Students in Mrs. Ehn’s English 10 classes recently planned, prepared, and participated in a debate as a culminating activity to a unit about Rites of Passage. The debates were videotaped, and afterwards, students reviewed the taped debates and evaluated them using a set criteria to determine which side presented the best argument.
By viewing the debates, students examined which side presented the better argument. A student remarked, “I liked hearing the other side’s reasoning & thinking. It caused me to think how I would have counteracted.”
Additionally, students not only evaluated their own performance but their work as a team. As one student commented, “I thought what I said was good.” Another remarked, “Mason destroyed me on his cross examination.” Students observed, “I didn’t’ like how some of my team didn’t take it as seriously as they should have.” “People did not pay attention to the reasons being presented. Responses should have been adjusted to fit the other side’s argument, but instead people just kept going with what they wrote down [to refute or rebut] instead of actually listening to the points the other side was making.”
Students noticed other examples or pieces of information that they wished they would have pointed out to the opposing team. “I wish I would have said… and then asked…”.
Students also commented on how the debate pushed them out of their comfort zone to speak in front of people.
By reviewing the videotape, students discovered their strengths and weaknesses, or areas of improvement, in their planning, preparation, and presentation of the debate. Using the recording as a self-assessment tool improved student learning and will hopefully impact students’ preparation and presentation of their next speaking experience. Their comments and feedback acknowledged that fact.
A glimpse of the debate.
This is an excellent example of integrating technology to achieve student agency and deeper conversations and collaboration to improve student learning. Without the use of technology, these powerful conversations of self and group analysis couldn't have taken place.
As we look at the SAMR framework for tech integration, Mrs. Ehn is definitely playing "above the line."
Excellent job Mrs. Ehn and the English 10 students!