If you are reading this post because the title excited you, I am sorry to say that I do not know of a simultaneous back channel/polling app. This post is to request your help in finding one!  I recently got a great comment on my post about using Socrative as a Back Channel.  The commenter, a professor named Lisa Halverson, asked if I knew of any way to allow students to use Socrative or any app as a back channel while also having the ability to answer polls so the teacher could get a feel for understanding.  It appears that Socrative only allows for a teacher to have one room/quiz going at a time.  I can certainly think of some roundabout ways to achieve this (see below), but does anyone know of a tool that does this with less preparation required?  If so, both Lisa and I would love to hear about it!  If not, then one of you smart developer-types needs to get right on that!
By the way, Richard Byrne just did a great post on 12 great student feedback tools that you should definitely read if you haven’t tried one or if you aren’t happy with one that you use.  As far as I can tell, though, none of these do the specific job Lisa and I require.
My roundabout solution?  (Bear with me because I am an Apple girl – not sure how Android devices would work other than that I’m pretty sure they have browsers!) I would have all students use the browser to access Socrative for real-time quick feedback questions from the teacher.  I would also have them add a second tab that has a Padlet (or even a shared Google Doc) to use as a back channel for timid students to ask questions or make comments.  If you want to get really fancy schmancy, there are several apps out there, such as this one, that will split your browser (but the free ones do have ads). Rumor has it that the next iOS might allow you to split your screen so you can use 2 different apps at the same time – but we’d still like to have it all in one!
Example of using a split screen app on the iPad. A Socrative quiz is going on the left. Â A Padlet (set to the stream layout) is on the right for a backchannel option. Â Good news – this app is free and you can create bookmarks so students don’t have to type in a URL every time. Bad news – it has ads. If you are teaching college students, that’s probably no biggie, though.
Not everyone is obsessed with reading education blogs or following Twitter as I am – especially over the summer.  I’ve noticed this blog’s stats have started growing since the beginning of August, which probably means educators are starting to return to work and might be looking for resources.  For today’s post I thought I would do a short round-up of some of the changes and updates that my readers may have missed over the summer.  This is, by no means, an exhaustive list.  It’s just something I brainstormed in the doctor’s waiting room the other day 😉
Socrative – My favorite student response system has now switched completely over to the 2.0 version (and I like it). Here is info on the switch.
Tellagami – The free app is virtually useless now, as there is no longer customization of characters or Text-To-Speech. Â For those, you need to purchase the Edu version for $4.99. Â You can read more about my disappointment in this change here.
Google Drive – There is a new interface that might take a little getting used to. Â Here is one article that points out some of the new features. Here is a Google Drive Cheat Sheet.
Scratch Jr. – For those of you with classroom iPads who might want to teach programming to young students, this free app, released this summer, is a definite must-download.
Made with Code – Speaking of coding resources, Google launched Made with Code over the summer – Â a site specifically directed at getting females interested in this field.
Padlet – Formerly known as Wallwisher (that’s so last year!), this great online tool has now added a new grid option to better organize all of those notes. Â Here’s the lowdown from Richard Byrne. Â And it has a Chrome extension (I don’t know if that’s new, but I just found out about it).
Kid President – In case you missed it, everyone’s favorite inspirational politician now has a TV show on Hulu! Find out more on this blog post.
Lego Research Institute – I was so excited about this, I tweeted it out last week!  This Lego set, featuring 3 female scientists, is now available for purchase ($19.99).  Unfortunately, they are currently sold-out online- and I can’t find any indication on the website if they intend to restock.
In past posts, I’ve mentioned using “Socratic Dialogue” with my students. Â Sometimes this is referred to as “Socratic Method”, “Socratic Seminar”, or “Socratic Circles.” Â You can learn more about this teaching technique here and in my post on “Socratic Questions.”
I recently ran across an excellent post on the Langwitches blog called, “Socratic Seminar and the Backchannel.” Â The article gives a detailed description of teacher Shannon Hancock using the fishbowl method of an inner circle and outer circle with her 8th grade students to discuss The Alchemist. What distinguishes Shannon’s lesson from others of its kind is that she allowed her students to use Today’s Meet as a backchannel to comment during the discussion. Â Normally, the outer circle of students remain fairly passive, but her technique makes the discussion much more interactive and collaborative for all who are involved. Â I must confess that I have used a backchannel in my class before (Socrative and Google Docs are other great alternatives to Today’s Meet), but this particular use never occurred to me.
Even if you do not have enough digital devices to exactly replicate Shannon’s lesson, I encourage you to take a look at the article, which includes a wonderful video of the class in action, as well as examples of comments made on the backchannel. Â I love the way Shannon introduces the lesson, as well as her encouragement of the students to collaborate by having a short discussion with partners at the half-way mark.
