Backchannel Chat as a Classroom Tool

Your Presenters Sarah Sutter: Wiscasset High School art teacher and technology integrator, adjunct professor of digital imaging at the University of Maine in Augusta, Google Certified Teacher. ssutter@svrsu.org twitter: edueyeview Deb Taylor: Wiscasset High School foreign language teacher, M.A.T. in French student at UMO. dtaylor@svrsu.org twitter: dtaylor5671

Some Reminders This session is being recorded and can be accessed again later Additional resources can be found at: http://sutterworkshops.wikispaces.com/Backchannel+in+the+Classroom

This session is being recorded and can be accessed again later

Additional resources can be found at: http://sutterworkshops.wikispaces.com/Backchannel+in+the+Classroom

Let's chat Who are you? Where are you from? What do you teach?

What is a backchannel chat? Synchronous / Real-time Online Primarily text based Conversation Question asking / Question answering Communication forum Shared space Feedback tool Alongside and in reaction to a spoken event, video, image, presentation, etc.

Synchronous / Real-time

Online

Primarily text based

Conversation

Question asking / Question answering

Communication forum

Shared space

Feedback tool

Alongside and in reaction to a spoken event, video, image, presentation, etc.

Concerned about Multitasking? They’re not!

Why use a backchannel in class? Engages students who otherwise may not contribute Evens the playing field for involvement Can't be dominated by the loudest voice Allows students to ask Q’s without waiting until the end Allows teachers to answer Q’s on the fly without interrupting Gives students the chance to answer Q’s from their peers Allows teachers to see where the understanding or confusion may be happening as live events unfold Demands engagement with the material to participate Provides a record of the discussion or other interaction for reflection

Engages students who otherwise may not contribute

Evens the playing field for involvement

Can't be dominated by the loudest voice

Allows students to ask Q’s without waiting until the end

Allows teachers to answer Q’s on the fly without interrupting

Gives students the chance to answer Q’s from their peers

Allows teachers to see where the understanding or confusion may be happening as live events unfold

Demands engagement with the material to participate

Provides a record of the discussion or other interaction for reflection

Why “CoverItLive”? Other possible tools: Chatzy (paid or free) Google Presentation, Google Docs text chat on Skype, iChat (See link to the comparison chart on the wiki) Moderated No login needed for students to participate Embed code for wikispace or other webpage Not blocked by BESS Allows for direct messages to individual students from the teacher / originator of the chat

Moderated

No login needed for students to participate

Embed code for wikispace or other webpage

Not blocked by BESS

Allows for direct messages to individual students from the teacher / originator of the chat

Examples from our classrooms

Spontaneous, collaborative story-telling

Revision of the story

World Cultures : Comments during a video on Christianity

Modern Western Civilization - Reactions to a film about the Forbidden City

American History A movie about Trench Warfare

Collaborative note-taking

Commenting on peer presentations

And students liked it!

How could YOU use a backchannel chat?

How? Cover It Live www.coveritlive.com Create an account and log in Click “Try It Now”, “Events”, “Add New” Enter title, date, and time Copy Embed code and Embed in webpage Start your live event!

Cover It Live www.coveritlive.com

Create an account and log in

Click “Try It Now”, “Events”, “Add New”

Enter title, date, and time

Copy Embed code and Embed in webpage

Start your live event!

Accessing your Chat Students can go to the url of the chat. Chat can be embedded in a website or wiki The chat can be involve people off-site

Students can go to the url of the chat.

Chat can be embedded in a website or wiki

The chat can be involve people off-site

Let’s give it a shot!

In Practice Preface the experience with guidelines/expectations for behavior, contribution, etc. Students need to choose a name (first only?) to login To respond to someone specifically, use the @ symbol Opt not to set quantity guidelines - let it be open Like other types of chatting,remind students that there likely will be more than one conversational thread going on at a time Remind them it will be archived for reflection or review later

Preface the experience with guidelines/expectations for behavior, contribution, etc.

Students need to choose a name (first only?) to login

To respond to someone specifically, use the @ symbol

Opt not to set quantity guidelines - let it be open

Like other types of chatting,remind students that there likely will be more than one conversational thread going on at a time

Remind them it will be archived for reflection or review later

Questions & Comments