SVUDL Goes to Boston
From August 14th - August 18th, SVUDL staff Dr. Robert Burns (Director of Programming) and Rachel Zubrin (Program Specialist) flew to the glorious city of Boston to learn from experts in the field of Debate Centered Instruction (DCI). They were welcomed by the Boston Debate League, who hosted this amazing opportunity in the form of a week-long professional development session. A glorious friendship was forged between the two leagues, and together they will continue to fight for the right to debate inside the classroom!
The Boston Debate League (BDL) offers debate and argumentation programs for young people in Greater Boston, with a commitment to serving students of color and other students who have been denied these educational opportunities. The BDL tailors their programs to address the educational inequities they experience, and strives to create inclusive learning communities where all participants are welcome and supported in achieving the transformative, lifelong benefits of debate.
The Boston Debate League is an enthusiastic provider of the Debate-Inspired Classroom program. BDL’s Instructional Coaches work with teachers, school leaders, and entire school communities to cultivate exciting and buzzing classrooms in which students experience both rigor and joy in learning. The BDL’s team of Instructional Coaches provide professional development and 1:1 support to educators at partner schools across content areas and grade levels.
This model is teacher-driven; teachers design and implement their Debate Inspired Curriculum using tools and guidance provided by the BDL.Once a year, teachers within the BDL congregate to host a workshop to inspire other teachers on how to use DCI to elevate student voices and increase engagement within the classroom. Within the BDL’s annual workshop, educators learn to utilize the Debate-Inspired Classrooms instructional approach in order to create classroom communities where students build argumentation skills; talk with, question, and collaborate with each other; and lead and learn from one another. These are essential skills that give students power and agency over their own education. This year, SVUDL had the honor of being in attendance.
This Debate Centered Instruction workshop featured three different tracks, allowing teachers to learn from their DCI-experienced peers on how to develop lesson plans that meet the needs of their curriculum. The options included a STEM track, a General Humanities track, and an Advanced Humanities track. Rachel Zubrin enrolled in the STEM track, while Dr. Burns enrolled in the Humanities track.
“This was an incredibly valuable experience! It was so wonderful to be able to see how debate can be used effectively to increase knowledge and engagement within the realm of math and science. The best activity was when we all designed and defended a superhero using our knowledge of chemistry. It was the first time I felt actively enthusiastic to learn about how different molecules react to one another!” says Rachel Zubrin.
SVUDL has an ongoing commitment to serving teachers within our community by providing them with tools to utilize the educational and inspirational value of debate within their classrooms. In September, SVUDL will be hosting a professional development session for high school teachers in San Jose, using much of what we have learned from our time in Boston. The Boston Debate League and SVUDL will continue to work together, learn together, and thrive together as we pursue equitable and empowering education!
