What's it Like Not to be Heard?
Drawing from his many years of experience, p4cHI founder Dr. Thomas Jackson (Dr. J) shares some of his most memorable moments and significant realizations. These stories provide us with a vibrant and oftentimes inspirational perspective on where p4cHI has come from, what it is, and, indeed, on what it could be.
This week Dr. J shares a powerful story about what happened when students in a Fourth Grade class were deliberately excluded from an inquiry. We learn what it is like to not be heard.
Diversity
I was on a committee that was interviewing applicants for a job. It is very important, the chairperson of our committee explained, for each of us to be objective.
Oftentimes people say that we need to be objective. But it seems to me that what they really mean is that we have to be fair-minded. I'm not at all sure that it is even possible for any one of us to truly be objective. After all, each of us is a subject with our own set of unique experiences, tendencies, and strengths.
But even though objectivity is not a character trait, even though we as individuals may not be able to be objective, I do believe that objectivity is possible. It is attainable through the deliberations of a community of inquirers. While no single inquirer is objective, collectively the community of inquirers can be objective because the individuals can check each others' biases and correct each others' errors. Thinking together, they can transcend the boundaries of subjective perspective.
12 Angry Men
An assumption that lies beneath the community of inquiry approach is that there is tremendous power in bringing together a diverse collection of thinkers. Each on of us has a different background, different experiences, and, so too, different strengths when it comes to thinking. Oftentimes a team of thinkers -- working together, sharing insights, and checking each others' biases -- can arrive at a greater depth of understanding.
How to Improve Listening (Reactive Strategies)
Now we conclude our mini-series on "how to improve listening." This week we turn to "Reactive Strategies." Reactive strategies are the things that you can do to correct the situation when a student is not listening to his/her peers. It's what you do to stop poor listening in its tracks.