TodaysMeet (www.todaysmeet.com) is a Web 2.0 tool that allows students to “backchannel” ideas, questions, and comments during classroom lectures and / or class activities. The advantage to TodaysMeet is a real-time, organized, and visually public conversation that can take place on any Internet-connected platform. Unless you have an extra adult in the classroom to help be the moderator while you teach (ha-ha-ha), this tool is probably best for older middle/high students. I still want you to be aware of it, though, because it is hot in the county right now. If you go to any county professional development sessions this winter or spring, you’ll most likely be invited to participate in a TodaysMeet session.
For the older students, some of the applications for this program can be a virtual Socratic Circle lesson, a “silent” debate, or a “Twitter-like” class activity. This is also a good tool for the students who do like to talk during class...they can be heard using TodaysMeet! Teachers can also use this site as an anticipatory lesson or a formative assessment. Professionally, administrators and teacher leaders could set up a TodaysMeet forum and get instant feedback at meetings, professional development days, and professional learning communities.Setting up a “meeting place” is quick and easy. Once you enter the website (www.todaysmeet.com) you will be asked to create a room. This unique URL can be active for anywhere between two hours to one year! When the meeting place is created, simply give the URL address to your students and watch the comments post. Students can write back in any teacher-directed criteria, including “text language. ” With only 140 characters to write, students must be concise in their responses.
Backchannel: http://www.todaysmeet.com/help/backchannelHow to use TodaysMeet (Video):
Need a tutorial to get started? Today's Meet Tutorial
Here's an article talking about the pros and cons of Today's Meet and back channeling:
Here's an article talking about the pros and cons of Today's Meet and back channeling:
How can a back channel be used at our school?
What benefits would there be to staff having a conversation about the learning going on in the background while professional development is taking place? Could it become a problem?
Could this be a method for flushing out misconceptions or confusion?
It certainly looks like a great feedback tool for older students! maybe using it in the lab when direct instruction of new topics take place would work out for 5th graders? Just a thought...I like the idea of using it for professional development days/workshops.
ReplyDelete~Kara
Yes, I agree with Kara. I think it would be something to use with the upper grades and we can try it in one of our meetings. Maybe introducing it in a Staff meeting to get used to it and then using it in our PD days. We can try it at our next Technology Workgroup too!
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely something that would be interesting for adults and professionals. I would worry about kids being so caught up in the technology that they miss the content... maybe the district should worry about us doing that too! We can be just like the kids!
ReplyDeleteAmy F
I like the idea of using it for professional development/workshops. I think it may be overwhelming for the lower grades.....and 5th could probably be introduced to it.
ReplyDeleteCori
I agree with Cori and Amy that this is an idea geared more for adults or maybe high schoolers.
ReplyDeleteAmy K