Forensics and Faith
Sometimes the most important twenty-first century skill is a first century one . Speech and words are theologically important , as the apostle Peter reminds us : “ in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy , always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you …” The power of words and the tongue lies not only in proscription or abuses , but also in proclamation of hope .
CPA Upper School launched its inaugural Speech and Debate program this year , striving to equip students with the power of words , the practiced skill of communication , and the ability to be a critical thinker , listener , and speaker in a world of noise . Currently an Upper School Latin and Biblical Studies teacher at CPA , I have taught for 11 years since my time at Vanderbilt studying English , Political Science , Music , and Forensics . I am grateful that my training and experience in competitive speech and debate during high school and college has made me more aware of the centrality of rhetoric in our lives .
According to Aristotle , rhetoric is “ the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion .” At our podium , we engage his three means of persuasion : ethos , pathos , and logos . Ethos is the speaker ’ s credibility , the ethical ramifications of their message . Pathos speaks to emotion , the appeals of the heart made to the audience . Logos indicates a logical path of reasoning from point A to point B . Any effective voice must include all three . Whether my students engage in a prepared oratory or an unprepared dramatic dialogue , by referencing these three pillars of rhetoric , they craft their message around
CPA faculty members hosted four-day professional development workshops on campus for other Academy faculty , as well as educators from The Covenant School and Preston Taylor Ministries .
The Collaborative featured expert-led discussions and presentations on growing in teaching and learning excellence . Fifteen different sessions offered attendees insight into topics ranging from storytelling and Christian worldview in the classroom , to technology integration and methodology .
My vision for The Collaborative is to give teachers space to both showcase their strengths as presenters and grow professionally as they dialogue and collaborate with one another .
Instructor of Third Grade Meg Terry ’ s presentation , Deepening Student Understanding through Project-Based Learning and Visible Thinking , spoke to achieving authentic , engaging , and transformative experiences in the classroom .
By Ben Crist , US / MS Instructor
... the best communicators of any age pare down what they are saying until the essence of the truth compels in unadorned simplicity .
The Collaborative By Dr . Dawn Ruff , Academic Dean
understanding and loving their audience . Ultimately , this is how we train Christ followers to engage in world culture .
I . A . Richards calls rhetoric “ the art of removing misunderstanding .”
Rather than heaping up words , postures , and positions , the best communicators of any age pare down what they are saying until the essence of the truth compels in unadorned simplicity .
Students at CPA are constantly communicating — with teachers , coaches , peers , and the inexhaustible conversation of the Internet — and need all the help they can get . We have lots of ways to amplify our voice , social media being just one . What we ’ re finding as a culture is that just having a louder voice doesn ’ t mean we ’ re getting our point across . Sometimes we get closer to true communication if we focus on taking things away . At the heart of communication is love : if I love my audience , I ’ m going to choose examples that are relevant and poignant : If I love my audience , I ’ m going to speak on a level that will connect with them .
How do we deal with our assumptions about the world , and how do we reconcile competing values ? Ultimately this is how students will practice for critical conversations of faith beyond the Academy . CPA has a tradition of excellence in theatre and the arts . Forensics , a term for competitive speech and debate , is a natural area of growth for our students . We are able to train apologists for the faith and provide tools for processing the dilemmas of life .
After removing all the misunderstanding to which we are prone in this world , we come right to the simple , beautiful truth . The Savior has come and done what we could not .
“ Using this setting to sharpen one another will help us continually improve classroom experience . My workshop focused on implementing two methods of learning that were wildly successful in my classroom this year ,” says Terry . “ Both project-based learning and visible thinking hinge on student collaboration with peers , creativity , and action-oriented learning .”
Instructor of Third Grade Beth Graham commented on the importance of continual improvement as a deep connection with student learning : “ Jen Wilkin wrote , ‘ The heart cannot love what the mind does not know .’ Knowing our students or our trade well means a deep love can exist because deep connection can be made . We strive towards our calling as life-long learners and collaborate with one another to do so .”
Other presentations spoke to curricular technology , the management role of a teacher , cultivating a true love of reading , and more . A new session of The Collaborative will take place in Summer 2018 .
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