AN INTRODUCTION TO:
Chatzy
Rebecca Young
What is Chatzy?
Chatzy is a website (www.chatzy.com) that
allows you to quickly and easily create a private
space to chat with people you know.
To join a chatroom, you must first receive an
invitation by email or be given the link to that
room.
Advantages:
No installation or registration required
Free
No popup ads
Works with all major browsers and in all languages
Simple layout - easy to use
Private and safe
More about Chatzy...
A basic chatroom is called a Quick Chat.
Users also have the option of creating a Virtual Room. With a Virtual Room,
there are a few more options:
- A password for the administrator and for users to enter the room
-Option to change the title/subject of the room after it is created
-Deny/allow other users the options to clear the chat, send invitations, etc.
Virtual Room also allows Chatzy to be used as a blog or message board.
Users can save or print off a transcript of all messages in the chatroom.
If you register as a Premium user ($2-3 per month) you can get rid of the
small ad on the screen.
Implications For
Education
Chatting, texting, “facebooking”and instant
messaging, etc. have become highly popular
means of communication in the lives of
adolescents today. Although sometimes
controversial, chatting can be used for
educational purposes in several different ways.
Online Help
With Chatzy, teachers could set up an online review
session or forum for homework help.
Teachers can inform students that they will be
logged in to Chatzy at a designated time.
Unlike a phone call, this provides a way to help
multiple students at once and is much quicker than
email.
Collaborative
Work
Students can use Chatzy as a safe, online place to
work on group projects without having to physically
meet.
This helps overcome the barriers of travelling and
busy schedules, and also appeals to the popularity of
chat as a mode of communication among today’s
youth.
The Backchannel
What is a “backchannel?”
-A secondary or covert route for the passage of information.1
-In a classroom, the backchannel is everything going on in the room
that is not coming from the teacher.2
-Student conversations, passing notes, exchanging glances, etc.
during class.
1. The new Oxford American dictionary . New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
2."What is the Backchannel? « TodaysMeet." TodaysMeet. http://todaysmeet.com/help/backchannel (accessed May 26, 2011)
The Backchannel
Some educators have experimented with chat programs as a way of attempting
to turn the backchannel into a more useful and productive aspect of the
classroom (See Links)
Chatzy can be used to facilitate an online discussion while other activity is
going on in the class.
For example: Students could share their thoughts while watching a video in
class. The teacher could also post questions for students to consider as they
watch.
Of course, each student would need a computer or internet device such as a
phone, iPad, etc.
The Backchannel
Possible Advantages:
-Students could chat using an alias, diminishing the fear of speaking out in
class or asking a “dumb question”
-Could keep students more engaged and interested in what is going on
-Gives teachers immediate feedback on what students are thinking and allows
them to assess student learning
Possible Disadvantages:
-Another distraction for students in class? The maturity level of students must
be considered.
-Demands that all students have a computer or Internet device
-Students might pay more attention to the backchannel discussion and less to
the material being presented.
Links
“Backchannel in Education: Nine Uses”
http://derekbruff.com/teachingwithcrs/?p=472
Free Technology for Teachers: “Five Platforms for a Classroom Back-Channel
Chat”
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/01/five-platforms-for-classroom-back.html
“Backchannelling in Middle School Social Studies”
http://projects.minot.k12.nd.us/groups/chris/weblog/29e37/Backchanneling_in_Middle_School_Social_Studies.ht
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More Uses for Chatzy
Other fun, interactive writing activities
-Ex: a “story circle” where students/groups each
write a line to a story into the chatroom, which can
then be printed.
To create a class blog or message board using a
Virtual Room.
To communicate with a guest speaker who cannot
be physically present.
Ideas for Assessment
The teacher has the option to save/print all
messages and read them later.
-Formative assessment: Backchannel discussions
allow the teacher to determine if students are
learning and address their concerns.
-Online help sessions also help determine student
understanding of material.
-Teachers can evaluate student postings about
assigned topics; students can also give feedback on
other students’ posts.
Thank you for watching my
presentation on
Chatzy!
☺