Collaboration and Discussion are hot topics in the classroom. Students need to be able to work together in order to discuss ideas in order to develop a deeper understanding of the topic. But do the students Actively Listen to Each Other?
Recently my classes took part in an Active Listening Activity in order to discover what it takes to be an active listener.
Students worked in teams of 4. Each student on a team picked a number 1 through 4. Once numbers were given, students completed a task given.
Oh Those 1’s
All students who were 1’s needed to think about a topic they knew a lot about. The other three students on the team were told to not listen- have side conversations, read a book, turn your body away from the speaker. Student one tried to talk but became frustrated that no one wanted to listen. How Rude!
Take Two’s
The 2’s had to think about a topic they knew a lot about. But this time the other students needed to bombard the speaker with questions- whether on topic or not. Student two couldn’t even get the topic out because the questions over took the conversation. FRUSTRATION!
Third Time a Charm-Maybe
The 3’s- same task, think of a topic. The other students in the group were to go off on a tangent about the topic. In other words, talk about how the topic relates to them instead of the speaker. Student three got to introduce the topic but no air time. Hey Listen to ME!
Fabulous Fours
Same procedure-pick a topic. But this time, all students would actively listen and participate. The 4’s could actually discuss their topic and get appropriate responses from their audience! Yay!
Students realized a lot about what it takes to be an active listener. First, students noticed how loud the room was during the first three tasks and by the fourth one- the classroom environment was calm and the discussion was at a lower volume. Secondly, students drew some conclusions.
Some Conclusions Drawn about Active Listening
- eye contact necessary
- body language is important- nodding head, smiling
- staying on topic, asking appropriate questions
- walk away with learning something new about the topic
We look forward to being Active Listeners throughout the year!
I am so happy the kids are learning this! I am a Toastmaster and I noticed three of your take aways are also important factors in giving a speech or presentation: eye contact, body language and for the audience – learning something new.
Students do need to understand their audience. Being an active participant in a discussion is an important skill, and I will continue to promote it in my classroom. Thank you for you comment and example- students need to know how important the skill is in their own lives.