Debate vs. Dialogue: how dare you have an opinion and stand by it!

These are the instructions given in Pine-Richland classes on how to conduct a Socratic Circle. You will see the judgment against the evil DEBATE, how dare anyone stand by their own beliefs. I wonder what happens to the shy, introverted kids when a significant part of their grades are from their participation in Socratic Circles in the pre-AP and AP English and Social Studies classes – enough part to drop you a letter grade (or more) and enough to make I kid dread taking a class? Is it fair to impact the introvert's chances at getting into the college of their choice because Pine-Richland must follow every Progressive liberal paradigm of education? Why is it ok to just exclude the left-brain, socially awkward students as a permissible form of discrimination, when we all know that some people are BORN THAT WAY? No tolerance for left brainers since "Right-Brain" ala Dan Pink is the flavor of the day.

Adapted from a paper prepared by Shelley Berman, which was based on discussions of the Dialogue Group of the Boston Chapter of Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR).

• Dialogue is collaborative: two or more sides work together toward common understanding.
  
  • Debate is oppositional: two sides oppose each other and
    attempt to prove each other wrong.
    
• In dialogue, finding common ground is the goal.
  
  • In debate, winning is the goal.
    
• In dialogue, one listens to the other side(s) in order to understand, find meaning and find agreement.
  
  • In debate, one listens to the other side in order to find flaws and to counter its arguments.
    
• Dialogue enlarges and possibly changes a participants point of view.
  
  • Debate affirms a participant's own point of view.
    
• Dialogue reveals assumptions for re-evaluation.
  
  • Debate defends assumptions as truth.
    
• Dialogue causes introspection on ones own position.
  
  • Debate causes critique of the other position.
    
• Dialogue opens the possibility of reaching a better solution than any of the original solutions.
  
  • Debate defends one's own positions as the best solution
    and excludes other solutions.
    
• Dialogue creates an open-minded attitude: an openness to being wrong and an openness to change.
  
  • Debate creates a close-minded attitude, a determination
    to be right.
    
• In dialogue, one submits ones best thinking, knowing that other people's reflections will help improve it rather than destroy it.
  
  • In debate, one submits one's best thinking and defends
    it against challenge to show that it is right.
    
• Dialogue calls for temporarily suspending one's beliefs.
  
  • Debate calls for investing wholeheartedly in one's beliefs.
    
• In dialogue, one searches for basic agreements.
  
  • In debate, one searches for glaring differences.
    
• In dialogue one searches for strengths in the other positions.
  
  • In debate one searches for flaws and weaknesses in the other position.
    
• Dialogue involves a real concern for the other person and seeks to not alienate or offend.
  
  • Debate involves a countering of the other position without focusing on feelings or relationship and often belittles or deprecates the other person.
    
• Dialogue assumes that many people have pieces of the answer and that together they can put them into a workable solution.
  
  • Debate assumes that there is a right answer and that
    someone has it.
    
• Dialogue remains open-ended.
  
  • Debate implies a conclusion.