PROPOSAL: THE LISTENING GAME
PERSONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF LISTENING:
At 16 I had a serious car crash and as a result sustained head and facial injury. Since then I have had sensory issue with sound, I hear very acutely, described by one doctor as Hyperacusis, caused by my head injury, and with no cure; by a subsequent Doctor of Psychology as misophobia and/or phonophobia, as certain sounds cause anger, others anxiety. I refer to this as ‘my special ‘Batman’ hearing’. I can literally hear a pin drop, footsteps on a path before my dog, multiply conversation in a room, jazz music is physically painful, chewing sounds like a drill… it goes on, sometimes feeling like my head will explode, but occasionally it’s a very useful ‘superpower’. To cope with sound, especially within my noisy teaching context, I reach for strategies to help manage noise as an entity. I practise mindful listening, through yoga breathing, filtering out certain sound and focusing on the subject in front of me. This is often effective, however, occasionally environmental aspects, or tone of voice trigger my misophobia, and I may react quickly to hush sound, this can be experienced as closing a person down in mid-sentence. Listening, is a challenge, can cause me discomfort and emotional stress in some situations.
“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind, there are few,” writes Zen master, Shunryu Suzuki, in his book, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind.
INTERVENTION PROPOSAL:
As I have already outlined, through observing and reflecting on a conversation in my initial research, (Blog: Critical Exploration) I propose to use the Pedagogy of Listening, inspired by the poem 100 Languages, by Loris Malaguzzi, a renowned educator who dedicated his life to the development of early learning experience between child and teacher, focusing on the process of learning rather than outcome, a philosophy known universally as the Reggio Approach. I also draw on the aligned work by the teacher and theorist David Hawkins and the necessity for teacher to build trust and learn alongside students, as Hawkins explained the “triangular relationships” of trust and respect among teacher, learners, and subject matter, requires vulnerability and dialogue. (Hawkins, 1974), Alongside this I am drawn to the teaching of Zen Buddhism on adopting ‘the beginner’s mind’ (Suzuki, 1973), I will endeavour to use this mindset in my work.
Through active listening, and engaged pedagogy (hooks, b. 1994) I aim to learn alongside, in a reciprocal relationship, setting the intention to validates students’ perspectives to encourages critical thinking and innovation, through listening; a problem I have outlined in my critical exploration, within my own practise. I also draw on Carl Rogers’ person-centred approach, and specifically ‘active listening’ (Rogers 1980) and Paulo Freire’s dialogic pedagogy, that highlight the importance of empathetic listening, mutual respect and co-learning in the educational exchange (Freire 1970).
As an inspirational object and method of play, I am influenced by Oblique Strategies (subtitled Over One Hundred Worthwhile Dilemmas) the card-based game jointly devised by musician/artist Brian Eno and multimedia artist Peter Schmidt, devised as a creativity tool, it was first published in 1975, and famously used by David Bowie. I borrow this concept to base my own card box design and will device questions for a game/activity around the act of listening and speaking. My aim is to create an artefact that promotes equity in language, and propose an activity to open dialogue between peers, and me to learn alongside my students to become a better listener, through the method of play. The artefact will be both a physical object, and a proposed activity, with the working title ‘THE LISTENING GAME’ (Subtitled: A Psychoacoustics experience, through ears mind and voice).
NOTES:
NOTE ON OBLIQUE STRATEGIES: I have my own set of these cards, inspired by my hero David Bowie. It is known that he was great friends with Brian Eno, and often used the Oblique Strategies cards in his song writing, and play with friends and family. I saw his personal set at the V&A exhibition in 2013, and was inspired by his collection of ephemeral artefacts. The photo above originated from the V&A David Bowie Archives, but was found through Improvised Life, a blog by Sally Schneider, a personal curation of ideas and inspiration: https://improvisedlife.com/2017/01/12/brian-enos-oblique-strategies-via-david-bowie/
On-Line version of Oblique Strategies:https://stoney.sb.org/eno/oblique.html
V&A Trailer Film to the 2013 David Bowie is Happening Now: Exhibition: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/videos/d/video-david-bowie-is-happening-now-trailer/
NOTE ON YOGA: I use Yoga, respectfully, as a personal practise: Link to Susanna Barkataki Instagram, who speaks about Yoga and social justice : Yoga is for ALL, an inclusive open practise: embracing, race, gender and socio economics, it is for all body types, and ages, and has been turned into an industry worth over $88Billion in the US, $116.57 worldwide in 2024: https://www.instagram.com/susannabarkataki
NOTE ON LISTENING: A sensitive story by student Valerie Belden about the power and transformative effect of someone listening, and being heard by a peer.
References:
Ashman, M. (2018) Introduction of Professional Communication, Part 8: Interpersonal communication, 8:3 Listening Skills, https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/professionalcomms/chapter/8-3-listening-skills/#:~:text=Listening%20is%20the%20learned%20process,a%20defined%20start%20and%20finish. (Accessed 22nd May 2024)
Barkataki, S. Instagram: (2024) https://www.instagram.com/susannabarkataki (Accessed 27th May 2024)
Cavicchi. E, Chiu,S.M, Mcdonnell, F. (2009): Introductory Paper on Critical Explorations in Teaching Art, Science, and Teacher Education, The New Educator, 5: p.189–204. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ868921.pdf (Accessed 22nd May 2024)
Eno, B. Wikipedia Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Eno (Accessed 24th May 2024)
Eno, B, Schmidt, P. Oblique Strategies Website: https://stoney.sb.org/eno/oblique.html (Accessed May 24th, 2024)
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Continuum.
