"Conversation should be pleasant without scurrility, witty without affectation, free without indecency, learned without conceitedness, novel without falsehood."
I mean debating!
Published on September 9, 2004 By Sally jacobs In Home & Family
Well I want to go back to school. Not just because it was great fun, and I loved it, but now because they have introduced my dream subject to the curriculum. Children now have what is known as a critical thinking class. They tested it here at one school and now it's going across England. It teaches children how to debate, how to argue. How to spot manipulation of the media, how to spot flaws in arguments. How politicians use arguments to their advantage. It is all very clever, and something that completely fascinates me. They did cover this slightly when I was at college doing media, and even then it got me. Maybe it's because I enjoy a good argument, it sharpens my skills. Especially when I argue a point I don't actually agree with, it's fun to see if you can convince people of something you don't actually agree with yourself.

Am I really geeky for getting into this? Don't answer that, I don't want to know! I just think it's good for kids to do. They do it alongside more traditional subjects, such as law. It's good for them to get a grasp of words. Words are very powerful, and when used correctly, can be very persuasive. I wonder if they will let me join these classes! Hehe, I'm getting all excited! All I have to do is find a school uniform from somewhere, and I'm sorted. I'm still small enough to pass for school age, though having said that, my boobs tell another story. Anywho, I think it's a really good idea, something that will interest students, and something they can see will help them in the real world, rather than all theory work.

Comments
on Sep 09, 2004
I remember reasoning skills in college... I wonder if it is going to be like that....
on Sep 09, 2004
I remember reasoning skills in college... I wonder if it is going to be like that....


I don't know, is that like debating skills and things?
on Sep 09, 2004
It teaches children how to debate, how to argue. How to spot manipulation of the media, how to spot flaws in arguments. How politicians use arguments to their advantage.


This is great, because kids today are all too often surrounded by various sources, trying to sell them something. The more they can realize it and guard against it, the better off they'll be IMO.

JW
on Sep 09, 2004
It wasn't really debating as such...

The Syllabus:

This course surveys forms of reasoning, and students gain skills for identifying strength and weakness both in their own reasoning and in the reasoning they encounter in society. The first unit, Fundamentals of Reasoning, provides basic terms and techniques for considering reasons, repairing arguments and evaluating premises. The second unit, Forms of Inference, considers valid forms of argumentation and various means for refuting arguments. The third unit, Reasoning About Experience, addresses forms of argument that are not fully valid but may be nonetheless strong, and provides techniques for evaluating their strength.
Gaining skill in reasoning requires practicing the techniques, and this course demands regular practice through assignments, both conducted in class and assigned for home. A substantial portion of the grade will be based on this work, and I encourage students to work through the other exercises in the text. In logic classes, even of such informal content as this one, the most common grades are either very high or very low. Regular study and practice will keep you prepared to do the best in this class, and when you apply your reasoning skills outside the classroom.
on Sep 10, 2004
kids today are all too often surrounded by various sources, trying to sell them something. The more they can realize it and guard against it, the better off they'll be IMO.


I totally agree. They are being manipulated and they don't realise, this will give them a better insight.

History it sounds like the same kind of thing. Forming an evaluation of an argument, and the techniques to doing so.

Did you enjoy it? Was it part of a class, or a class of its own? Does that question even make sense?
on Sep 11, 2004
Ohh you've got me all intrigued.....!! I wish I had had this at school too, my partner has read a lot of 'critical thinking books' and is always picking flaws in my arguments.

If you're interested I am trying to read a book at the moment, (little old but still valid...) 'Straight and Crooked Thinking', it goes over the processes of language and arguing skills and how to 'trap' other people. Along the similar subjects and good for the 'adults'... thanks
on Sep 11, 2004
It was a class on its own... with a textbook written in part by the professor. If I remember it correctly... there was quite a bit of newspaper analysis too.
on Sep 11, 2004
'Straight and Crooked Thinking', it goes over the processes of language and arguing skills and how to 'trap' other people.


That does sound interesting! I might try and get hold of that, since I'm to old for school!

with a textbook written in part by the professor


That's all professors do, promote their own books!

there was quite a bit of newspaper analysis too.


Oh! I so want to do something like that!