WDI Blogs

WDI establishes partnership with Singapore debate organization and Ministry of Education

Mon, 4 Sep 2006 14:52:45 -0400

PHOTO: Loke Wing Fatt with family Here is a report from Loke Wing Fatt about exciting new initiatives he will carry out with the cooperation of the World Debate Institute and the Singapore Ministry

WDI Asia grand final round

Mon, 4 Sep 2006 14:49:49 -0400

PHOTO: Sadists on the left and Very Reasonable People on the right. VRP won the finals 26-19 on a house vote. The World Debate Institute Asia concluded on Sunday with two preliminary rounds of debate

WDI Asia winding down

Mon, 4 Sep 2006 14:30:34 -0400

PHOTO: Logan Belavigendran (crouching next to me) and I pose with a group of students we have been working with at WDI Asia The one week workshop is drawing to a close as the tournament starts today,

World Debate Institute Asia Schedule & Structure

Mon, 4 Sep 2006 14:26:23 -0400

PHOTO: Christy Bradley, USA, Bojana Skrt, Slovenia and Hafiedz Iqbal, Malaysia Posted by: Alfred Snider WDI also has sister programs in Europe and Asia. I want to report on the schedule and structur

WDI blog will be updated during the year, so check back!

Thu, 10 Aug 2006 11:53:22 -0400

Photo: John Meany poses with students he has worked with as the program ends Posted by: Alfred Snider WDI 2006 ends today, but the blog will continue. The blog will offer additional information unt

Last day is, of course, debate day

Thu, 10 Aug 2006 11:27:56 -0400

Photo: Marcelo Rivera Olave debates Posted by: Alfred Snider How else? Two debates for the policy debaters. Four debates for the parliamentary debaters. At 4:30 PM the final meeting of the five-we

Debate in Spanish filmed

Thu, 10 Aug 2006 11:15:18 -0400

Photo: Kate Shuster poses with debaters from Latin America Posted by: Alfred Snider On Wednesday a group of debaters got a much easier assignment than they had been used to. There are six debaters a

How do you prepare to debate about major issues without knowing the topic?

Tue, 8 Aug 2006 15:41:51 -0400

Photo: Me debating in Korea last year Posted by: Alfred Snider How do you debate a topic that you have been given 15-20 minutes to prepare for? Parliamentary debaters face this challenge on every de

Electives Monday & Tuesday

Mon, 7 Aug 2006 09:42:57 -0400

Photo: Old Mill/Lafayette complex, air conditioned and where all programs are based in weeks 4 & 5 Posted by: Alfred Snider The College Policy Debate Workshop and the NFA-LD Debate Workshop have

Many debates on Sunday

Sun, 6 Aug 2006 18:33:26 -0400

Photo: Tansy Woan gets dramatic in her rebuttal Posted by: Alfred Snider Sunday was a day for everyone to debate. With the morning free for rest and religious observations, the afternoon was busy wi

Parliamentary debate program starts

Sat, 5 Aug 2006 10:35:46 -0400

Photo: John Meany presents the first lecture of the parliamentary debate workshop Posted by: Alfred Snider It started with a brief introductions and then went right into the assessment test. The tes

Last program of the summer begins

Fri, 4 Aug 2006 16:23:15 -0400

Photo: Previous international students at the 2002 parliamentary workshop, Alvaro Ferrer (as a student) is in the blue shirt in the front row, now he is an instructor Posted by: Alfred Snider Today

Alvaro Ferrer del Valle from Chile

Fri, 4 Aug 2006 16:18:51 -0400

Photo: Alvaro Ferrer fresh off the plane from Chile Alvaro Ferrer is one of the most talented and enthusiastic debate trainers in Latin America. He is a graduate of WDI and is now returning as an Int

Midweek debate frenzy at WDI

Wed, 2 Aug 2006 15:42:12 -0400

Photo: Evidence sorting in the Casey decision Posted by: Alfred Snider It is all going on at once. Theory, practice, debating, researching and everything in-between. People are now pretty well grou

Feedback on the Middle School workshop

Tue, 1 Aug 2006 14:57:14 -0400

Photo: We cannot legally post photos of the middle school students, but here is a photo of Lisa Heller Boragine with her new baby. Posted by: Lisa Heller Boragine: I just brought my niece to the WDI

Teachers stage sample classroom debate

Tue, 1 Aug 2006 14:54:36 -0400

PHOTO: Jennifer LeTourneau cross examines Glenn Steinman at the World Debate Institute Posted by: Alfred Snider At the World Debate Institute going on this summer at the University of Vermont there

NFA LD Workshop going on!

