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Backchannel Chats (English 3 @LHS)

This post was created to help support an upcoming lesson for an English 3 class. This is blog 1 of 3 in this series.

We were given the task of helping the students keep their audience authentically engaged when they present their research to the class. This post will show the mechanics of setting up Backchannel Chat and in class, we will discuss how to effectively use this tool to elevate the engagement.

Pro Tip - It might be a good idea to identify someone to be the moderator of the chat. 


Start by visiting Backchannel and click the big blue button. (Try for FREE as a TEACHER)
Enter in the necessary information. 
The most important part of this step is to make sure the name of your Backchannel is related to what you are going to be talking about.

You should see a short code at the end of the address on the next screen.
Your participants will need to use this EXACT code to enter into your new Backchannel.

It is highly recommended that everyone use their real first and last names when entering the chat.
If they can't access the chat it is most likely due to them entering an incorrect code.

1. This is the name you picked for this Backchannel.
2. What the conversation flow looks like. You can see the student and teacher/presenter comments.
3. At the bottom of the screen is where someone would enter their messages.

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