Backchannels Keep the Conversation Flowing (TodaysMeet ELITE 1)

Picture a classroom where students are actively engaged in learning...
Were you imagining a lecture? Probably not.

Backchannels are digital environments (chat rooms) that provide a place for students to actively participate by posting questions, comments, and ideas. The teacher monitors the backchannel and responsively addresses student needs in real-time.

TodaysMeet is one of the easiest backchannels to use. It's browser-based, so it works on all devices with internet access. Setting up a backchannel takes about a minute.

Let's try it out, first as a user.

Immersion Activity:

Open this backchannel on your browser: todaysmeet.com/selfie_conscious
Share your reactions to this video on the backchannel as you watch:

Creating a Backchannel:

Go to todaysmeet.com and sign up using your Google account.
Pick a name for your room
Decide how long the room will be open and who can join.
For an additional layer of safety, set a password to limit access the chat.
Open your room!

Share the backchannel with your students as an address, link, or QR code. It's so easy!

Examples from the Classroom:

Stacey Roshan talks about the impact on Socratic Seminars in English class
Tanner Higgin on giving introverts a voice
Backchannels are a great place for students to leave questions for the teacher outside of the school day. When new students come online, they can catch up on the conversation, find the answers to their questions, and glean new understandings from questions they hadn't considered.

As you prepare to use backchannels in your classroom, think about how you will manage the chat room. With clear expectations and understanding, backchannels can be a great tool for student engagement.

Comments

Who is emailing me? The Blue Man Group??? (Add an image to your Google account.)

WHY It is always nice to put a face with a name. Sometimes we need a tiny little reminder of what someone looks like because we don't see them very often. Follow these steps to add/change the image associated with your Google account. HOW Open your email. Click your image. It might just be a blue circle if you have not added something already. Click Change . Find an image you like. Your amazing new image will appear. From now on everyone can put a name to a face!

Embed an audio clip into a Google Form!

Are you looking to embed an audio clip into a Google Form? Below you will find a list of things you will need ready and a video to walk you through the process. Needed: A single PowerPoint slide. Movie Maker. (Already on your computer.) A Google Form. Watch this video for the steps to follow.

Setting Your Gmail Away Message

You will be away from your classroom for a bit and probably won't be checking email on a regular basis. Wouldn't it be nice to have Gmail respond for you alerting whoever is emailing that you out enjoying your summer? Setting up your vacation responder is pretty simple, a few clicks and a save. Start by clicking the gear icon in the upper right corner of Gmail. Scroll way down the page. Look for the vacation responder section. 1. Click to turn the responder on. 2. Add your first and last days away. We would recommend adding something short and to the point for the subject line. 3. Whatever you add here will be the body of the email you are automatically sending out. It would be a good idea to tell them when you are planning on returning and who to call if they need immediate assistance. We also recommend not checking the two buttons at the bottom. 4. Save changes . That is it. Now your inbox will automatically alert people that you are not in your...

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