Monday, November 12, 2012

Worksessions - This Week & Next Week

We are cancelling a couple of the worksessions for this week and next week. Here is the updated schedule.

M, 11/12 @ 2:45 pm
T, 11/13 @ 6:00 pm
TH, 11/15 - CANCELLED

M, 11/19 @ 2:45 pm
T, 11/20 - CANCELLED

There will be two more weeks of worksessions after Thanksgiving break as we prepare for the final two tourneys of the semester. Remember that novice students are assigned 6 hours of time (360 minutes) and varsity students are assigned 8 hours of time (480 minutes). Each worksession minute of time equates to .5 points.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Team & Class Updates for 11/9/12

Quite a few updates for today, both team-related and class-related. I'll start with team stuff first, then detail updates for each class.



LSDF TEAM UPDATES

Applebee's Pancake Breakfast!
Next Saturday, November 17, is our Applebee's all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast. Today, students were given two tickets to sell by next Friday. Each ticket is only $6, making their initial responsibility only $12. If students want or need extra fundraising time requirements, they may sell extra tickets. Each additional ticket beyond the two required will count as five minutes of fundraising time.

Two Tourneys Remaining This Semester
Believe it or not, but our first semester of competition will be coming to a close sooner than we realize! After this weekend, there are two tourneys remaining for the fall semester. They are William Chrisman/Truman on Nov 30-Dec 1 and Raytown/Raytown South on Dec 7-8. Both a novice and varsity division will be offered each weekend. Sign-up sheets are available in the classroom, and the deadline to sign up for WC/TRU is Nov 16 (Next Friday).



CLASS/INSTRUCTIONAL UPDATES

Debate I

Novice debaters were assigned homework for the weekend related to Extemporaneous Speaking. Extemp is an individual event in which many students on our team will compete, and all students are strongly encouraged to participate, at least a few times, in it. The reading is fairly short and easy to go through. Students need to have this read by Monday's class so that we can go over all the rules, regulations, and how-to prep info in class.

Today (Friday, 11/9), students were to turn in two items to the tub or to me. The first is the Review of Policy Debate, which we went over in class this week and last. The second item is a CX Affirmative Case Review activity, which asked students to take an in-depth look at their affirmative policy debate case and analyze its structure along with its potential flaws. After today, these assignments are late. Students have been given the past two weeks to complete both of these activities, including class time, worksession time, and homework time.


Debate II

Students are continuing their work for future tournaments. It is expected of advanced students to continually be revising their work and submitting (or resubmitting) items via Google Drive. Eventually, they will need to turn in a paper copy of a final draft case and a final draft speech or script. Students should also be keeping thier portfolio folders (progress through the semester) updated with tournament items, work items, class evaluations and rehearsal notes, etc.

Next week, students wishing to learn more about how to strategically compete in public forum debate will find the in-class sessions helpful. For students not competing in public forum, there will be a structured research activity to help guide them in finding better, more updated evidence than what they currently possess.

Drama

Students are trying out new individual events this weekend at Ray-Pec, and will gain valuable insight as to how to improve the quality of their pieces, blocking, and overall performance. This feedback will be used as we continue striving for progress. Students will eventually turn in a fully blocked script with an introduction for a grade, and should be keeping their portfolio folders updated with tournament items, rough drafts, class rehearsal notes and critiques, etc.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Update 10/29/12

1. Nov 9-10 Tourney Sign-up Deadline!
Students wishing to attend the Grandview or Ray-Pec tourneys on Nov 9-10 MUST SIGN UP BY 2:30 PM, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30. Sign-ups are now posted on Google Drive (drive.google.com). Students must log in with their R7 account, then click on "shared with me." Once there, they need to click on the "Admin-Tourney Sign-ups" folder and click on the appropriate tourney. Students should only add their name if they meet the following requirements: a) they can commit to the entire weekend, b) they have secured a partner if needed for CX, PF, or DUO, and c) they can be prepared for the tourney in time, including submitting all needed documents via Google Drive. Students should type in their names using the appropriate format (ex: NSmith).


