Connecting and Learning with Backchanneling

I have, as an adult learner, gotten to experience the power of backchanneling. It profoundly impacted what I took away from ECET2 and recent professional development. I engaged in and learned more than I have in a long time. Metacognating with a crowd, and responding to the thinking of others deepened my learning. I also connected with people that have become part of my PLN and I am continuing to learn and grow with them long after the PD is over.I also recently have gone to some PD where we were told to turn off the technology and be fully present. This did not make me feel like I had control of my learning or that my thoughts and wonderings had value. I need that digital space to think and engage that backchanneling provides.

As I have been excitedly telling people all my deeper learning experience I realized not everyone knows what backchanneling is. Here is a little background on backchanneling. This concise description explains it well. Twitter is probably the most popular way to backchannel but there are a bunch of other options available. I will post backchannel information on the resources page of this blog.

My big question, since having the opportunity to be more fulling engaged in my learning through backchanneling, is could backchanneling have that same power for engaging and deepening the learning of my 5th graders?

I decided to find out, using a great low tech device, my Sharewall, a floor to ceiling whiteboard that covers one whole wall of my room. We are studying the constitution and Bill of Rights in social studies and were looking closely at the preamble and several documents that supported understanding the time it was written. This included pieces like a letter from Abigail Adams to John Adams, a woodcut of a slave in chains, and census material. With this information students were beginning to understand who We the People really meant in 1787. On the Board I wrote We the People and then put out markers. I told the class as they had an idea, question, new learning etc. to put it up on the board and to feel free to respond to what others wrote (using our class norms about respectful discourse). They loved it, they got passionate,they stood at the board and argued, they did not want to stop.

I saw them process the information in a deeper more personal way similar to my experience. I will absolutely do this low tech backchannel again it was so powerful and public, but I wanted to explore a computer based version.

Connecting their work in social studies to their Expeditionary Learning unit on human rights from literacy seemed like a great place to go deeper. I created a Google Doc, that I posted as an assignment in Google Classroom, and I gave everyone editing rights. I then place 5 computers around the room and while we worked on other assignments they were free to go backchannel at those computers. The buzz was crazy, sometimes there were multiple people at computers discussing the posts. I had the document up on the Promethean Board at various points and some kids just sat and read what was happening. I saw quiet kids finding their voice and kids who struggle to write easily typing away with spell check as their ally. Complex arguments took shape before our eyes. Again they didn’t want to stop. The excitement carried over to their homes. At 7:30 pm I logged into Google Classroom and found the conversation still going strong. They were questioning each other, citing sources, digging deep. All of this was happening in real time, talk about being connected!

I still have a lot to think about as far as how I use backchanneling but my two tries with kids showed me the power of connecting kids and giving them different way to engage with the material, their peers, and their own thoughts. I plan to explore other tools and think about the questions I ask. I also need to think about how to the the shared Google Doc as records of their personal and whole group learning.

As I think about this early success with my 5th graders I am now thinking about how to bring this tool the the PD in my building to build learning, ownership, and connections among my colleagues.

I would love to hear how everyone is using backchanneling in both PD for teachers and with kids.

#Backchannel #ConnectedLearning