Hawkins Centre and Learning, Website: https://www.hawkinscenters.org/ (Accessed 24th May 2024)
Reference list
Aruna Sankaranarayanan (2024). Cultivate a beginner’s mind – Aruna Sankaranarayanan. [online] Arunasankaranarayanan.com. Available at: https://arunasankaranarayanan.com/cultivate-a-beginners-mind/ [Accessed 24 May 2024].
Ashman, M. (2018). 8.3 Listening skills. [online] Bccampus.ca. Available at: https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/professionalcomms/chapter/8-3-listening-skills/#:~:text=Listening%20is%20the%20learned%20process [Accessed 22 May 2024].
Barkataki, S. (2024). Susanna Barkataki (@susannabarkataki) • Instagram photos and videos. [online] Instagram.com. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/susannabarkataki [Accessed 22 May 2024].
Cavicchi, E., Chiu, S.-M. and McDonnell, F. (2009). Introductory Paper on Critical Explorations in Teaching Art, Science, and Teacher Education. The New Educator, [online] 5(3), pp.189–204. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/1547688x.2009.10399574.
Eno, B. and Schmidt (n.d.). Oblique Strategies. [online] stoney.sb.org. Available at: https://stoney.sb.org/eno/oblique.html [Accessed 24 May 2024].
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Bloomsbury Academic.
Hawkins Centers of Learning. (2024). Hawkins Centers of Learning. [online] Available at: https://www.hawkinscenters.org/ [Accessed 24 May 2024].
Hawkins, D. (1974). I, Thou, and It; The Informed Vision: essays on learning and human nature, New York, Agathon Press, p. 48-62. Available at: https://www.brandeis.edu/mandel/questcase/Documents/Readings/David%20Hawkins%201974%20I,%20Thou,%20and%20It.pdf [Accessed 22 May 2024].
Hawkins, D. (2007). The Informed Vision : Essays on Learning and Human Nature. New York: Algora Pub.
hooks, bell (1994). Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. New York: Routledge.
Learning and Teaching Scotland (2006). The Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Years Education. [online] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/media/vjtdw2cj/elc35_reggioaug06.pdf [Accessed 22 May 2024].
NHS (2017). Noise sensitivity (hyperacusis). [online] nhs.uk. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hyperacusis/ [Accessed 22 May 2024].
Rogers, C. (1980). A Way of Being. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.
Suzuki, S. (2010). Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. Shambhala Publications.
TEDx Talks (2019). The Power of Listening | Valeria Belden | TEDxYouth@ASFM. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFbqyLd4-Co [Accessed 22 May 2020].
V&A (2024). V&A · From the Collections. [online] Victoria and Albert Museum. Available at: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections?type=featured [Accessed 22 May 2024].
Wikipedia Contributors (2019a). Brian Eno. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Eno [Accessed 24 May 2024].
Wikipedia Contributors (2019b). Psychoacoustics. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychoacoustics [Accessed 22 May 2024].
Zhang, H, Turning to the Pedagogy of “Listening” (2012), Complicity; Alberta Vol. 9, Iss. 1, p. 57-74.https://www.proquest.com/docview/1158944607?sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals (Accessed 22nd May 2024)
Wikipedia Contributors (2023). Peter Schmidt (artist). [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Schmidt_(artist) [Accessed 24 May 2024].
Zhang, H. (2012). Turning to the Pedagogy of ‘Listening’. [online] Proquest.com. Available at: https://www.proquest.com/docview/1158944607?sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals [Accessed 22 May 2024].
I love the idea of the ‘Listening game’ to promote dialogue and as a means of aiding students to find their voices and confidence, along with peer mentorship. I think the idea of having the Oblique Strategies-inspired game in multiple languages and having a physical, tangible object will be effective for students with language barriers or neurodiversity. The sense of play that the game will bring feels like it would be a great strategy in alleviating fears that students may have around communicating and introduces them to a potential technique they can use to prompt ideas when working independently, as well as in a group context.
Although I imagine this activity won’t be used all the time when promoting dialogue with your students, I think if it successfully engages them in communication with you and each other it will work to build their confidence towards thinking critically and as Shiyu mentions, the understanding of critically thinking being liberating.
The tangible aspect of the cards in a classroom setting is valuable, as well as being more accessible and approachable than an online resource. I wonder if it would be helpful for students to create their own set of cards to have when working remotely or with others outside the classroom, perhaps the same document available in class that they can print. The familiarity of using them by themselves could further aid the positive effect when using them with others.
Thanks Beth – As you suggest the idea of allowing students to contribute brings a new aspect of inclusivity and co-collaboration, both I try to implement in my teaching since the beginnibg of the PG Cert. I actually realised that this intervention proposal was in-fact very ambitious and the actual intervention was a workshop that involved making in studio – it was a very inclusive, experiential experience, and I will use the idea of the cards for the next unit. I tend to be over ambitious in my thinking and ideas…but the idea of listening and allowing space for contemplation and emotional growth in the classroom remains a strong theme in my practise. Thanks for you comments – much appreciated George xx