What’s a Backchannel and Is it Right For Your Class?

A backchannel refers to a secondary, often informal, communication channel that runs parallel to the main communication channel. In the classroom, it provides students with an outlet to:

  • ask questions when the teacher is talking–isn’t at a lesson point where she can pause
  • engage in conversation with other students without disturbing the class
  • add comments to a conversation even after the class has moved on in the lesson plan.

This video is from a series I taught for school districts. It is now available for free, here on Ask a Tech Teacher:

What is a backchannel in your classroom? Why? What are some options you might use? Here’s a sixteen minute video I use with my online classes to address these topics:

Tools to use as backchannels include:

  1. Google Sheets–share a topical Google spreadsheet and students add their thoughts
  2. Nearpod
  3. Padlet
  4. PollEverywhere–students answers questions using the app or website; free is limited
  5. Socrative
  6. Twitter

We update this list constantly. Do click here for updates.

–images credit Deposit Photo

Here’s the sign-up link if the image above doesn’t work:

https://forms.aweber.com/form/07/1910174607.htm




Copyright ©2024 worddreams.wordpress.com – All rights reserved.

“The content presented in this blog is the result of my creative imagination and not intended for use, reproduction, or incorporation into any artificial intelligence training or machine learning systems without prior written consent from the author.”


Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.

9 St. Patrick’s Day Resources For Your Class

St. Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on March 17th to honor St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, credited with bringing Christianity to the country. The day is marked by parades, wearing green clothing and accessories, traditional Irish music and dance, feasting, and the symbolic consumption of foods and beverages like corned beef, cabbage, and Irish stout. It has become a global celebration of Irish culture and heritage.

st patricks day websites

Getting ready for St. Patrick’s Day? Try these fun websites with activities for different grade levels, different classes (click for updates on this list):

  1. Puzzle–St. Pat’s Puzzle
  2. Puzzle–St. Pat’s drag-and-drop puzzle
  3. Puzzle–St. Pat’s slide puzzle
  4. Puzzles and games
  5. Resources for St. Pat’s Day from Education.com by grade and subject
  6. St. Patrick’s Day history–video
  7. St. Pat’s Day songs–video
  8. Tic tac toe
  9. Wordsearch

(more…)

Celebrate Pi Day and Maths Day

[gallery type="square" columns="2" size="medium" ids="68539,68542"]

Two math celebrations are coming up on March 14th: Pi Day and World Maths Day

Pi Day

Pi Day is an annual celebration commemorating the mathematical constant π (pi). Pi Day is observed on March 14 since 3, 1, and 4 are the three most significant digits of π in the decimal form.

Daniel Tammet, a high-functioning autistic savant, holds the European record for reciting pi from memory to 22,514 digits in five hours and nine minutes.

(more…)

How to Automate an MLA Heading

How to Automate an MLA Heading in Word

This one is quick–how to create a macro that automatically inserts an MLA-appropriate heading:

  • Have students log in. Macros go with the profile of the user, not the local computer.
  • Open MS Word.
  • Decide what the keyboard shortcut will be for the macro. I use Ctrl+Alt+H. Test it to be sure it doesn’t bring up some other shortcut.
  • Go to View-macro-record macro
  • Call the macro ‘MLA Heading’ and select ‘Keyboard’
  • Add your selected keyboard shortcut to ‘Press new shortcut key’  and click ‘Assign’, then ‘Close’.
  • Your mouse becomes a cassette tape. Type the heading that will be part of your macro. Feel free to backspace and make corrections. Those are all recorded, but they’re so fast, you won’t notice when you invoke the macro.
  • Stop recording by clicking Macros – Stop Recording.
  • Test the shortkey

Clean and simple, and fun for students–a great lesson during Hour of Code or another coding lesson. The macro will impress anyone sitting by them when they are logged in.

Here’s a quick four-minute video on creating a macro (though this one, not specifically for an MLA heading): (more…)

4 Reasons to use Word Problems and 9 Online Resources

Word problems are popular and fun methods of teaching math and English in many schools. Why? See which of these you agree with:

  1. Real-world relevance: They present scenarios that make concepts more tangible and help students see the practical applications of what they are learning.
  2. Critical thinking: They require students analyze information, identify relevant concepts.
  3. Multifaceted learning: Word problems often involve multiple steps that integrate a variety of concepts and skills.
  4. Language skills: Word problems involve reading and understanding written instructions, requiring students interpret written information, extract relevant details, and communicate solutions.

Here are popular online resources to teach about Word Problems (click for updates on this list):

  1. Expii Solve–math word problems and puzzles, lots of them
  2. IXL Word Problems–by grade
  3. Math and Logic Problems
  4. Math Pickle–puzzles, games, and mini competitions
  5. Prodigy Math Word Problems–about 120
  6. Thinking Blocks–free (app)
  7. Word problems–type them in, Wolfram/Alpha provides the answer and the how-to. Amazing.
  8. Word Problems from Math Playground
  9. Would You Rather–more like a justification for decisions using math

–image credit Deposit Photos

(more…)

13 Tips to Solve Unusual Problems

tech tipsIn these 169 tech-centric situations, you get an overview of pedagogy—the tech topics most important to your teaching—as well as practical strategies to address most classroom tech situations, how to scaffold these to learning, and where they provide the subtext to daily tech-infused education.

Today’s tip: Solutions to unusual problems

Category: Problem-solving

Whether you follow Habits of Mind, Common Core, Depth of Knowledge, IB, or another K-12 learning strategy, every student must learn problem-solving to become a functioning, contributing adult. There are thirteen great strategies that can be taught as part of ‘problem solving’ between kindergarten and eighth grade—a few each year, when they’re age-appropriate for your group.

Here’s a poster with the strategies. Post it on the wall in your classroom. Let students notice when they’ve accomplished one and what’s coming up in their future:

Sign up for a new tip each week or buy the entire 169 Real-world Ways to Put Tech into Your Classroom.

What’s your favorite tech tip in your classroom? Share it in the comments below.

–image credit Deposit Photos

(more…)

Starlink–What is it? Why use it?

I’ve had a lot of trouble with my email the last few months. My newsletter is falling apart. My home email is changing servers–who knows what that will require on my part. My spam folder has had a mental breakdown and never (ever) works correctly. And, my internet services are suffering more than their usual annoying level of quirks and breaks.

I’m looking for a change. There’s one big option I’ve been watching for a few years: Starlink. It doesn’t use fiber or cable–it runs off satellites. I haven’t pulled the trigger (it requires geeky setup and a substantial startup fee), but every year, after every internet and email problem, it gets more interesting. Starlink probably won’t fix my email problems, but it might put a dent in my internet issues. Several friends and efriends use it and are thrilled with it. Liesbet over at Roaming About, a self-proclaimed nomad, happily roaming about South America, switched to Starlink and loves it.

One of the reasons I don’t make the switch is it’s not easy (and I like easy). It costs something like $600 in equipment and the monthly fee is somewhere around $150-$200, but to get away from the Earth-based internet problems that can be hacked, cracked, and virused is appealing. (more…)

Subscriber Special: 50% Off Sidebar Sponsors

 

Every month, subscribers to our newsletter get a free/discounted resource to help their tech teaching.

March 2-9th

50% discount on sidebar sponsors (instead of $100 per month, you get the same program for $50 a month)

Required: Minimum of 6 months paid in advance, or $300

We place your logo and link in the blog sidebar. Additionally, once a month, I’ll share an optional update on your product with my readers (which you write). 

Contact askatechteacher @ gmail . com for more details.

(more…)