SUPER COOL TEACHER TOOL - PADLET.COM

WHAT IS PADLET?

 "Padlet is an Internet application that allows people to express their thoughts on a common topic easily. It works like an online sheet of paper where people can put any content (e.g. images, videos, documents, text) anywhere on the page, together with anyone, from any device. Think of it like a multimedia friendly, free-form, real-time wiki." -Padlet.com

• Students do not need accounts to post 
• Information can be added and edited on any device
• Add text, images, links and documents
• Add as many posts to each wall as needed, the wall will continue to grow
• Check out the Padlet gallery for some great examples!

source: http://padlet.com/gallery

GETTING STARTED WITH PADLET

• Click BUILD A WALL
• Click MODIFY WALL to change the properties of the wall (background, layout, privacy, etc)
• Double click or drag a file anywhere to post.

Need more help? Check out the Padlet Knowledge Base. A full step-by-step guide for Holton teachers and students is coming soon. 

HOW YOU CAN USE PADLET

Padlet is the perfect tool for:

• Providing instant, easy collaboration
• Brainstorming
• Collecting group research
• KWL charts
• Exit surveys
• Visual timeline creation
• Real-time group discussions 

GRADE 8 SOCIAL STUDIES EXAMPLE @ HOLTON

At the start of school the Grade 8 Social Studies teachers planned to have their students interview someone older who had a memory of September 11th. The teachers were looking for a quick and easy way for their students to share a short paragraph and picture. For the teachers planning the project, it was important for all of the girls to be able to see the information their classmates were posting and of course for it to be as easy as possible. For me, it was important that the girls not have to log into a new system, that the selected tool work seamlessly with our learning management system (finalsite course pages), and that it work on both an iPad and laptop.

We investigated several options including Pinterest, Google Sites, and Google Docs, but ultimately it was clear that Padlet was the best tool for the job!

The Grade 8 Social Studies teachers created one board for each of their sections and embedded the board as a resource on their course page.  In class, the students simply double-clicked on the embedded Padlet page to post their short paragraph and picture. Immediately the girls were able to see their classmate's posts, read the interviews and look at the pictures. This provided a great starting off point for the in class discussion that followed. Padlet proved to be a super easy way to provide instant, real-time collaboration! 

LINKS TO RESOURCES WITH MORE GREAT IDEAS

Technology Resource Teachers - Padlet

How to Use Padlet in the Classroom
32 Interesting Ways to Use Padlet in Your Classroom