Listening To And Learning From Students

This book embraces the idea of listening to and learning from students. Although many educational theorists have long argued that incorporating children’s perspectives about teaching and curriculum has the potential for increasing students’ interest and participation in learning, their radical perspectives are still ignored or dismissed in theory and practice. Through featured essays, historical excerpts, and provocative poetry, this collection provides research literature and inquiry ideas that ought to be part of educational debates, policy discussions, and decision makings. Articulated through thoughtful prose and discerning analysis, youth, teachers, and scholars featured in this collection illuminate the power and promise of not only listening to and learning from students, but also acting upon the insights of students. This book calls for the 21st century educational workers--teachers, educators, parents, community workers, administrators, and policy makers--to perceive students as massive reservoirs of knowledge that invigorate possibilities for teaching, learning, and curriculum in the contested educational landscape.

First book to offer a survey of pedagogical listening in conventional and alternative methodologies. Winner of the 2016 Outstanding Book Award presented by the Society of Professors of Education What happens when teachers step back from didactic talk and begin to listen to their students? After decades of neglect, we are currently witnessing a surge of interest in this question. Listening to Teach features the leading voices in the recent discussion of listening in education. These contributors focus close attention on the key role of teachers as they move away from didactic talk and begin to devise innovative pedagogical strategies that encourage active listening by teachers and also cultivate active listening skills in learners. Twelve teaching approaches are explored, from Reggio Emilia’s project method and Paulo Freire’s pedagogy of the oppressed to experiential learning and philosophy for children. Each chapter offers a brief explanation of one of these approaches—its background, the problems it aims to resolve, the educators who have pioneered it, and its treatment of listening. The chapters conclude with ideas and suggestions drawn from these pedagogies that may be useful to classroom teachers. Leonard J. Waks is Professor Emeritus of educational leadership at Temple University and the author of Education 2.0: The Learningweb Revolution and the Transformation of the School.

"In I'm Listening: How Teacher-Student Relationships Improve Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening, author Beth Pandolpho extolls the virtues of strong student-teacher relationships, explains the numerous beneficial effects of these relationships, and provides a guide to building these relationships. As the author points out, many educators believe that building strong relationships with students is mutually exclusive with ambitious educational experiences and academic criticism. Not only is this untrue, but the opposite is the case. As such, this book demonstrates how educators can intentionally build strong relationships with their students. Through these relationships educators can create a classroom environment that is both welcoming to students and rigorously academic. Along with studying the research and theory that support the author's thesis, readers will also study numerous tools, strategies, and practices that can be utilized in the classroom to effectively build these relationships. Through this book, readers will learn how to create a sensitive, caring, and engaging classroom that will provide students with the support they need to develop emotionally and persevere through difficult and demanding coursework"--

How can new and experienced teachers rethink their teaching and learn to embrace and grow from the diversity they encounter among their students? Rather than preparing teachers to follow prescriptions or blueprints, Katherine Schultz suggests that they be given the tools and the opportunity to attend and respond to the students they teach. In this book, she offers a conceptual framework for “deep listening,” illustrating how successful teachers listen for the particularities of each student, listen for the rhythm and balance of the whole class, listen for the broader contexts of their students’ lives, and listen for silence and acts of silencing. Listening in this manner brings together knowledge of individual students, an understanding of a student’s place within the classroom and community, and mastery of subject matter and pedagogy. Featuring the perspectives of students and teachers, this volume proposes new ways of thinking about teaching across all grade levels and subject areas, addressing many of the challenges posed by the current climate of high-stakes testing and standardization. “Teaching requires careful listening. . . . If you want to learn to listen in order to teach really well, and to find your teaching interesting from one year to the next, pay close attention to how these teachers do their daily work.” —From the Foreword by Frederick Erickson “This is a beautifully crafted, wise, humane book that counters the rush to standards and test-taking. In place of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ strategy that constricts learning, Schultz advocates convincingly for a nuanced approach based on ‘listening.’ This is a book every educator from kindergarten through graduate school should read.” —Michael B. Katz, Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History, University of Pennsylvania

Addresses "the systematic development of skills in listening for and interpreting auditory information. Listening skills are a crucial but often-overlooked area of instruction for children who are visually impaired and may have multiple disabilities; they relate to the expanded core curriculum for students and are essential to literacy, independent travel, and sensory and cognitive development."--AFB website

In this wonderful collection, Duckworth and six of her colleagues describe learners (who range in age from five to adulthood) coming to connect with different subject matters—from politics to poetry, medicine to mapping. Their findings not only provide good readable stories, but also offer a unique look at people involved in real learning. “Duckworth and colleagues illustrate, with powerful and lively teaching examples, how theory related to the construction of knowledge by students can be implemented in the classroom. This book is a singular contribution to the literature on teaching and learning.” —James A. Banks, University of Washington, Seattle “Duckworth has given us case studies of ‘mid-wife’ teaching at its very best. We see the fledgling ideas actually developing and gaining strength. Duckworth articulates her craft with the greatest care and insight. She gives her readers the sense they themselves are attendant at the birth of ideas, the miracle of creation.” —Mary Field Belenky, co-author of Women’s Ways of Knowing “Tell Me More is a fascinating and pioneering account of people working together over many weeks, struggling to invent ideas. This book is a must read for teachers and others who want to come to grips with fundamental problems facing all undefeated educators: What is thinking? How does it grow?” —Howard E. Gruber, Teachers College, Columbia University “These essays, in their concrete dailyness, give us a vision of what’s possible, some crafterly advice about how to proceed, and the courage to try.” —Deborah Meier, Principal, Mission Hill Elementary School, Boston

Discover how to engage your students effectively by strengthening their listening skills In Listen Wise: Teach Students to Be Better Listeners, journalist, entrepreneur, and author Monica Brady-Myerov delivers a concise and thoughtful treatment of how to build powerful listening skills in K-12 students. You’ll discover real-world examples and modern, research-based advice about helping young people improve their listening abilities and their overall academic performance. With personal anecdotes from the accomplished author and accessible excerpts from the latest neuroscience of listening and auditory learning, the book is a critical resource that will explain why listening is the missing piece of the literacy puzzle. This important book will show you: Classroom stories and teacher viewpoints that highlight effective strategies to teach critical listening Why building listening skills in students is crucial to improving reading, especially for English learners. Why the Lexile Framework for Listening is contributing to a surging recognition of the importance of listening in the academic curriculum Perfect for K-12 teachers looking for new ways to understand their students and how they learn, Listen Wise will also earn a place in the libraries of college and master’s level students in education.

"In I'm Listening: How Teacher-Student Relationships Improve Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening, author Beth Pandolpho extolls the virtues of strong student-teacher relationships, explains the numerous beneficial effects of these relationships, and provides a guide to building these relationships. As the author points out, many educators believe that building strong relationships with students is mutually exclusive with ambitious educational experiences and academic criticism. Not only is this untrue, but the opposite is the case. As such, this book demonstrates how educators can intentionally build strong relationships with their students. Through these relationships educators can create a classroom environment that is both welcoming to students and rigorously academic. Along with studying the research and theory that support the author's thesis, readers will also study numerous tools, strategies, and practices that can be utilized in the classroom to effectively build these relationships. Through this book, readers will learn how to create a sensitive, caring, and engaging classroom that will provide students with the support they need to develop emotionally and persevere through difficult and demanding coursework"--