Are you BackChanneling? … why not sprinkle in a dash of F-channeling?

(random YouTube video on a Backchannel)

(A post like this, of course, should probably start with a link from Wikipedia on backchannels)

First… let’s clear up the “Backchannel” and make sure we are on the same page.  It’s not a new concept at all, but it’s getting popular – thank goodness.  Promoting a backchannel is a great idea to encourage and even establish participation in a larger conversation or with increased extensions.  But most importantly, it’s pretty easy to accomplish.  It’s a way to get people talking and connecting on the content while a presentation is going on, or while content is being explored in a classroom setting.  Basically establish a channel (via some tool) for people to talk about what is being presented or discussed, while connecting with others who either share or dispute their same ideas.  Think about the note you used to pass in high school to a friend, commenting on the lecture that was happening to you… About 2 years ago I started seeing really good presenters start to use backchannels.  Today most are.  I even lurked in on some pretty comical bachkchanneling through Twitter hash tags while in the massive line at the DMV earlier this month.

The most common BackChannel tools I see being used are:

• Today’sMeet
• Twitter (hash tags) – with tools like visibletweets.com & twitterfall.com to quickly aggregate backchannel tweets or comments.
• During LIVE streaming of Ustream or LiveStream events, use the open chat box.
• Facebook, is another way to get some good bachkchanneling going.

I believe that the fundamental basis for bachkchanneling comes from the theories of William James on his ideas of “The association of ideas,” “Interests” & “the acquisition of ideas” and how concepts play into true learning.  These ideas are expressed in his 1899 publication titled Talks to Teachers (yes… 1899)

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Now for the F Channel:

The F in this case can not represent “Front Channel.” In the broadcast world the front channel is the non interacting, one-way send of content. It’s the lecture or direct instructions component. It’s passive in nature.  It’s pretty much the opposite of backchannel …from itvdictionary.com:

The Front Channel refers to the actual broadcast from the television network operator to the TV viewer. This broadcast faces the viewer. It’s one-way in nature. In non-interactive TV systems, the front channel often is the only channel, as the signal or data stream is only going to the viewer and the viewer has limited ability to interact with the data they’re receiving.

It seems silly to tag the over used term “Formative” to the F-Channel activity.  While it may fit a bit, it’s just over played, and like a teen-ager, it’s often just misunderstood.

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So what is the F-Channel already?  Answer: It’s the feedback channel.  There are a ton of ways to get feedback during a presentation, group activity, or any learning session. There is a ton of research on Feedback and learning.  (Google Search on Research on Feedback and Learning)  As teachers, we all develop our methods of gaining feedback.  It’s sometimes the conversation about the content that involves no words at all, but body language, facial expressions, and certainly some levels of meta cognition (thinking about thinking).  It’s this conversation that helps us know how far in which directly to expand the content, it involves that classically tagged “teachable moment,” while at the same time helping 1 or more participants to make connections, form interests, and acquire new ideas (see above on James).

So… Here are some new F-Channel tools I’ll be using soon (some are new, some I’ve used before):

• SoapBox (http://gosoapbox.com/) – I’m excited about this one!  watch the short video on how your participants can bubble important questions up to the top – so you make sure to answer them.
• Socrative I saw this site used in a classroom in Woodford Co Schools with all students having devices.  Pretty Amazing!
• PollEverywhere (it’s a freemium model – a paid subscription may be needed if you’ll be F-Channeling with big audiences)
• A basic Google Form and quickly dump interactions into Wordle or Tagxedo for great wrap-up discussion.
• Or even expanding on the phenomenon of the Post-It! Note with http://corkboard.me | WallWisher  (I think these are kind of clunky)

In the end, whether backchannels, F-channels, or both… while promoting thinking and learning, there is little place for passivity.  Don’t be passive, and don’t let others be passive.  Do anything you can to create and promote interactions, connections, and social idea development!