Teachers and administrators who have worked with Argument-Centered Education have given very positive feedback following projects conducted with a variety of middle and high schools over the past three years. Here is a sample.
Video Testimonials
Middle schooler Allison Aguileros explains that classroom debating has made her more ready for college.
Middle schooler Trinity Jackson states that argument-centered instruction has improved her writing and speaking.
It's difficult to narrow the valuable aspects of Argument-Centered Education down. I found their entire project to be awesome. Argumentation activities are very valuable to teach students how to pick a position, defend it with textual evidence, and cite sources while keeping them engaged. Their analytic argument comparisons I found to be a very effective tool in teaching students how to develop better paragraphs and improve their overall writing.
I was amazed by the impact of having to debate about the issues had on my students. Not only did they start to think critically and communicate more clearly in the debates, but I saw these skills start to carry over into how my students conducted themselves in their other work in my class.
If you are stuck planning a lesson or unit that incorporates rigorous topics that align with State Standards, Common Core and AP/IB look no further than Argument-Centered Education.
Argument-Centered Education instructional resources are engaging and stimulate student interest.
[Argument-Centered Education] gives exceptionally valuable and clear workshops. I would rate them as high or higher than any comparable critical-thinking focused agency. But what sets them apart is their follow-up and implementation work. Unlike so many others that are out there, [A.C.E. founder] Les Lynn has had a real impact on instructional practice at [my school].
The work that Mr. Lynn creates is phenomenal, and I am really happy to have had the opportunity to work with him and you will be too.
Les Lynn is a quiet storm in your building, who is an extraordinary teacher coach and thought partner. What is exquisite about the services of Argument-Centered Education is that Les not only provides instruction for teachers, he works with them to create amazing products (lesson plans, strategy templates, student activities) that are rigorous and engaging. Teachers share what they have created, replicate in multiple classrooms and subjects, and develop a stronger sense of pride in their work as a result of working with Mr. Lynn. Even more spectacular, is that Mr. Lynn can provide this support to ANY subject - core or enrichment, which helps build a stronger, collaborative culture around student argumentation. Don't look for a Common Core primer or any quick fix curriculum materials - Mr. Lynn will help you not only create Common Core materials, he will build the capacity of your teachers to meet the instructional demands of Common Core.
I first met Les Lynn through the Chicago Debate League. In meeting with him and his colleague, I expressed my belief in academic debate and the importance of making sure that all students had access to the important aspects of argumentative thinking in curriculum. When I learned that Les Lynn was making the transition to Argument-Centered Education, not only was I happy, my whole staff was ecstatic.
The argument-centered education skills and techniques have now been built into my instructional practice.
I really appreciated how hands-on the training and especially the support really were. That's so different from the kind of PD I am used to.