Backchanneling is awesome! I never thought I would say that. I thought it would be ridiculous and distracting. But, do you drive and talk on the phone? Do you pass notes while someone is lecturing, do you write your shopping list while sitting at a meeting, check your email while researching, etc. Sure, we all multi-task (and, they say women do it a lot better than men)! Think about sitting at a workshop or lecture and you are just bubbling with a thought you want to share. Think about the times you have wanted to ask a question and can't - only to forget it at the end of the lecture. Well, with backchanneling you can listen and construct your own knowledge at the same time! By reflecting on your own ideas and the thoughts of others you can expand your knowledge in unlimited ways. Goodbye to linear thinking! If you find yourself getting distracted just keep listening and don't look at your screen - just the way you stop talking and drive when you are lost.
Are you worried about kids in school backchanneling? I think they will stay more focused and be more engaged with their learning. They almost have to in order to listen and backchannel at the same time. Plus, they will have to dig deeper to stay up with their friends' new ideas as they flash across the screen begging for a response. Additionally, they will have more than one person (that "boring" teacher)instructing them and therefore might understand a concept better, or in a different way, if a peer constructs it for them. Will there be kids who get on facebook, doodle or just plain daydream? Of course, but, there always will be - they have always been given that choice. Let's give them the choice of connecting and constructing and see what they do with that! (Of course at our school that would involve laptops and wireless connections - sorry to end on that sad note.)
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