1-2-4 All

Engaging Strategy
An engaging strategy guides participants to explain or apply ideas, elaborate on their thought processes, listen to each other and build upon the ideas of others, and reflect on and process what they are learning.
Description

Everyone’s ideas are included, no matter how many people are participating. Each person has time to think silently about a topic before discussing it with a partner. Partners then discuss the topic in a group of four before sharing insights and new knowledge with the whole group.

When and Why

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Can be used with any number of people to generate conversations and gather ideas quickly from all participants. Giving people time to think individually before sharing with one other person supports original thinking. Sharing with a partner in a group of four encourages even reluctant participants to make connections, activate their curiosity and deepen their understanding. Expanding the audience each time a person shares helps to create a collaborative space needed for problem-solving.

How to Facilitate

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  1. Reflect on the current context, the demographics of participants, and the purpose of this engagement. Set up the space so that people can move into different size groups either standing or at tables.
  2. Invite individuals to silently reflect on a shared challenge or a response to a topic of a lesson, framed as a question (e.g., What are you still curious about? How would you handle this situation? What ideas or actions do you recommend?). (1 minute)
  3. Group into random pairs that stay standing, building on ideas generated in self-reflection. (2 minutes)
  4. Pairs regroup into standing groups of four in which they share ideas, notice similarities and differences and/or generate new ideas. (4 minutes)
  5. Ask each foursome to identify one idea that stood out in the conversation. Each group of four shares that one idea with the whole group. (5 minutes)
  6. Ask for two or three  people to share with the whole group how they experienced this protocol.

Modification

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  • Do a second round if you have time to go deeper.
  • Go from a group of four to a group of eight when you are trying to build consensus.
  • In a virtual environment, use breakout rooms to form pairs, and later have the pairs in odd-numbered rooms move into the next room up to join a group of four (the pair in breakout room 1 will move themselves into breakout room 2 for the next round).

References

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Adapted from Liberating Structures

How does 1-2-4 All support SEL?

Self-Awareness/Identity:
Participants have an opportunity to understand their own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts. Facilitators consider their own and participants’ identities in the design of the practice.

Relationships/Collaborative Problem-Solving:
Participants have the opportunity to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships within the group and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups. Facilitators create an activity where participants can build a shared understanding and work together to come to solutions by pooling knowledge, skills, and efforts.
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