Watching Shannon Hancock inspires me to work harder to make our classroom Socratic Circles more meaningful and deep, whether we use technology or not.
A few years ago, I was introduced to the concept of the “Back Channel” during a technology conference. Â For those of you who have not used this before, it’s basically an online account where audiences can post questions and comments during a presentation instead of interrupting the speaker. Â Every once in awhile, the speaker can refer to the back channel, and speak to the points brought up by the audience.
Today’s Meet is a common web application used for this purpose. Â When I tried it a few years ago, it was blocked by my district. Â There are others (some people use Twitter, Edmodo, or Google Drive) Â that I’ve tried since then, but I gave up for awhile, frustrated with technical issues I kept encountering. Â Plus, I don’t really lecture a lot, so it seemed unnecessary.
We had a parent visit my 5th grade GT class the other day to present Google Glass. Â He had come to the 4th grade class a few weeks before, and the students seemed to have a hard time giving him a chance to speak. Â So, I thought about trying the “Back Channel” concept one more time.
This time, I decided to use Socrative. Â Socrative has been a free student response tool that I’ve used for several years, and it never lets me down. Â There are apps available for the teacher and student, but you can also use the web-based version. Â I generally use Socrative for exit tickets or quick quizzes ( the students absolutely LOVE the Space Race option!). Â But there is also a Single Question, Short Answer option that I decided to try out as a Back Channel.
Before the Google Glass presentation, I explained to the students that we would be using Socrative for their questions and comments, and that we would periodically pause to hear our guest’s responses.
I loved how this worked. Â With a few scheduled pauses, we could glance at the list of questions, and see which ones had already been answered, which ones were common or unique, and address any misconceptions. Â The only thing I didn’t like was that one student got silly with her comments (and subsequently got her iPad taken away).
I’m planning to start using this for Genius Hour presentations. Â It seems counterintuitive to have the kids typing while someone is speaking, but it actually appears to keep them more engaged, as most of them are genuinely interested in coming up with good questions and comments. Â It’s also nice that Socrative allows you to download or e-mail yourself a record of the responses. Â Copies could be given to the presenters to help them with a reflection about their project.
Socrative has a new 2.0 beta version, which is much more visually appealing here. Â (I used it when it first came out, but there were a couple of glitches. Â They have probably been resolved since then, but I haven’t had a chance to test it out recently.
If you plan to try Socrative for the first time, here are a few “housekeeping” tips:
Either download the student app or add a desktop shortcut to the web app on each student device.
Show the students how to access the student page, and to input the room number. Â Younger students may need help figuring out how to get to the numbers on the keyboard!
Have your students enter just first names or initials when prompted.
If you are doing a Single Question, Short Answer activity for a Back Channel, be sure to choose unlimited Student Responses, and request their names (this provides accountability).
Make sure students log out when the activity is finished, so students who use the device the next time don’t get confused.
Of course, not every classroom has one to one devices. Â You can have them pair up, pass a device around at tables, or have recorders who type in questions or comments that students have written down. Â (This way, all questions/comments can be in the same document, instead of various pieces of paper.) Â If you are really low on tech, Jared Stevenson (@eduk8r_Jared) mentioned during the #txed Twitter chat last night that he once saw a teacher who used a special spot in the room for students to post their questions.
The point, as always, is to give students a meaningful voice. Â Socrative is just one way to do this that I’ve found to be very efficient and to enhance our learning.
For the summer, I have decided to use my Tuesday and Thursday posts to reblog some of my favorite posts that some of my readers may have missed the first time around.
Socrative is a student response system that pretty allows you to use any device with internet access, instead of having to purchase expensive separate hand-helds. Â Once registered (and it is free), the teacher can create quizzes, exercises, and quick exit tickets. Â It could be used in “real time” by students who each have an iPod Touch/iPad or laptop, teams of students who share an internet enabled device, or even by students at home or rotating through one computer in a classroom center. Â I used this on a regular basis with my students last year, and they loved it. Â I appreciated getting instant feedback on what they knew or how they felt about a topic. Â They enjoyed making it into a game with the “Space Race” feature that showed their team rockets moving forward on our classroom screen as they answered questions correctly. Â The teacher can have a spreadsheet with the results sent by an e-mail when the quizzes are completed, and graphs can be viewed by the entire class of the results. Â Many of these things can be done using Google Forms, but Socrative makes it easier and more fun for the students.
UPDATE:  Socrative can be used as a web-based program, but now also has an app for  Android and iDevices available (also for free).