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 14:29:20 -0400

Photo: NFA-LD students Joe and Endo relax and chat with James Thomas of Cornell University Posted by: Alfred Snider One college debate format that is growing in popularity is National Forensic Assoc

College Policy Debate Workshop Schedule

Sun, 30 Jul 2006 15:36:43 -0400

Photo: Sarah Snider prepares to lecture about the Casey decision Posted by: Alfred Snider WDI COLLEGE POLICY DEBATE WORKSHOP 2006 JULY 29 Sat 9 AM Welcome and introduction 9:30 AM Student assess

Saturday & Sunday begin college programs

Sun, 30 Jul 2006 15:15:15 -0400

Photo: Dr, Kevin Kuswa explaining the finer points of the Milliken decision to students in a small group meeting Posted by: Alfred Snider Students for two college debate programs, the National Colle

Faculty for weeks four and five

Sun, 30 Jul 2006 15:05:36 -0400

Photo: Chris Langone ponders a legal question in a small group meeting Posted by: Alfred Snider Here are the faculty members for weeks four and five, our college student programs. Kevin Kuswa, Univ

Tournament ends, teachers finish and the high school programs are over

Sun, 30 Jul 2006 14:44:37 -0400

Photo: Last minute research Posted by: Alfred Snider The day featured round three of the tournament in the morning, which was power paired. Every debate started on time with very student ready to sp

Tournament starts today, Thursday

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 15:48:27 -0400

Photo: Shana Bryce judges a debate Posted by: Alfred Snider Students had a chance this morning to meet in their small groups and handle some issues that still concerned them, issues of skill (“How

Monday is research day

Wed, 26 Jul 2006 15:04:32 -0400

Photo: After evidence is produced, it is placed in sets for the teams to pick up. All copying is free at WDI Posted by: Alfred Snider Monday was a very intense day -- all day the students researched

Two full debates, preparation, pool and a movie

Wed, 26 Jul 2006 15:01:14 -0400

Photo: Students listening to a judge critique them Posted by: Alfred Snider Tuesday started strong and ended with some recreation. The students have been working hard, but they need a break and some

Debate Across the Curriculum Teacher Workshop this week

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 17:04:12 -0400

Photo: Teachers who put on a sample debate pose with Snider and Bojana Skrt Posted by: Alfred Snider Increasingly debating is being used to liven up classroom environments as well as improve learnin

How beach day became bowling day

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 13:10:51 -0400

Photo: Generic bowling picture Posted by: Alfred Snider Sunday was beach day. The students were excited and after a week of intensive academic work, the idea of swimming and frolicking on the beach

Saturday is debate day

Sat, 22 Jul 2006 13:57:38 -0400

Photo: Pasesky and Lantz are ready as they leave the Theatre for their Saturday afternoon practice debate Posted by: Alfred Snider Well, everyday at WDI is probably debate day, but Saturday definite

Coach/Teacher workshop ends

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 14:46:19 -0400

Photo: Two teachers talk with John Meany Posted by: Alfred Snider Students are not the only people at WDI this summer. This week there has been a coach/teacher workshop so that teachers and debate c

Notes from our intern

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 09:35:11 -0400

Photo: Ciara McCormick Posted by: Ciara McCormick This summer of 2006 I have been interning for the World Debate Institute at the University of Vermont. I have to say that it’s been a fairly uneve

A full day on one concept -- how we teach

Wed, 19 Jul 2006 15:21:32 -0400

Photo: Jackie Massey of the University of Oklahoma talks to a small group of students on Wednesday. Posted by: Alfred C. Snider One prize-winning teacher remarked that students learn best when they

Here comes the topic...

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 14:19:03 -0400

PHOTO: Students examining some materials Posted by: Alfred Snider Tuesday was an important day for high school students at the World Debate Institute. First, the weather took a turn for the better

Faculty for Week Two and Three

Mon, 17 Jul 2006 13:31:27 -0400

The second week of the program began as the National High School Policy Workshop began. Also the Teacher/Coach Workshop began. Here is a list of faculty for these sessions: Katie Baxter-Kauf, Univer

Week one comes to a close...

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 17:05:39 -0400

PHOTO: High school students waving good bye Posted by: Alfred Snider Friday is the last instruction day for the High School Public Debate and also the Middle School Public Debate workshops. The day

Busy, busy Thursday....

Thu, 13 Jul 2006 16:55:56 -0400

PHOTO: Legal requirements mean we cannot post any photos of the middle school students, but they are really cute! So, here are some high school students on their break between sessions, standing on th

More than just debate skills, success skills

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 15:44:29 -0400

PHOTO: Students swarm Kate Shuster with questions Posted by: Alfred Snider High School students at the Public Debate Workshop had a pause in their intensive debate training today, but that pause was

Hard work and long hours

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 11:23:53 -0400

PHOTO: Nick Landsman-Roos and Stephanie Kimerer, both college national champions, wait for small group activities with the students to start POSTED BY: Stephanie Kimerer I have been working closely

National Middle School Public Debate Workshop features top expert

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 10:24:20 -0400

PHOTO: Kate Shuster’s photo from the Middle School Public Debate Program’s website at http://middleschooldebate.com/ , a great place to get more information about middle school debating Posted by: Al

National High School Public Debate Workshop begins...

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 10:07:19 -0400

PHOTO: John Meany of the Claremont Colleges calls the session to order Monday morning Posted by: Alfred Snider Twenty aspiring young debaters met for the first time under the instruction of John Mea

First students of summer 2006 arrive

Sun, 9 Jul 2006 14:45:13 -0400

Posted by: Alfred Snider Today is the day that it starts. Students at the National High School Public Debate Workshop as well as students at the National Middle School Public Debate Workshop began a