Debate: Creativity Proposal

Please comment on how this activity will help you to achieve the Learning Outcomes as IB CAS requirement?
           I would like to take debate as my creativity activity because I realized that communicating and public speaking are not my best skills. When I talk, I often circle around the subject and not say things directly to the point. Speaking clearly is one of the crucial skills required in the IB course, especially in Group one in which there are many presentations to be done. Thus by taking debate as my creativity activity, I am hoping to improve my communicating and public speaking skills.

I am also hoping to improve my critical thinking skill through this debate activity. By joining the debate club, I will be practiced to be well informed about the events that happened and are happening in the world; but not only that, I will be forced to think critically on how those events relate to a specific subject and how they can be used to support an idea. Critical thinking is another important skill needed in the IB course; thus, I think taking debate as my creativity activity is a wise choice for me.

Learning Outcomes:

• I will increase my awareness of my strengths and areas for growth
• By taking debate as my creativity activity, I will be more aware of my skills in speaking. I will be able to know where I am, my strengths and weaknesses. I will then be able to think and find out ways to improve those weaknesses. 

• Undertaken new challenges
• Since I have never joined a debate club before, this activity will be a new experience for me. I have tried debating during English class twice before, in grade 6 and 11, but I have never learned deeply about the theories of debate (e.g. the mechanism and the terminologies). Thus, taking debate as my creativity activity will be a new challenge for me. 

• Planned and initiated activities
• Last year’s grade 11 students joined a debate competition and won first place. As their junior, I feel obligated to continue what they have done. Now that a debate club is available in school, I can continue what they have done by being one of the ambassadors in debate club in school. 

• Worked collaboratively with others
• Since in debate nothing is done individually, working collaboratively with others is definitely one of the learning outcomes that will be achieved through this activity. In debate, we have to work together with our team. When case building, we have to make sure that everyone in the team understands the motion. We have to make sure that everyone understands what the other person in the team is saying so that there will not be any miscommunication during the debate procession. When the debate is ongoing, the team members have to be able to work together to help make perfect all of the group members’ presentations. 

• Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities
• As the debate club meeting is on Monday, attending it will need perseverance, because Monday will always be a tiring day for everyone including me and also because I have to persevere to complete my school tasks that are due on that day and the next day. 

• Considered the ethical implications of their actions
• Like any other teams, the debate teams will go through a time when there is a clash between its members. It will be our, the students’, responsibility to reconcile and make the situation better. Thus, through this activity, I will be practiced on developing my ethics toward others and also be practiced to think ethically first before doing an action. 

• Develop new skills
• Since I have never learned deeply about debate, I am hoping to learn about new knowledge and skills regarding debate (debate terminologies, mechanism, intimidating tone, fast paced talking, etc.) through this activity.