We speak with Denver English teacher and speech/debate coach Anna Steed about the benefits of speech and debate competition. Students acquire critical communication skills and self-confidence; students of color and low-income students can become more comfortable in majority-white, middle-class environments similar to those they may encounter in college. For many students who have challenging home lives, speech and debate opens up worlds of possibility.
Overview
00:00-00:14 Intros
00:14-01:08 Why the speech and debate program started at Anna Steed’s school
01:08-02:17 How Anna Steed became involved
02:17-03:08 How the speech and debate program developed into a team
03:08-04:13 What speech and debate is
04:13-05:06 How students became involved
05:06-14:04 Program Oral Interpretation
14:04-15:20 Impact on measured academic performance
15:20-17:42 Equity; students’ comfort level around more privileged students
17:42-21:40 Speech and debate during the pandemic
21:40-21:53 Impact on students’ ambitions
21:53-26:08 First steps to start a speech and debate program
26:08-28:10 Need for judges
28:10-29:36 Need to give English credit for speech and debate
29:36-30:15 Training for judges
30:15- Outro
Transcript
Click here to see the full transcription.
Soundtrack by Poddington Bear
Photo by Hart Van Denburg/Colorado Public Radio
We speak with Dr. David C. Bloomfield, Professor of Education Leadership. Law & Policy at Brooklyn College. David Bloomfield condemns the social Darwinism and...
Margaret Blachly of Bank Street’s Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice describes how to fit materials, curriculum, and relationships together to create an emotionally safe...
Jia Lee, NYC special education teacher and union activist, talks about the unfairness of the Fair Funding Formula, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the tendency...
