If you’re interested in personal finance, economics and debating, then read on to learn more about how the DM X HSBC collab course is going, according to Future Skills mentor Anthony...
This is the third cycle of the HSBC X DM Future Skills High Impact Project and what a cycle it has been thus far!
To celebrate, here's a mid-term update of the exciting course content covered in the first half term, according to one of our mentors, Anthony:
Week 1:
The course kickstarted with a focus on how to communicate confidently and effectively! To put this into practice, students participated in one of our most-loved activities, The Balloon Debate! As a part of this, students were challenged to convince the group why their chosen famous figure deserves to remain aboard a sinking hot air balloon.
This activity had little to do with who the students actually picked and everything to do with how convincingly they pitched it to the group. Using compelling stylistic speaking techniques therefore played a large part in how successfully they argued their case. Students were encouraged to use eye contact, intonation, hand gestures and more in order to better engage and convince the group of their point of view- a key debating skill!
Students then had the opportunity to further practice these newly acquired skills in the pitch and sell activity, where they were challenged to use speaker style to convince the group to purchase their rather boring household object.
Week 2:
The following week, students turned their attention to the importance of speech structure when communicating with others. Having been introduced to the PEEL structure, they had the opportunity to put this into practice during their first debate on the very topical motion,
'This House believes that everyone has equal responsibility for the environment.'
Students were quick to raise the need for collective responsibility whilst pointing to the need for greater environmental care by big businesses and corporations globally.
Week 3:
At the beginning of the programme, mentors had asked their students the following question : 'What do you hope to achieve from this programme?' Mentor Davida from Club Indigo asked the question again of her students in Week 3 and interestingly, one of her students responded with:
"I want to own a business one day with my name on the wall. I want a nice life and I know I will learn skills today that will help me achieve it."
The focus of week 3 was responding strategically to the arguments of others. As a part of this, students were introduced to 2 key debating techniques, rebuttal and Points of Information.
They then had the opportunity to utilise these skills in their very first debate in the second half of the session, on the controversial motion,
'This House prefers a technology-free classroom'.
By the end of the debate, both sides reflected on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the utility of technology that has now become so synonymous with education globally.
Students were also impressively competitive- mentor Dana ruled in Club Aqua that their debate ended in a tie, when one of her students was quick to say that she was extremely competitive and would make sure she won the next debate! What great debating spirit!
As a whole, the first half of this Future Skills High Impact Project has been enjoyed by both students and mentors.
I for one have learnt very much about the ways in which technology has helped our students feel more connected and the importance of debating in the lives of our students personally.
This course is one that I believe all students would benefit from immensely!
