Active Listening
Cameron Hagelauer, Period 1, 10.8.15
Strategy 1 - Stop Talking!
A man named Epictetus once said "We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak." You won't learn anything if you are constantly talking. If you listen twice as much as you talk, then you can concentrate and learn.
Strategy 2 - Get Rid of the Barriers
Barriers are things that distract you from concentrating on the speaker. The key to concentrating is to get rid of the distractions. For example, you should turn your phone off before class starts.
Strategy 3 - Identify Areas of Confusion
If you are confused on what the speaker is talking about, write down questions in your notebook. You should ask the speaker after s/he is finished, as you should not interrupt. Ask at an appropriate time, for instance just before class is over.
Strategy 4 - Notetaking
If you are listening, you can understand what the speaker is saying. The next step up is to take notes. With notes, you can keep the information for the future. When writing notes, do not try to write word for word what the speaker is saying. Focus on the key terms, and make sure you got the information, not the dialogue.