Image credit: Southern Regional ETTC
Hi everyone,
Do you use Backchanneling in your classroom … or know someone who does? Please keep reading because I need your help!
My colleague Mary Ann Devine and I will be leading multiple (three!) hands-on workshops at the Southern Regional ETTC’s 2011 My Classroom to Yours conference next month. Our session, titled “Get your students talking about what you want them to talk about: How to use backchanneling in your classroom!” (inspired by this blog post) is going to be a hands-on exploration of the tools and techniques needed to make backchanneling a success in an upper elementary through high school setting. So, here’s what we need to know:
- Are you using backchanneling in your classroom now … or do you know someone who does? What grade students? What subject? How’s it going? Are the students on board with it? What are your “lessons learned?”
- What tools do you use? Staples like TodaysMeet.com are now competing with slick services like http://backchan.nl/.
- If you were going to participate in a workshop like this, and there was a “live” demonstration of backchanneling (particularly during a video), what video or movie would be good to use? We want to keep the demonstration light and fun. Also, how long of a demonstration would suffice? 5 minutes? More?
Thanks for any input!
-kj-
I would love to use it, but those sites are blocked in my school.
I just recently learned about backchanneling, and will be using Today’smeet in a presentation I am doing. That provider seems to be more stable than some of the others. I am planning on using the Today’smeet in my college classes to see how it works.
Kevin,
I started using TodaysMeet with my gr. 7/8 students almost a year ago while students viewed a science video. I included the students’ reflections in a post on the activity. http://heatherdurnin.com/2010/04/03/backchanneling/ The following student quote was representative of what many thought: “Back channeling let us all contribute our thinking, without being loud. We got to see other’s opinion, and it let us help each other.”
For the past 3 months, we’ve been using TodaysMeet on a daily basis as part of a shared read aloud activity with Clarence Fisher’s school in Manitoba. Each day, either Clarence or I read “The Book Thief” via Skype, and the other one is “in” the backchannel room with our combined class of students as they post questions and help each other gain understanding of the text, which at times can be very difficult. http://heatherdurnin.com/2010/11/20/securing-the-connection/ Clarence or I will insert an important piece of text, quote, or question. Over time, the students have started to pick up on this practice and do the same. TodaysMeet helps all students enjoy the text more fully, and has allowed them to make a daily connection.
Students do need reminders about staying on topic, and at times, some have lost the privilege of participating for one class. No one wants to be left out of the conversation, and they quickly learn to follow the expectations.
When Clarence and I combine our classes, we have two students share a computer, so the backchannel is not overrun with text. Luckily, this has never been a problem as students have learned to settle into the routine and use the tool properly.
Hope this helps. Good luck with your presentations.
@hdurnin
@FRMS Booklady, have you tried http://backchan.nl/? It might be unblocked in your district.
@Karen, we use and like Today’s Meet as well – simple and effective!
@Heather, good to hear from you again! That year-long collaboration with Clarence Fisher’s class just keeps getting better and better. With your permission I’d like to use your links and resources in my presentation – ok?
-kj-