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7. One Simple Question

Good Friends
Friends at a workspace

Discovering new perspectives one question at a time

 

 

"Listening to others, especially those whom we disagree, tests our own ideas and beliefs. It forces us to recognize, with humility, that we don't have a monopoly on the truth."

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- Janet Yellen

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Lesson

In early July 2020, HBO's VICE News posted a story related to the perceptions of American culture, economics, and politics. They ventured into this segment by posing questions of curiosity related to the current arguments spilling over into social media platforms as well as mainstream media.

 

As the story highlighted many of its initial questions, it landed on one specific, curiosity-driven question "Is America Getting Better?" Seen in the clip featured below, the reporters seek out answers to their primary question by asking it in various parts of the nation. The nature of its simplistic design allows one to engage in direct conversation and active listening with those who hold a variety of perspectives. 

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Pushing this idea forward, Zachary R. Wood, argues that..."We get stronger, not weaker, by engaging with ideas and people we disagree with. We can build empathy and gain understanding by engaging tactfully and thoughtfully with controversial ideas and unfamiliar perspectives. Tuning out opposing viewpoints doesn't make them go away. To achieve progress in the face of adversity, we need a genuine commitment to gaining a deeper understanding of humanity." His story brings forth the WHY behind asking meaningful questions and listening to different perspectives and how this connects to our role within the human experience. 

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Challenge

Materials Needed

  • Writing utensil/journal

  • Computer/Chromebook/Tablet (with Internet)

  • A partner (optional)

  • Recording device

Guidelines

Step One - Awaken Your Curiosity. Using a notebook or a new document, take some time to think about a specific subject or group of people and jot down a series of questions that you have about your chosen focus. Allow these questions to take on many shapes and sizes because this is all about your curiosities toward this chosen area. For example, VICE News wondered about Americans - How they were doing? Were they happy? Do they feel divided? Need help thinking about questions? Use this QUESTIONS RESOURCE as a guide. 

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Step Two - Synthesize & Simplify Your Questions. Now that you've thought about your focus and developed curiosity-based questions, what do you really want to know? For example, VICE News really wanted to know "Is America Getting Better?" Think about the nature of that question - it's simple in terms of its initial answer - 'yes' or 'no' - but the answers that develop after that invite a vast collection of responses based on the lived experiences of individuals. Remember to design your question around the idea that you want to invite a variety of answers in order to build a collection of perspectives. Here's a THINKSHEET on Developing Essential Questions

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Step Three - Find People to Ask & Actively Listen. With your one question, go out into the world and ask others. Start finding people that will provide time to address your driving question. You may want to bring a recording device so that you can focus on listening rather than recording the shared messages. This step is vital to listening. We often listen with the idea that we need to say something immediately - but, this step, specifically, challenges you to listen to what your person/people have to say about your driving question. 

  • Helpful Tip: Use the VICE News video from the LESSON to help mentor what this looks like. Feel free to ask additional clarifying questions but try not to take away from the person sharing the individual perspective.

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Step Four - Review Your Collected Answers: Go back and review the recordings answers you collected as a result of asking people your driving question. Using your initial jottings from Step One, add to your thinking using the following questions: 

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  • What BIG ideas (or themes) did you discover as a result of your investigation? 

  • What other questions do you have as a result of this experience? 

  • How might these different perspectives change your view on this focus? 

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Step Five - Construct & Reflect: Construct a demonstration of your learning and post it to your blog along with a reflection using the following questions:

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  • What lessons/thoughts have you learned as a result of this experience? Why are they important or stand out to you? 

  • How might asking meaningful questions and engaging in active listening impact learning? 

  • How might understanding different perspectives contribute to who we are as learners? Humans? 

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