Backchannels and movies

A "backchannel" is a method of communication that is happening under the surface of the regular classroom discussion. Students are experts at the backchannel as they are listening to you while snapchatting their friends about how bored they are. You are simply taking a structure they are familiar with and harnessing that power for good. I am a fan of todaysmeet.com . It allows them to post to a window while limiting their characters (like twitter). Others use twitter, padlet, or just a simple google doc. 

We watched episode 2 of Cosmos with students paired up on a chromebook or ipad. We combined with Mr. Cooke's class so there were ~50 students or so all with the capability to communicate. As the movie plays we are all keeping an eye on the todaysmeet page looking for comments and questions. This provides students the chance to ask questions without stopping the movie or talking over each other. Everyone's voice can be heard and some of the quieter students really come to life on it. It is kind of crazy to think how often we encourage questions during a class period but then want them to be silent while watching a 45min. video. At the end you can print a transcript of the conversation (which I am kicking myself for not doing) to go back and highlight certain posts for further discussion or grading if you are into that.