{"id":580,"date":"2022-08-05T14:41:06","date_gmt":"2022-08-05T14:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/support.kialo-edu.com\/hc\/uncategorized\/try-out-a-kialo-classroom-debate-for-high-school\/"},"modified":"2024-08-15T01:22:32","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T01:22:32","password":"","slug":"try-out-a-kialo-classroom-debate-for-high-school","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/support.kialo-edu.com\/en\/hc\/try-out-a-kialo-classroom-debate-for-high-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Try Out a Kialo Classroom Debate for High School"},"content":{"rendered":"

To try out Kialo Edu for the first time, we recommend starting with a classroom debate. Having a classroom debate with students is the simplest and easiest way to see Kialo Edu in action, and requires very minimal preparation and planning.<\/p>

There are two ways to set up the classroom debate: either by using a pre-built Kialo Topic Templates, which is quicker; or by creating your own discussion.<\/p>

Step 1: Create your own account on Kialo Edu<\/h2>

If you haven’t yet signed up for Kialo Edu:<\/p>

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  1. Open the Sign Up page<\/a> by clicking the blue Sign Up<\/strong> button on Kialo Edu.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Sign up with your Google, Microsoft, or Clever account, or your email address.<\/li>\n<\/ol>

    If you have any issues, see Creating an Account<\/a> for more information.<\/p>

    Step 2: Create a discussion on Kialo Edu<\/h2>

    If you’re looking for inspiration, the Kialo Edu Topic Library<\/a> contains hundreds of ready-to-go discussions searchable by age range and subject. Alternatively, you can create your own discussion on any topic you choose.<\/p>

    To use a pre-built Kialo Template<\/h4>
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    1. Open the <\/strong>Topic Library<\/strong><\/a> and find the Kialo Template to use in your class discussion.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
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      \n Tips:<\/em>\n\t\t

      There’s a ‘Just for Fun \/ Icebreakers’ category — great for quick discussions to help students familiarize themselves with Kialo.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>

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      1. Click a Template<\/strong> to preview it. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Click the <\/strong>blue Use Template <\/strong>button at the top of the discussion to make a copy of the template you want to use in your class.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Choose to Include starter claims <\/strong>to give your students a prompt, or start with a blank discussion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. Click Skip rest and create<\/strong> in the bottom-right of the window.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      5. Welcome to your Kialo discussion!<\/li>\n<\/ol>

        To create your own discussion<\/h4>
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        1. Think of the thesis you’d like your students to discuss<\/strong>. A good thesis for a Kialo discussion is debatable, with plenty of room to argue for or against different positions. See Writing an Effective Thesis for Student Discussions<\/a> for more information.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. On the My Kialo<\/a> page, click the Create Discussion<\/strong> button in the top-right corner.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. Select a single-thesis discussion<\/strong>. Multi-thesis discussions can quickly become complicated for students not familiar with Kialo.<\/strong> <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        4. Choose a name for your discussion<\/strong>. Usually, the name is the question students should tackle, like “Does pineapple belong on pizza?” or “Does free will exist?”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        5. Write a thesis for your discussion<\/strong>. A good thesis is often just an affirmative answer to the question, like “Pineapple belongs on pizza” or “Free will exists.” The key is that it’s a statement students can agree or disagree with.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        6. Click Skip rest and create<\/strong>, unless you have specific settings you want to configure for the discussion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        7. Welcome to your Kialo discussion! <\/li>\n<\/ol>
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          If you’d like, you can now add some ‘starter claims’ that will help spark the discussion. A good starter claim is a very basic, general argument that supports or refutes the thesis. It should act like an effective “umbrella” for supporting arguments.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>

          Step 3: Share the discussion with students<\/h2>

          Kialo Edu’s Instant Access<\/a> feature allows students to immediately enter a discussion with no need for sign ups or logins.<\/p>

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          1. In your discussion, click the Share<\/strong> button in the top-right corner.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. Check the box to enable Instant Access<\/strong>.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n
          3. Share the newly generated sharing link<\/strong> and\/or the QR code<\/strong> with your students.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
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            Be careful sharing the sharing link and QR code! Anyone with the link or code can use them to access the discussion.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>

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            1. That’s it! Let the discussion begin!<\/li>\n<\/ol>

              Like Kialo Edu? Have students register for future discussions<\/h2>

              If you plan on using Kialo Edu in the future, students should ideally have their own accounts and be part of the same Kialo Team<\/a>, making it easier for you to invite them to more discussions. You can use any of the below methods:<\/p>

              Have students create their own accounts<\/strong><\/p>

              The easiest way to organize new student accounts is to invite your students by email to a Team<\/a>. When your students sign up, their accounts will be automatically added to the team.<\/p>

              To create a team:<\/p>

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              1. On the My Kialo<\/a> page, click the Teams<\/strong> tab at the top.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              2. Click the blue New Team<\/strong> button.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              3. On the new team’s page, select the Members<\/strong> tab.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              4. At the top, click the button to enable the Team Invite Link<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              5. Share the newly generated Team Invite Link<\/strong> and\/or QR code<\/strong> with the class.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              6. Repeat this process for all your classes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>

                Once students are in a team together, you can invite an entire team to a discussion<\/a> the same way you would an individual user.<\/p>

                Import a Google Classroom<\/strong><\/p>

                You can import a Google Classroom roster<\/a> directly into a Team<\/strong> on Kialo Edu. This will automatically create accounts for students using their Google Classroom email addresses. Students can then log into Kialo Edu using the Continue with Google<\/strong> button.<\/p>

                Managed Accounts<\/strong><\/p>

                If you’d like to maximize control over your students’ Kialo Edu accounts (or skip the hassle of students creating their own), you can create accounts through Managed Accounts<\/a>. This way, you create and manage students’ usernames, passwords, and associated emails for them.<\/p>

                Further Reading<\/h2>

                If you like Kialo Edu and want to learn more, we’ve written educator-specific articles which you may find helpful on how to best get to grips with, and utilize, Kialo Edu:<\/p>