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Room for Debate
By Stephanie Trautman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Variety of experts debate topics, but depth, info limited.
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A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this website.
Videos and Photos
Room for Debate
Community Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
An Interesting Tool for Debate
What’s It About?
ROOM FOR DEBATE is the New York Times' opinion site where knowledgeable outsiders share perspectives on news events. The site's home page displays several recent posts from the site's "panelists," and users can explore all public posts via the navigation at the top of the page. Users can then comment on the issues raised in these essays. Responses appear in two columns -- for and against -- below the topic's description. Users can also create a free account using an email address or a social media account (Twitter, Facebook, or Google accounts all work). Readers then can submit their own Debates or Discussions, tag them with a category from the premade list, add an image, add other tags to offer further description, and then add "panelists" for the conversation.
Is It Any Good?
There are some debates and some content started already on this discussion site, but their accuracy and impact are pretty limited. There are pockets of content that are strong; for example, there's some good content on Haiti that brings up issues kids might not have considered, and there are some (highly technical) questions about Web development that might appeal to some more tech-minded types.
That being said, there's really not a lot here, and there aren't good safeguards in place (such as dedicated moderators) to prevent debates and discussions from devolving into the same flame wars you might find in comment sections or on social media elsewhere. Further, the panelists on the site's premade content have limited authority and don't make especially compelling arguments; few cite credible sources or offer cogent arguments, and they don't offer models that kids or adults should emulate. Additionally, the debates and discussions that include back-and-forths are a little tough to read; it's hard to tell visually which post responds to which. Further, the image-search feature brings up some iffy content when you create your own debates and discussions, making this a questionable resource for the classroom. Overall, this is a great concept for a site, but look elsewhere for a rich experience to support kids' developing debating skills.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about media impact, bias, and opinion. How obvious is it that site discussions are based on one person's opinion?
Families can also talk about the importance of sources. Are your information sources reliable, authoritative, and useful?
Website Details
- Subjects: Language & Reading : forming arguments, reading, text analysis, Social Studies : the economy
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning : analyzing evidence, applying information, asking questions, deduction, investigation, thinking critically, Creativity : combining knowledge, Communication : asking questions, Tech Skills : evaluating media messages
- Genre: Educational
- Pricing structure: Free
- Last updated: January 6, 2017
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