Module 9

Module 9 is focused on facilitating discussions and debates.

After reading all the articles, watching all the videos, and searching all the suggested websites, create a page Module 9 in your portfolio, double click anywhere on the page, choose T to add text, and post the following on the page:

CREATE: This module introduced several ideas for integrating discussion activities and debates in your language classroom. Based on your preference, choose one of the following tasks:

After reading “Critiquing Questions”, design a question bank with 3-5 question starters you can use in a discussion or debate activity (or one from the Activity Bank).

OR

Select an image that connects to one of your lessons or units. Create Higher Order Thinking (HOT) Questions to engage students in discussion on that image. Post in your portfolio.

OR

Create a list of debate topics that align with your curricula. Post a “Bucket of Prompts” in your portfolio.

Use the template below when creating your activity:

Activity/Lesson Name:

Grade level / Unit (if applicable):

Activity Description:

• The purpose of this activity is to…

• This activity will be effective for this lesson/unit because…

• Here are some steps to help you use this activity in your classroom…

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

See example for a model:

Possible questions for debates:

1. What is a good school?

2. Do we need similar school clothes (forms)?

3. How important is reading for you?

4. How to improve communication?

5. Living in Cities and Countryside, benefits and challenges?

6. What to choose: to recycle or not to recycle?

Lesson Name: Opinion and Reasons

Grade level / Unit: Grade 9

Lesson Purpose:

• to learn about debates, reasons, constructive critical thinking, presenting personal and group opinion in English.

This lesson will be effective because it enables students to practice their knowledge and skills in discussion, critique, and representation of information

Step 1: Warm-up - reviewing learned materials and words/concepts from the last week.

Step 2: Presentation. A short presentation about debates, discussion, open-ended and closed questions, opinion, strong and weak reasons—2-minute video on constructive and opposite debate examples.

Step 3: Practice. Asking students to answer with at least one reason for the following questions:

• Writing by hand is better than writing by computer – REASON?

• Living in the countryside/city is better – REASON?

• Required forms (school clothes) are/are not necessary – REASON?

• We need to recycle plastic – Reason?

After they finish, ask them to share their reasons with another pair and compare whose reasons are stronger and why.

Step 4: Application: Dividing students into two groups and assigning them to create two open-ended questions about the strong reasons they discussed and a short presentation. After 10 minutes asking two groups to share their questions and answer them aloud. When all questions are answered and explained, ask all students:

• • • • Did the question stimulate much discussion? Why? Why not?

      • How could the question be improved to be a better discussion question? (Zimmerman, 2015, p.33)

Step 5: Wrap-up. Asking students' reflections about lessons. Resuming class and assigning homework.

REFLECT: Type in 1-2 paragraphs to reflect on Module 9 (350-500 words). You may use what you have created, shared, and applied in the previous tasks.

See example for a model:

Using debates are an important form of and strategy of communication. However, I thought that it might be a little challenging to organize discussion of opposite opinions in a classroom among youth. Therefore, all readings of this module prompted me to think about teaching Constructive discussion and debates as a skill necessary to represent my own opposite opinion. Reading about Critiquing questions written by Zimmerman (2015) is a great example of how to provide constructive discussions, and overall how to teach students to independently create open ended questions in collaboration. Which is very important in an interactive classroom where engagement is crucial for learning and practicing.

Before this module about the specific activities and prompts of discussion and debate lessons in English, I used to think that implementing discussion or debate for my English learners would be too much of a challenge. Once I had a lesson about "Agree or Disagree," yet, I suggested examples of reasons and evidence and asked the students to vote. Then, I found students have their own thoughts and opinions that they wanted to express regardless of the language limitation. At the same time, there is a possibility that I, as a teacher, could limit the range of their ideas and curiosity. In this module, I thought it is still necessary to provide scaffolding for the language learners. There are ways to y provide communicative learning environments for discussion and debate. Of course, it does not look easy; however, the examples and activities provided in the module were really helpful if the teacher prepares the sequence and additional materials (such as the graphic organizer of Mock Debate example) well. I think it is not for a single task for a lesson, but rather should be planned as a project taking one or two sessions. Once the teacher has a successful experience with the students, the class can do the same learning sequence with another topic later.

Again, I think it is really important to plan ahead and to let students know that discussion is not a too difficult task. The fun activity like tower building (introduced in the module) will be a good start. Also, providing the students with the necessary language and material supports for a discussion/debate lesson will be essential and something that English teachers should learn and think together about the effective ways.