“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” ~Ernest Hemingway

Did you know that we spend roughly 60 percent of our communication time listening…. BUT WE ARE NOT VERY GOOD AT IT! WE RETAIN JUST 25 PERCENT OF WHAT WE HEAR

What is listening? Let’s define it as making meaning from sound. It’s a mental process. And we use some pretty cool techniques to do this. One of them is called pattern recognition. We recognize pattern to distinguish—and we recognize our name especially.

Differencing is another technique. If I left this on for a couple of minutes, you would literally cease to hear it.

Sound Places Us in Space and Time Close your eyes right now. What are you aware of? – Can you tell what size the room is? How? – What about the fact that there are other students sitting around you?

Did you know that… Hearing is the first sense to develop in the womb… The ear continues to hear sounds—even as you sleep. 37 percent of children with only minimal hearing loss fail at least one grade.

And what does sound do to us?

Sound affects us physiologically!

It changes your heartbeat Your breathing Your brainwaves

– Waves are physiologically the most pleasing to our senses because t hey mimic our breathing pattern.

Sounds Affect Us Psychologically For example, music can change our moods. What is it about music that affects us? Research suggests that the sounds of birds actually affect us psychologically. We feel safe when birds are chirping.

Cognitively How well do you think in a noisy classroom? What is it like to be in a silent classroom?

Behavior We move away from unpleasant sounds. We move toward pleasant sounds.

The Sound of Silence Be quiet for 30 seconds. What did you hear?

Channels of Sounds Listen. What do you hear now?

INTENTION INTENTION is very important to listening. – How might intention to listen be important in a classroom?

Effective Listeners Use RASA RReceive AAppreciate SSummarize AAsk questions *Rasa means “Divine Nectar” or “the taste of enlightenment.”

Listening Task Over the course of the semester, we are going to invent our own listening pattern in this classroom. TASK. I want you to number off from 1 to however many of you there are. There will be NO discussion about how you will do this. Without talking, please proceed… If two or more people speak at the same time, we will begin again.

How did you do? As a class, you just invented a pattern of listening and speaking !

Through this type of invention, we will build our classroom community. We must invent our pattern of listening and speaking!

To be successful it will be important to note what you do as participant in class? Do you… Imitate? Mock? Invent?

We are a community of invention. Together we will find meaning and purpose through invention in the material that is new to you.

Let’s give invention a try… Be imaginative! You may work with a partner or small group. What scenario would you invent to solve this lateral thinking puzzle?

You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night when you pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting. – An old lady who looks as if she is about to die. – An old friend who once saved your life. – The perfect partner you have been dreaming about. Knowing there can only be one passenger in your car, who would you choose?

HINT You can make everyone happy. Your car can only contain one passenger, so whom should it be?

Which is the best answer from the class?

Solution The old lady of course! After helping the old lady into the car, you can give your keys to your friend, and wait with your perfect partner for the bus

Writing Prompt You are going to invent a character. Choose a button. – Write down a description of the button you have selected—you will have to give the button back to me before you leave. – What article of clothing was the button attached to? – Who wore this item of clothing? – Invent this character. Describe this person as you see him or her sitting on a park bench. – Be ready to share your description tomorrow.