Recently I read an article in the New York Times about the impact high school debating had on Judge Ketanja Brown Jackson, who has been nominated by President Biden for the Supreme Court. In the article Judge Jackson was quoted as referring to her debate experience at Palmetto Senior High School in Miami, Florida, as being "the one activity that best prepared me for future success in law and in life." The article indicates that the experience of debating offers a glimpse into how Jackson eventually became a Supreme Court nominee. In The Best Version of Alice, my novel that will be released soon, the central characters are on the debate team in their high school. In previous posts I've talked about debate and what students can learn through debate, and this article confirms my belief about the impact it can have on their success.
In my new novel, it is clear that debate is having an impact on the skills students are learning that will follow them into their adult lives. In Alice's case she is learning to become more confident and able to speak out when she needs to, but the students are all also learning to work together as a team and support one another. When I read about Judge Jackson, I realized that she is a great example of how high school experiences can have a lasting impact on the student's life. If you'd like to read the article about Judge Jackson, here is a link to it:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/26/us/ketanji-brown-jackson-high-school-debate.html?smid=em-share
No comments:
Post a Comment