Backchanneling

Interesting article on backchanneling:

http://www.njea.org/page.aspx?a=4439



Get your students talking about what you want them to talk about
How to use backchanneling in your classroom

by Kevin Jarrett and Mary Ann Devine, NJEA members

by Kevin Jarrett and Mary Ann Devine, NJEA members
Student engagement – it’s what every educator strives for. Ben Stein, as the economics teacher in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” shows us how it isn’t done, infamously delivering an eye-rolling, sleep-inducing, drool-eliciting lesson in the immortal cult classic. While the characterization is extreme, unfortunately, it’s an experience everyone can relate to. When a lesson includes showing a movie (and involving the students in a discussion about it) it’s even harder to get (and keep) students engaged.
What if there was a free, easy way to engage your students during lessons like this, meeting them “where they live” with technology, effortlessly drawing them into substantive conversations, eliciting more thoughtful feedback, and inspiring higher-order thinking skills? Would you take advantage of it? This is the story of one educator who is doing exactly that.
A backchanneling pioneer
Mary Ann Devine teaches sixth-grade social studies at Northfield Middle School in Northfield (Atlantic County). In many ways, Devine runs a typical middle school social studies classroom, but today’s session is anything but ordinary. The lesson is on ancient China, and the class is about to watch a documentary on the Qin Dynasty. The room is dark, shades are drawn, and as the movie begins, students are literally riveted to the TV screen, watching the video, considering every fact, examining every shred of detail, processing, reflecting, analyzing--answering questions posed by the teacher and discussing amongst themselves--all without uttering a single word.
How? They are “backchanneling.”
What is it?
Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backchannel) defines backchanneling as “the practice of using networked computers to maintain a real-time online conversation alongside live spoken remarks.” Innovative K-12 educators are adopting the practice for classroom use as a means to increase student engagement.
Chris Webb of Minot Public Schools in Minot, ND is one of those teachers. Back in March 2009, he blogged about a teacher in his district who very successfully used backchanneling in an eighth-grade school social studies class. That led me to share about the technique on my own blog (http://www.ncs-tech.org/) and talk to other teachers (including Mary Ann Devine) about it at a local conference this past summer. She decided to give it a try. The rest, as they say, is history!
How does it work?
Fast forward to November 2009. Devine is using laptops and a free, specially designed, secure, password-protected website called TodaysMeet.com (designed expressly for backchanneling). Students click on a URL and are taken to Mrs. Devine’s area for the class in question. They enter their first names and last initials (no signup is required). Devine presents the ground rules, and offers handy “Texting Abbreviations You Can Use” chart. As she explains: “I am new to texting so I am not as fluent with texting abbreviations, so I created a chart of terms students can use.”
Today’s Meet looks a lot like a “texting” program (each message is limited to 140 characters), so the students immediately know what to do. They begin discussing the film, answering the questions, reflecting, and periodically chiding each other to stay on topic.
Devine expertly guides the conversation with prepared questions like, “Why do you think Qin built the tomb of clay soldiers?” Free to express themselves, examples of higher-order thinking abound:
During the class period, Devine hears from every student in the classroom, even those who rarely speak up. She completes the movie never once having to “shush” her class. (That alone is wonderful!) Unencumbered by middle school social pressures, students find their voice. Questions are asked and answered. Opinions are shared. Dialogues ensue. By the end, all students have participated, clearly relishing the opportunity to dialog in with each other this way. Their reactions confirm our suspicion: the lesson was enjoyable. The students clearly enjoyed hearing from several of their classmates and being able to ask questions without the pressure of raising one’s hand and speaking to the entire group. When asked if they enjoyed backchanneling and if they wanted to use it again, 96.5 percent of the students answered “Yes.”
“I am hoping over time and with more practice, students will set the discussion pace more independently,” adds Devine.
But, does it work?
Pedagogically, this technique is intriguing for several reasons.
First, backchanneling gives every student a voice. In a traditional classroom discussion, students have to wait their turn to speak; some never get a chance to share. Dominant students also sometimes inadvertently discourage participation. These are largely non-issues with backchanneling.
Second, students understand that they are responsible for participating substantively in the discussion, especially when those expectations are set at the outset. Since every comment is stamped with the user’s name and the date/time, it’s easy to review the discussion log to see who participated – and who didn’t. In fact, Devine says, “students who haven’t uttered a word all year are now participating. Every student has to answer a set number of questions per session.”
Third, backchanneling leverages multitasking skills many of today’s students have already mastered. It’s perfectly natural for many students to watch a television program while carrying on a conversation with their friends about it via computer. It’s something that comes naturally, thanks to the pervasive role of technology in student lives today. Why not use this to our advantage in the classroom? It is worth noting, however, that the few students who stated they did not like backchanneling indicated they had a hard time typing while watching the movie. So, good keyboarding skills are necessary for a positive backchanneling experience.
Fourth, the collaborative nature of backchanneling means it would be possible for a much wider audience, including more than one class participating in the discussion. Imagine a simultaneous conversation between students in different parts of the country, or, students in one class being joined by an author or other expert – online, in real time.
What problems could arise?
Any time you introduce technology into a lesson, you unfortunately increase the potential for problems. Here are some tips to help ensure your backchanneling activity goes as smoothly as possible:
Develop good, essential questions. Mix challenging ones with simpler questions to get the conversation started.
Use a consistent – and short – name for your TodaysMeet.com “rooms.” Choose something that will help you identify the lesson and class in question. If necessary, you can use a service like http://bit.ly or http://is.gd to “shorten” a long URL into something easier for the students to enter. Ideally, have the URL loaded onto a school intranet page in advance.
If you are using laptops, be sure they will have sufficient battery power for all your classes!
RUOK with abbreviations? Decide up front what “IM-speak” you will allow during your backchanneling activity--and let the students know what you’ll accept in advance.
Be flexible but firm; the first time students use a backchannel, they will want to engage in the kind of playful banter that is typical in IM (instant messaging) conversations. Expect to see plenty of “Wasup!?!” “Nuttin, u?” “w00t!” when you get started. Decide how much you will allow the students to get out of their system, then move on to the backchanneling activity. In Devine’s experience, “by the third time backchanneling, all you hear is typing and the film. The students are engaged – actively commenting on each other’s responses. It’s a beautiful thing once they get the hang of it!”
Backchanneling is a new form of online communication that innovative educators across the country are using to facilitate classroom conversations. Free, safe, and secure backchanneling sites like TodaysMeet.com are simple to use and administer. With a little prior planning and outstanding essential questions, educators can engage their students in discussions that leverage “digital native” skills and generate meaningful, insightful commentary. Furthermore, the collaborative nature of backchanneling makes it an ideal means to connect classes across the hall – and around the world.
Kevin Jarrett is a K-4 technology facilitator at Northfield Community School. A Google Certified Teacher, he has received the International Society for Technology in Education’s “Making It Happen” Award in 2008. Jarrett has assisted NJEA with a range of technology initiatives and played a substantial role in planning and organizing the 2009 NJEA Convention’s High Tech Hall. Jarrett blogs at www.ncs-tech.org. His e-mail address is kjarrett@ncs-nj.org and he is @kjarrett on Twitter.
Mary Ann Devine is in her 22nd year at Northfield Community School. She has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and a master’s in Gifted Education. You can reach Devine at mdevine@ncs-nj.org.
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