Angela Maiers offers the following tip to see if students are really listening in class especially if they are not "actively" participating by speaking up. She calls it the TWO WORD STRATEGY.
"Here is how it works: Choose a point in the lesson or group discussion that you think warrants reflection or active learning. Ask the students or group members to stop, reflect on the content presented, and synthesize their most important thoughts and ideas down to only two words. This may sound easy, but it is difficult to express yourself in only two words. Be sure to encourage, not judge as learners share out their responses."
As she notes, this strategy:
- can be used with any audience: regardless of any age, grade, or content.
- can be employed at any time: before the discussion starts, during the presentation, or afterwards as participants reflect on key ideas.
- is a powerful assessment tool: In an instant, I can hear what my audience is thinking and wondering based on their two words shared.
- allows everyone to participate: the two words can be written down, shared with a neighbor, or communicated as a group. Everyone has a chance to pause and reflect about what matters most to them as active participants in the learning experience.
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