MSPDP Coach Goes to China

Raymond Cree Debate Coach Joanie Wilcox

Raymond Cree Middle School debate coach Joanie Wilcox has been selected for a Fulbright Scholarship to study in China. She will join 11 other middle school and high school social studies teachers and 2 professors from Towson University in Baltimore, spending the month of July traveling throughout China.

“I hope to improve my knowledge of ancient Chinese history as well as learn about modern China,” said Wilcox. “The purpose of the project, A New China View, is to update U.S. teacher and student perspectives about China, past and present.”
Wilcox is entering her 31st year of teaching. For the past 13 years, she has taught 6th grade language arts and social studies at Raymond Cree. For the year of her Fulbright Scholarship, she will work with other teachers to develop a cross-curricular unit to use in language arts and social studies about China, with an emphasis on the changes that are occurring there.

“I've always had an interest in Asia, since I spent some time in Japan when I was in high school,” said Wilcox. “I actually credit debate with stimulating my interest in China. Researching and discussing issues about Wal-Mart, the G8, the UN, and other topics has made me realize how important China(and India are to the US economy. I think that today's students need to understand as much as they can about the Chinese people, because China is becoming a superpower that they will be dealing with as adults.”

Four years ago, Wilcox became the debate coach at Raymond Cree. She had no background in debate when she started, but quickly became one of the most successful coaches in the Desert Valleys Debate League. Her students have won many dozens of individual and team awards during her coaching tenure. Her daughter Vanessa was a star middle school debater and is now a very successful debater in the High School Public Debate Program (HSPDP), representing Palm Springs High School.

“In a time of teaching to the test and trying to raise test scores for the struggling students, debate gives the stronger students a chance to stretch their brains and really learn some interesting things,” said Wilcox. “I like that it forces them to look at both sides of an issue, and hopefully that skill will stay with them as adults. I'm always amazed at what these kids are capable of doing. My daughter is a debater at Palm Springs High School, and her favorite magazine is The Economist. I love the idea that most of my debaters could out-argue an adult on most of the topics!! And it never hurts to learn how to argue and discuss ideas in a rational, civil way.

To read more about Joanie Wilcox’s trip to China, visit:
http://grad.towson.edu/fulbright_hays/activities.htm