2. Worksessions this Week
We will offer all three worksessions this week. All worksessions are two hours in length.
Mon @ 2:45 pm
Tue @ 6:00 pm
Thu @ 2:45 pm


3. LSW/LSN Tourney Info
We have quite a few students signed up and confirmed for the tourney this weekend (Nov 2-3). An itinerary will be sent out either Tuesday evening or Wednesday with dismissal times, report times, etc. Remember that transportation is not provided via bus for an in-town tourney. Students may drive themselves or find a ride to the appropriate school. LSW is the novice tourney, and LSN is the varsity tourney.

Friday, October 26, 2012

New Technology Uses for Debate

After discussing some options for collaboration and efficient student work with our district technology staff, we have taken the initiative to create a Google Drive account for LSDF. All students in the debate program will be able to access the information in the drive account; however, they must log in to Google Drive via their school email address.

drive.google.com


What types of items are located in the drive account?
* Debate files created by students
* Oratory manuscripts
* Extemp speech/question listing, annotations, research summaries, etc.
* Congress research analyses/briefs.
* Drama scripts with introductions, literature analyses, etc.
* Instructional and administrative forms.

----IN CLASS REHEARSALS BEGIN ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 29. SCHEDULED REHEARSALS ARE POSTED IN THE INSTRUCTIONAL FOLDER IN GOOGLE DRIVE. STUDENTS SHOULD COME TO CLASSES PREPARED TO EITHER REHEARSE OR CRITIQUE.


What will Google Drive be used for?
* Sharing, collaborating, and critiquing other students' work in real time.
* Signing up for future tournaments.
* Keeping updated on current research, ideas, etc.
* The potential is virtually limitless. We will add things and change things as we go.



Students experimented this week uploading and creating items in Google Drive. Novice debaters created their third research brief via Google Drive, and Varsity debaters uploaded their original research brief via Drive. Dramatics students began analyzing new scripts. All students were granted access to the signup sheets for the Nov 9-10 tourneys (Grandview and Ray-Pec).

There are several benefits to using Google Drive. First, students can access the items at any time, from any computer/device connected to the internet. Second, students can upload, create, change, etc., in real time, in addition to collaborating with other students and coaches. All changes made are saved automatically, and since the documents are stored online, they are always accessible. Another major benefit to Drive is that we can begin to save a lot of paper (physically and financially) as students turn in their work online instead of in paper form.

Students in policy debate (all novices and some varsity) may choose to use their own personal laptop or tablet to store files. Computer devices can be used in debate rounds (not cell phones, though), so if students want to store all their files electronically, they can. If they would rather purchase a tub and some file folders, etc., and keep a paper file system, that is also fine. Students using their computers can bring them to school, but they will not be able to access the wi-fi network during the school day.

More updates coming soon!

Monday, October 22, 2012

Instructional Update 10/22/12

As competition season gets into full swing, students should expect much more homework from debate/drama courses. There is obviously only so much time in class to get through a large amount of information, so students should be blocking off a good portion of time at home to read, reread, take notes, and conduct further research on the various topics they are studying. On average, a students should plan to spend at least 30 minutes per night reviewing, reading, researching, rehearsing, etc. This is only an average of time well spent preparing for tournament competitions. Remember that, just like any other activity, debate/drama is a competition, and in order to be great, one must be willing to put in the time and energy to keep improving.

This week's goals:

Debate 1
Create 3 Negative CX Briefs on different case areas. This is nowhere near the total amount of briefs or research that is needed to continually win rounds of debate, but it is a good start. Mixed with a student's consistent reading and rereading of materials from the NDCA website (see the CX Resources page tab), these briefs can be a great addition to the growing tub of research available. This week, students are receiving back their rough drafts of affirmative cases, which should be revised at the student's earliest convenience.

* IN CLASS DEBATES WILL BEGIN NEXT WEEK!

Debate II
Students will be assigned a Briefs Assignment for one of their events. This brief assignment can be modified for any type of debate or speech event. On Friday, students will submit a copy of thier brief for the grade.

* IN CLASS REHEARSALS OF EVENTS BEGIN NEXT WEEK!

Drama
Students are selecting new scripts for potential use in HI/DI. The first step, once a script is selected, is to conduct a mini-analysis. Forms are available in the classroom if students lose their originals. Once the analysis is completed, students should work to memorize as much of their script as possible. On Friday, students will perform a read-through in class, along with a discussion of their mini-analysis. A copy of the script must accompany the mini-analysis, which will be turned in for a grade.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Preparing Students for Competitions

Now that we have hosted our annual invitational tournament, it is time for us to focus on going to competitions. To that end, here are some items that voth varsity and novice students should be doing to help prepare themselves for tournament competitions.


