skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Police hunt for gunman after UnitedHealthcare CEO is killed in Midtown Manhattan; Record number of women to serve in state legislatures nationwide; Onions caused McDonald's E. coli outbreak, but beef production still a concern; Detroit suburb revitalized by federal funds.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump reportedly is considering replacing Pete Hegseth as defense nominee, the French PM is ousted, South Korea rejects martial law, Montana blocks a trans bathroom ban, and women's representation in state legislatures hits new highs.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Limited access to community resources negatively impacts rural Americans' health, a successful solar company is the result of a Georgia woman's determination to stay close to her ailing grandfather, and Connecticut looks for more ways to cut methane emissions.

NM's schoolchildren, adults could benefit from 'active listening'

play audio
Play

Friday, November 8, 2024   

If the election season made one thing clear, it is neither side can hear what the other is saying and one expert believes it is because most of us were not taught "active listening" in school.

Christine Miles, founder of The Listening Path Classroom program, said only about 2% of schools offer formal listening skill development programs, which can handicap our success as adults. Miles believes too many of us listen half-heartedly, keen to share our thoughts or arguments the minute the other person stops talking.

"This is not new," Miles pointed out. "Since 1957, there's been talk about the fact that there's not formal education in schools on listening, and the reason I think it hasn't been solved is because listening has been notoriously hard."

Research shows students from kindergarten through 12th grade spend 50% to 75% of their classroom time listening, yet comprehend only 25% to 50% of what they hear. According to Miles, when it comes to politics, it is rarely effective to argue someone into adopting your position.

Miles believes technology is partly to blame for poor listening. Kids spend so many hours on their electronic devices, Miles explained some develop a natural form of attention deficit disorder, even if they don't have the condition biochemically.

"What the technology has done is made our brains even more impatient and more distracted than they already were," Miles contended. "If we don't help them learn how to have conversations about things they disagree about, how will they learn how to manage that?"

Miles noted becoming an adult without good listening skills can affect both academic success and social-emotional learning. To develop better skills, experts recommended being fully present in a conversation, showing interest by practicing good eye contact, asking open-ended questions, paraphrasing and reflecting back what has been said and withholding judgment and advice.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Research on the effects of a school voucher program in Louisiana show academic performance decreased among kids who use vouchers to attend private schools. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

In this week's 2026 budget address, Gov. Kristi Noem proposed establishing education savings accounts for K-12 students in South Dakota. Opponents …


Environment

play sound

The most current study from the Environmental Protection Agency estimated more than 143 million Americans are at risk of drinking water tainted with P…

Social Issues

play sound

Maryland has one of the highest percentages in the nation of people in prison who began serving time when they were juveniles. A new report from …


The unpaid care provided by more than 580,000 Wisconsin caregivers is valued at $9.2 billion, according to AARP. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

More than 580,000 Wisconsinites are unpaid family caregivers and they serve as the backbone of the state's long-term care system, and one …

Environment

play sound

A county high in the Colorado Rockies is working to include its underserved residents in plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the primary driver …

State officials say in 2023, Minnesota's workplace injury and illness rate fell to an all-time low. (Freepik)

Social Issues

play sound

There is promising news at the national level and in Minnesota in trying to lower workplace injuries and illnesses. A key labor organization is happy …

Social Issues

play sound

By Dakarai Turner for WISH-TV.Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the WISH-TV-Free Press Indiana-Public News Service…

Health and Wellness

play sound

A new report found New York hospitals are in a precarious financial state. The New York State Hospitals Fiscal Survey Report showed statewide …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021