learned.
It turned out that she always wanted to be a zoologist. Unfortunately for her, there were no zoologists in the room, and so she had used her last visit on a dare to visit ‘the educationalist’. It really sounded like something I would have done to be cheeky in high school as well, so I couldn’t blame her. From her perspective, she had spent an entire period showing interest in professions that she had no interest in!
It turned out that two things were troubling her:
1. There were no zoologists in the room and she didn’t find the other careers interesting (Including mine!)
2. She didn’t even know if she wanted to be a zoologist
So I set about answering number 2 for her!
My first question was: What does a zoologist do?
Her reply: Looks after animals at the zoo!
Second Question: Where do they work?
Her reply:…(confused look)…at the zoo?
Third Question: Have you talked to one yet to figure out if you like the job?
Her reply: No.
My reply: Why not?
When she had thought about it, she started laughing! It turns out she lived about a 15 minute walk from the zoo, but she had never considered going and asking questions about her career! So I told her one of the things I’d learnt in my career so far - ‘Nothing will ever happen for you unless you go out and look for it!’ She promised me that she would at least call and ask some questions, after all, there is no harm in it!
Its a very basic piece of advice that I gave that student. If you enjoy something, then you should WANT to follow it through, after all, that’s what makes people happy in terms of a career. Money is important, respect is important, recognition is important and reasonable hours are important, however, all of those concepts are surpassed by the knowledge that you are doing something that you ENJOY and that you are PROUD of.
Anyway, back to the story. The girl eventually had to leave, and so I looked up from my desk, expecting to be alone again. I was wrong however! It turned out that some of her friends had been listening to our conversation, and wanted advice! As one girl put it - ‘You are a very interesting educationalist!’
Human behavior is a very interesting concept! It turns out that after this first girl decided to talk to me on a dare, many others had decided to follow! It was like a human snowball effect!
I was amazed at the amount of variation that I saw over the span of that afternoon. I saw students that had their heart set on becoming professional dancers, directors, archeologists, fashion designers, small business owners and astronomers! The common link between all of them? ‘I don’t know where to start!’
So, after listening to each child, I made sure that they left with a set of goals and plans to follow up their chosen dream - after all, I was in no way qualified to help them (especially the professional dancer!).
The end of the day was the most heartwarming experience for me though. 15 minutes after school had finished and the careers day was well over, I was sill stuck under my educationalist sign talking to students! This time however, they were students who had stayed back to say thank you for the advice I gave! Seeing how polite and courteous all of the students were really made my day! Nothing beats the feeling of being appreciated!
All in all, I felt that the day went very well and I was so glad to be given the opportunity! Looking back on it, I learnt a very valuable lesson that day. If you want people to listen to you, listen to them first. Listening, and then responding to a person’s ideas and thoughts is what makes any kind of conversation great! Generally people are so busy these days that they completely forget how to interact with others on a personal basis by responding to them! Personally, I think that because of this we have a very self centered society (myself included!).
Learning how to LISTEN starts at a young age. In Australia, we are very lucky to have programs that are put in place to teach children how to analyse and think, as well as respond. Talking and listening modules, debating, public speaking, SRC’s, mock trials and many more wonderful initiatives are now in schools. After all, the earlier children start learning how to listen to each other, the more successful they will be at interacting with each other in later life.
I’d like to clarify something here to all of those who believe I’m sounding my own trumpet and singing my own praises - I am in no way a perfect person, nor am I a model conversationalist! I love to talk about myself as much as the next person. As a debating and public speaking coach however, I am proud to think that I might be teaching children the basics of their talking and listening skills, because I know how valuable they are in later life - not only in social situations, but in the workplace as well!
In summary readers, I’m proud to be an educationalist. Sure, I’m still a little bit dubious about whether an educationalist is actually a profession. But honestly? Who cares. At the end of the day, your job title and description doesn’t matter, it’s what you DO that counts. If being an educationalist means that I am given the opportunity to have a positive effect on our next generation, then I’m going to be the best educationalist out there!
Cheers,
J.
Welcome to ‘The Educationalist’. In this blog I will discuss my adventures and travels through the world of professional public speaking and debating.
I like to think of my travels around NSW as my own personal journey of self discovery! Each child and teacher that I am given the privilege to interact with broadens my own awareness and understanding of my profession. Children find new ways to make me laugh and cringe every day, whilst teachers can amaze me with their tricks of the trade for crowd control and discipline - not to mention the ability to understand, analyse and simplify advanced concepts in order to help teach to thier students after I’ve finished giving feedback! So, each day I get to wake up and walk in to my office, never knowing for sure what I’ll experience!
For my first blog entry, I’ve decided to regale you with the story of my journey at a high school careers day - a day that will most certainly remain in my memory for a VERY long time.
First off, a little bit of back story in to the careers day! I was first approached with the idea of being part of the day whilst running a public speaking training seminar. The deputy principal caught me in the corridor whilst I was leaving and said “We are having a careers day for years 9 and 10 in 3 weeks. I’m trying to add some variety to the mix, so I was wondering if you would like to volunteer.”At the time, I was tired from dealing with year 7’s all day so I politely took down some details and said that I would check my calendar when I got back to the office.
To be absolutely honest? I did not think I had what it took to be a part of a careers day! I mean, I teach public speaking and debating, I really enjoy what I do - but it’s not like I’m in a very established market! There is no university degree for ‘Public Speaking and Debating’ - The best that people can achieve in terms of accreditation is probably a Toastmaster’s certificate!
So essentially my problem was that I didn’t think I had much to offer in terms of ‘careers’ advice - until my housemate convinced me otherwise! It was a fairly brief statement that he used to change my mind actually. When I told him about the possibility of being a part of the careers day he said (I quote) “Awesome dude. You can totally broaden the minds of those kids! Otherwise they are going to be so bored.”
I thought about what he said for a moment, and realised that he was right. On my first careers day, I complained that I was sick and left early so that I could get out of the room! In fact, most of the people in my year were ’sick’ that day! In part, I think that children in year 9 and 10 are daunted by the IDEA of a career; most of them just want to concentrate on dealing with important teenage issues like their significant other, late assessments and puberty!
To be continued….