NOVICES

1. Read, read, read, read, read, and REREAD evidence materials. Novices (and varsity) can never read too much information, or reread too many times. Vocabulary is sometimes tricky, and only by reading, rereading, and looking up words in dictionaries and applying those definitions to the reading context will students begin to understand their topics.

Evidence materials for novices can be found at the following link (click on "case negatives"):
http://www.debatecoaches.org/page/open-evidence-project

2. Locate their affirmative case packet. Students will receive their very rough drafts of affirmative policy cases in class on Monday (the ones they turned in); however, students should be familiar with not only their case evidence and arguments, but also extension arguments and answers to potential negative arguments against the case. Locating an appropriate affirmative case packet (i.e. high speed rail - if that's the affirmative case they are using) and reading, reading, and rereading the material can only help them understand their case topic better.

Affirmative case packets can be found by visiting the link above and clicking on "affirmatives."


VARSITY

1. Don't forget that a Tournament Preparation Cover Sheet must be turned in BEFORE THE TOURNEY DATE in order to receive full round-by-round points. Going to tournaments prepared with cases, speeches, scripts, etc., is absolutely essential.

2. In class debates and performances will occur the week of Oct 22-25. Be prepared for these activities when you come to class. If a full debate cannot happen inside class time, be prepared for case readings, negative strategy readings, cross-examinations, speech presentations, interpretation performances, etc. Your rehearsal grade next week will be determined by preparedness and delivery/communication of your information.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Papa Murphy's Fundraiser Tonight!

Don't forget that tonight (9/20) is our Papa Murphy's fundraiser!

Come order some take & bake pizzas from 3-7 pm at the Todd George/Langsford location and help out the team! We get 25% from every order if you do not use coupons or promotions.

Invite your friends, family, neighbors, etc., as well!

Friday, September 14, 2012

Weekly Class Update (9/10-9/14)

Quick update as to what students may want to work on over the weekend.

DEBATE I
We have just finished up our first ever affirmative policy case! I am very excited about what the students created (as a class), and I am even more excited about what we'll get to do next! Over the weekend, students should continue evaluating their peers' cases from the other two hours. They were given an evaluation sheet to use for this activity, as well as a copy of the other two classes' cases. These evaluations are due on Monday. Next week, we will be looking at these cases from the negative perspective of the debate.

DEBATE II
Students have officially declared their second competitive event and have been working diligently to gather research, scripts, and ideas. This is in conjunction with them continuing their work on the first competitive event, including an in-class rough presentation on what they have gathered and organized to date. On Friday, we discussed the grading rubric that will be used for the monthly reading response essays, and extra time was given for students to ensure that they were following the guidelines on the rubric. Their first monthly reading response is now due on Monday, 9/17.

DRAMA
Students have been working on memorizing and dialoguing their chosen script for interpretation. They started the week by presenting a rough version of the performance to the class, and have been working on developing character roles, the plot, and expressing the conflict for the rest of the week. Next week, students will take a look at their completed analysis of the script and beging blocking actions.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Update 9/10/12

Hello everyone!

There are a few things that I wanted to let you know about or remind you of, so today's blog is just titled "update." Please read through the following items, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me (nate.smith@leesummit.k12.mo.us or 986-2061).

1. LSHS Hosted Invitational Tournament Judge Assignment

Our tournament is scheduled for October 12-13 (as stated in the Syllabus and at the first parent meeting), and that date will be upon us before we know it! It is essential that we have enough community volunteers signed up to judge our various events well in advance, and to that end, students have received an assignment to recruit adult judges. They should have taken home a judge form on Friday to show you or to ask you or some other family member or friend to volunteer for some rounds. All judges must be at least 18 years old and must NOT CURRENTLY BE IN HIGH SCHOOL.

Assignment Requirements:
All students must recruit and confirm ONE JUDGE PER ROUND OF COMPETITION, except for the two rounds on Saturday marked as "ASAP" rounds. We have a potential 55 rooms to fill with competitors and judges during the weekend each round, so it is essential that we recruit enough judges to not only cover those rooms, but to also provide extras in case of emergencies. With 65+ students enrolled in the program this year, we should have enough judges for sure if everyone does their job.

