NETS

It is most important for students to meet the NETS standard number 4: critical thinking, problem solving and decision making. This standard teaches the students to use critical thinking skills to solve problems, conduct research and use appropriate resources and digital tools. By mastering this standard, the students will be able to find and analyze information, conduct the research, solve the problem and make informed decisions off of the results. It will also help them see alternate solutions using different methods. This will help them all throughout school. How else would they be able to do more advanced work in middle and high school if they can not think critically? Every project in school requires a thought process. Then at work when their boss shows them declining statistics of their product, the boss is going to want the worker to be able to use the data to solve the problem.
Then for teachers, it is most important for them to meet the NETS standard number 1: facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity. Children are constantly looking to adults for examples of how they should do things. Teachers are the examples of how the students should use their knowledge to solve problems and find new methods of research. It is important for children to be creative so they take initiative and use innovative thinking. Teachers can model this kind of thinking for their students. Plus, if the teacher uses real life issues for the lessons, the students will clearly see the concepts of understand and the creative thinking processes. This can be done face to face or virtually.

Backchanneling

I think backchanneling could be a very helpful resource for teachers in the classroom. It allows students to ask questions and give more insight to others that are hearing the same lecture and combine their ideas. It keeps them actively involved without making them constantly raise their hands and talk in front of the class where they may feel shy and insecure. Everyone is constantly learning. Then the teacher can read over it and see places where there is extra instruction or explanation needed. It also shows which students have a higher grasp of the concepts than others and the teacher can pair them up accordingly. I see it as a good technology tool for teachers to use. Both the students and the teachers can benefit from it. It can become even more beneficial when they students are given a specific topic or discussion question to base the backchannel off of.
However, I can see one drawback to this new teaching method. I am not very good at multi-tasking. In class today, I became very distracted by the backchanneling on my screen and then I missed parts that he talked about. The only reason I know I missed things was by the discussion going on online. It will be important for teachers to consider students that are like me and need to concentrate on one thing at a time to be able to retain the information. It is a good tool, but should not be used all the time.