In the educational technology field, a new tech tool appears every day. During this semester, my first question to any teacher that I am fortunate enough to work with is what your learning target or goal is? Focusing on what we want learning to look like at the close of a lesson or unit can guide us in creating better learning experiences for our students along the way. Utilizing the backward design (or Understanding by Design) method can challenge teachers to focus less on the tools and more about the learning experiences that their students will encounter and complete as they develop skills and acquire essential content knowledge.
As I sit at my computer processing through my latest professional development presentation, I realize that staring at a screen for a majority of the day makes it difficult to remember to look past the technology and focus on the learning outcomes, but it is essential. The right tools need to be chosen to complete the job - not the other way around. I love witnessing teachers experiment with new tools and methods of engagement. Using a variety of strategies with students is powerful, but again, the tools and the means of arriving a curricular goal should be carefully considered.
Through the past few school years, Padlet has been a tool that I have loved using and watching evolve. This tool is a digital corkboard with endless possibilities. As it has evolved, so too have the opportunities to encourage students to drive their learning. Students can curate, communication, and create powerful learning artifacts and post them all in one page to which other students can comment, rate, and like. Contributing to a Padlet is fast and easy, and the information is quickly organized and preserved to drive future instruction.
Yes, Padlet has been an excellent corkboard tool and particularly useful when creating an entrance or exit ticket, but there are abundant uses for this tool! Taking a tool that students are comfortable using and evolving with the features can make a positive classroom experience even more impactful. Here are a few of my latest experiments with Padlet
Group Curation Tool
Group projects can be tricky. Communication among a group of more than two students can be challenging to navigate as they travel from class to class and/or swamped with after school commitments. As such, Padlet can create a useful curation tool that allows students to communicate asynchronously. Students can share links, leave notes, post videos, and even draw pictures to each other as they build a group project or complete an assignment. Students can also vote on or leave comments to each other, which provides clarity and increases the collaboration.
Notetaking Log
In subjects such as math and science, in which notes are taken regularly, have a notetaking log can help keep students organized, and also provide them with an opportunity to organize a variety of mediums. Images can be uploaded onto a Padlet and are easy to snap at the end of a class with a student's phone, Chromebook, or iPad. Saving notes that were taken in class ensures that students have access to the notes and can review them with ease. Those notes will automatically be arranged in chronological order. I recommend using the stream feature in Padlet to ensure that notes remained organized and easy to follow. Students can use the control find feature to find essential concepts and ideas faster, they can link in any digital activities, and they can even leave voice/video feedback for themselves.
Student Template
Whether students are brainstorming for an upcoming paper assignment, completing a vocabulary activity, or building a map, teachers can create a template for students to remake and use individually. For a long time, I never had students make their own Padlets, but now I love building templates and having students create portfolios or complete reflection activities using a template. When students remake the Padlet, they do have to be careful with the share settings. Having students make their Padlets challenges them to work independently and take control of their learning. It also provides a space for them to demonstrate mastery of a skill or objective in a variety of ways. Their growth can be documented, charted, and shared quickly with a link. This tool is also relatively simple to use, which emphasizes mastering the content, not the tech tool itself.
Note: Padlet will default to "read-only" at times, which can cause frustration, but that feature can be corrected with a change of those settings.
Blended Learning Lesson
Another great use for Padlet is creating a space for students to demonstrate mastery when learning online or in a blended format. Using the shelf feature, teachers can outline a step-by-step process with their students to complete a variety of activities, connect with their peers, and reflect on their experience. Because Padlet can be accessed at any time and from any location, students can work at their own pace, use each other as resources, and post evidence of their work. I have loved playing with this structure and will be using it next semester when I take on a blended course for the first time.
Choose Your Own Adventure
I loved reading Choose Your Own Adventure books as a kid. While I inevitably would perish tragically, I loved turning back to the beginning to chart my progress in the fictitious world within the pages. To pay homage to this process, I played with creating a Padlet within a Padlet as a way to give students a choice in how they might show mastery. Linking Padlets to other Padlets allows students to make connections. In my setup, I provided students with two paths that required writing and video creation. On both routes, students had to do similar activities in a different order, thus ensuring that they were showcasing their skills in a variety of ways but also helping them feel autonomy. The final Padlet took all students back together and required reflection. Being creative with Padlets can make a familiar learning environment fun and even a little exciting.
With thousands of tech tools on the market, this is the one tool that I would endorse because it is versatile and intuitive. The features replicate multiple other tech platforms, and aesthetically it is appealing. If you have great ideas for using Padlet in your classroom, I'd love to hear them! We grow most when we support and connect with one another.
No comments:
Post a Comment