Active Listening

 

(image source: https://kidsenglishthailand.org/blog/an-insight-into-active-learning)

 The above link is a really awesome resource on active learning!

Active learning is a teaching method that involves the students actively participating in the learning process, rather than passively listening and learning. Active learning is becoming more common now with the use of technology and engaging the students. Instead of creating a slide deck and reading it word for word to your students, try creating a slide deck that has breakout times for students to discuss the topic and how they interpret it.

As I learned from the module in class there are several different strategies that are housed under active learning. Looking through this list, the first one that popped out at me was picture prompts. A picture prompt can be defined as showing a picture to your students without giving an answer and have them identify it and justify their answers. This strategy gets the students engaged and involved in the lesson and learning. This strategy can be done as a whole group lesson, small group lesson or even individual. you can have the students' raise their hands to answer what they interpret the picture to be and what the subject may be about or you could have students talk to one another to discuss how their viewpoints differ. Individually you could have the students write about it in a journal assignment and share if they would like. 

This strategy sets up an environment for active participation with your students. I actually do this in my book club session every week. Currently we are reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I create Google Slides to create a lesson breaking down the book. First we start with vocabulary used in the reading, then we do a picture walk through, after we read the chapters that I assign. The picture walk though, as I call it, is just like a picture prompt with active learning. I show a picture from the reading and ask what the students think is happening in the picture. I may give leading questions because my students need that but mostly they answer on their own. One student may answer differently than the other and I reassure that is ok, it is all about your perspective. 

In doing this, I am one, giving myself a break from talking and two giving the students' the chance to be involved and thinking about our reading. I find it to be a fun way of seeing from the students viewpoint. I have also seen this done in my co-teachers lessons when discussing a topic. He shows a few pictures and asks what the students think the picture is, how they may feel, what is going on in the background, etc. I was in the classroom for this lesson and it was awesome to see the engagement from the students and their comments about the pictures. Seeing this in action I have plans to use this strategy more with other lessons and pass it along to my fellow teachers!