Grading:
Each judge = 20 points. Extra judges are extra credit, but students must first secure the required one judge per each of the eight rounds before extra credit is given.

DUE:
Initial judge recruitment is due this Friday, 9/14/12. Please help us out in any way you can, whether it be volunteering for some rounds to judge or helping us recruit.


2. T-Shirt Orders

We are finalizing all sizes and names for T-shirt orders. The student shirts are covered through the competition fees via the syllabus (which do not have to be paid immediately). In order to receive the shirts in time for our tournament on Oct 12, we need to order them by this Friday, 9/14.

If parents, friends, family, etc., would like to have a 2012-13 LSHS Debate shirt, please give me your name and size by this Friday, 9/14. Each non-student competitor shirt is $14, and for these shirts, money DOES need to accompany the order. The shirts are considered "unisex" sizes.


3. Worksessions

This week, there will be a Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday worksession for the kids. Remember that students pick and choose the date/times they can attend, and they only need 6 hours (novice) or 8 hours (varsity) of time for the entire semester. Students may earn extra credit based on the number of minutes they attend at worksessions that is productive. Times/dates of all worksessions are posted on the Calendar page of this blog.


4. Signed Medical Release Forms

If you have not read through the syllabus yet with your child and signed the necessary Medical Release Form, please do so soon. We cannot allow students to compete at tournaments until we have this document on file. Remember that it serves two purposes: that you have read and understand all the provisions of the syllabus, and that you give permission to the coaching staff to have your child treated for medical injuries/illnesses if the scenario arises.


5. Make-up Parent Meeting To Be Scheduled Soon

We are looking for good dates and times to schedule an alternate mandatory parent meeting. Once we get a time/date secured, we will post that to this blog. Please remember that, in order for a student to compete at tournaments, their parent must have attended a mandatory parent meeting. If you absolutely cannot attend the make-up date, an in-person meeting will need to be scheduled with one of the coaching staff members before your child is allowed to attend tournaments.


I believe this is all for today. Feel free to contact me or any of the assistant coaches for more information or if you have questions.

NS

Monday, August 27, 2012

Welcome to the 2012-13 Competitive Season!

WELCOME TO A NEW YEAR!

It's time for another school year and another competitive season! This year (2012-13) promises to be full of energy, high expectations, and lots of great success. We have over 65 enrolled competitors in the program, as well as a few students who will be competing at tournaments who are not enrolled in a debate/drama course.

We've launched this blog site as a resource for our students, parents, and community. With announcements of upcoming events, results and reflections of tournaments, and more, we hope that this blog serves a useful purpose for everyone who has an interest in LSDF. As the year progresses, the site will probably change in form, so we ask that you have patience with us as we adapt to using this technology. For many of us administrators (a.k.a. team staffers), blogging is a fairly new thing.

Since debate is based on discussion and open dialogue, we want to present that to you in the form of this blog. Please feel free to post comments and questions directly on the blog. You may also contact any of the coaches as well as the parent booster president by using the "contact us" feature. Please do not hesitate to ask questions or provide ideas.

And now, time for our first announcement!

MANDATORY PARENT MEETING
(Date) Thursday, August 30, 2012
(Time) 7:00-9:00 PM
(Location) LSHS Lecture Hall

Why do we require a parent meeting?
There are a lot of procedures and protocols used in debate/forensic competition, including transportation issues, competition eligibility, academic vs. co-curricular goals, and much more. It is easier to explain all these things to one large audience than it is to 65+ sets of parents individually. For this reason, we try to get all the parents together at one time so that we can clarify any issues as well as answer any questions parents may have.

Do I need to bring my child?No. The students receive all this information during class time; therefore, it is not necessary for them to attend. However, they are more than welcome to attend if they would like (or if parents would like them to come along).

What if I cannot attend?
We realize that schedules are tight and often packed full with events. To that end, if you know that you will absolutely not be able to attend this mandatory meeting, please contact Nate Smith or another coach ASAP. Students are not allowed to compete until a parent has met with the coaching staff to review the procedures, and if an alternate date is needed, we will need to get that scheduled soon.

What do I need to bring?
A pen or pencil. Everything else will be provided.


We look forward to another outstanding year with a bunch of wonderful students!
Coaching Staff, LSDF