Thing 11--Backchannel

After today's meeting, I am completely blown away by the whole idea of using the backchannel. In any large group, there are inevitable side conversations. Having students respond electronically to what is going on at the front of the room is such a great way of keeping students "on track" using something that most of them will instantly love. It really has the potential of adding depth to any classroom discussion. It was really fun to use Today's Meet and instantly be able to see what other participants were thinking about. Multi-tasking to that degree was a little challenging for me, as I am easily distracted by someone talking nearby. Our students, however, seem more able to concentrate with a high degree of "noise". It's going to be interesting for us to try this out with our new iPod Touch units.