Debate Self- Evaluation

This week for your blog you will be evaluating your debate.  Go to your student folder and watch the debate. Then you will write a reflective essay that discusses your individual and  team's performance in the debate. Be sure that you address the following questions in your essay.

1. What do you think you did best in terms of your preparation for and participation this debate?

2. What do you believe you could have done better in your preparations and your debate?

3. How did you feel about the overall performance of the members of your group? Did you work well together and share equally int he preparation for the debate? Explain.

4. If you were to assign an overall point value (110-0) for your participation in this debate what would it be? Why?

5. What did you learn about debate and your topic?

6. What could you have done better as a team and what could you have done better individually?

7.  Anything you would do differently in your next debate?




Be sure to use good writing techniques, including attention to grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.

Judge's Decision Extra Credit

Just a little more practice and a chance for extra credit.  Watch the judge's decision for the death penalty debate.  Write an evaluation similar like the one for the last blog post.

Judge's Decision

Last week we began debate, and we watched the middle school debate banning boxing.  While the kids were still young and some of their arguments not very good, I think it was good to see how a parliamentary debate flows, how points of order work, how heckling works and the speak slow enough they are easy it is easy to take notes.  While I will expect your own debates to be well thought out and mature. I think we can gain some insight into the world of debate by watching these students learn the basic. One reason I have chosen middle school debaters over high school or college, is that debaters tend to talk incredibly fast.  I think while introducing and learning to take notes it is easier to go with a little bit slower speaker, than the more advanced.  However, I encourage you to watch some college and high school debates on Youtube, some are quite good and you can learn a lot about style, argument and how debate works. You all have opinions on the students did on the debate, now you will listen to the judge tell the students how she thinks they did on the debate.  I think she makes a few good points.  I also would like to hear your feedback on what you think not about the topic, that is simply your personal opinion.
Your blog this week will be:
1. Watch the judge's decision and comments.
2. I want you to compare what the judge has to say with what you think about their arguments, refutation, presentation etc.
3. Write your blog telling me what you think about how the students debated compared with what the judge said, use your ideas from number two and write them down.

Eulogy Self Evaluation

Your Eulogy is in your student folder.  Take some time to watch it carefully.  After watching your speech, you need to comment on your speech in several areas. Be specific and thorough. You will not receive full credit for short/one-word answers. I am looking for true analysis and critical thinking.

1. What did you notice about your use of gestures (Did you use them? Did you use enough?
Were they distracting? Did they match what you were saying? Were you needlessly
fidgeting?)?
2. What did you notice about your voice (i.e. volume, tone/vocal variety, rate, etc.)?
3. How did you feel about the content of your speech (Was it interesting? Did it make sense?
Etc.)?
4. What were the strengths of this speech?
5. What were the weaknesses of this speech?
6. What will you work to improve for next time? Here you may also express any final overall
impressions of your speech that you did not discuss in the previous questions. If you wish to
state how successful you were, this is the place to do it.
7. How well did you thank or pay tribute in your speech?

Self Evaluation of Special Occasion Speech

Your Special Occasion Speech is in your student folder.  Take some time to watch it carefully.  After watching your speech, you need to comment on your speech in several areas. Be specific and thorough. You will not receive full credit for short/one-word answers. I am looking for true analysis and critical thinking.

1. What did you notice about your use of gestures (Did you use them? Did you use enough?
Were they distracting? Did they match what you were saying? Were you needlessly
fidgeting?)?
2. What did you notice about your voice (i.e. volume, tone/vocal variety, rate, etc.)?
3. How did you feel about the content of your speech (Was it interesting? Did it make sense?
Etc.)?
4. What were the strengths of this speech?
5. What were the weaknesses of this speech?
6. What will you work to improve for next time? Here you may also express any final overall
impressions of your speech that you did not discuss in the previous questions. If you wish to
state how successful you were, this is the place to do it.
7. How well did you thank or pay tribute in your speech?

Self-Evaluation of Recorded Speech

After watching your speech, you need to comment on your speech in several areas. Be specific and thorough. You will not receive full credit for short/one-word answers. I am looking for true analysis and critical thinking.

1. What did you notice about your use of gestures (Did you use them? Did you use enough?
Were they distracting? Did they match what you were saying? Were you needlessly
fidgeting?)?
2. What did you notice about your voice (i.e. volume, tone/vocal variety, rate, etc.)?
3. How did you feel about the content of your speech (Was it interesting? Did it make sense?
Etc.)?
4. What were the strengths of this speech?
5. What were the weaknesses of this speech?
6. What will you work to improve for next time? Here you may also express any final overall
impressions of your speech that you did not discuss in the previous questions. If you wish to
state how successful you were, this is the place to do it.

Braveheart Freedom Speech

Watch the speech. Then in a formal blog post summarize the speaker's purpose and then identify three rhetorical techniques and their intended effect on the audience. Discuss how well their chosen techniques worked or what he could do better.