Active Listening

The resource "From Seatwork To Feetwork" by Ron Nash has led me to reflect more carefully about how I do things in my classroom and to ask myself "Are ALL of my students actually engaged in their own learning?" I am now on a mission to reflect on my classroom processes to add more active student learning for my students. How refreshing! The first day will be all about Active Listening. This is the lesson so far. Without giving the students any information place the Active Listening Cards face down on each desk. (We want our students to build their own understandings and connections). Next have the students pick up the card and stand with a partner somewhere in the room. Then they will take turns sharing the sentence and discussing what the sentences have in common. Then ask them to thank each other, switch cards, hold their new cards in the a air and look for another classmate who has his or her card in the air. Then have the students begin the process over again until everyone has paired and shared several times. Finally the students will return to their seats and record their thoughts on reflection sheets "Skills for Listening" setting the purpose as to list as many listening skills as possible. Ask one or two students to share everyone can add the ideas to their lists. Then have students stand up in pairs and talk about what they have written down. They can add to their lists. Use music to move them from partner to partner. After taking time to do personal reflections discuss what all the cards have in common. The last part of the lesson will be to have the students watch the video. "Talking Twin Babies" As a group discuss how well the babies did with Active Listening. Finally create a class chart with the significant points of Active Listening. This will be our constant guide for the first week of school when we work in partners, whole group and then gradually move into triads and quads using the same Active Listening framework that we have developed as a class.