Padlet--Simple and Flexible

Padlet is a handy tool that everyone ought to be able to use during the coming school year.  I can easily see some teachers using it every day.  To put it simply, Padlet is on online refrigerator door.  A teacher can place a “sticky note” to the web page (door) and have students respond by adding notes.  Much more complicated tasks can also be done of course, but, let’s talk about some of the more obvious and simple ones first.

Getting started is very easy.  You actually don’t even need an account, you can just go to “build a wall.”  Once there, double click and type something.  If students go to the same web address they can add notes of their own.  (I’d put the url as a link in a portaportal—to make it easy for the students—see you friendly, local ITRT about this)  I envision the teacher displaying this page on their screen, students adding notes, the teacher reloading the site and there you have it, a more engaging class because you’ve made the assignment interactive.

Here are some ideas for using Padlet.

1. Brainstorming / Ice Breaker activities.  You post a question, students give a brief response, the class views them—if you are using laptops with cameras built in, students could post pictures of themselves.  One note, Internet Explorer 7 does not support some features—such as dragging the picture to the wall—it would have to be uploaded instead.  Click here to see a sample ice breaker.
2. Short excersices, in English class students might: a) use the word of the day in a sentence, b) practice tense, c) give an adjective to describe a character in the reading, c) come up with a synonym and an antonym,
3. Writing activities – there is a 160 character limit within which students could write descriptive paragraphs, poems,  essay plans, short stories, etc.  One student could write the first paragraph of a story, and subsequent students could add new notes continuing the story.
4. Posting assignments, notices, etc—students can post questions on the assignments.
5. Post numerous math problems and have different students post their answers to different problems.
6. Notifications – the most obvious 
7. Speaking Activities – for those who don’t like to speak in front of a class.  Students could record a comment on a photo, an opinion on a current issue, etc.
8. Kick off a topic with a KWL chart where students paste notes on what they know and what they want to learn about a topic.

 Now, more complex uses could involve students making individual walls posting multiple pictures and telling about them.  If you have done projects where students have produced online slides shows, videos, posters, etc., you could use Padlet to have them post or link to their best work of  the year.  Of course I could suggest many more possibilities, but to spur your imagination it might even be better for you to look through the gallaryof samples offered by Padlet.

While in the "more complex" category, I should note that there are various privacy options available in Padlet.  You can change the settings so the wall is private, so that it is only viewable, so that viewers can add only posts which you approve, can add post but not change the wall, or have the liberty to change the wall.  In other words you can lock things down and be super secure, or leave it more freewheeling as in a classroom discussion. 

For other sites similar to Padlet click here.
Now might be the time of year to experiment with Padlet and evaluate it as a tool for using next year.

Have a wonderful, relaxing summer and come back all refreshed and ready to teach.

Putting the "E" in STEM Education

Science, Technology, Engineering and  Math.  Each of these areas has SOLs.  Two of these areas have SOLs which are tested—science and math.  Technology and Engineering SOLs are not tested.  Which do you suppose get more emphasis in the classroom? 

I, naturally , am an advocate for technology.  However, not for the sake of technology.  Rather, I advocate using technology to teach other areas.  Technology education should be a by-product of its use to teach math, social studies, etc.  Engineering may be different.  If we focus on engineering, the by-product might be learning in other areas.  Engineering, simply put, is problem solving.  “Children, just like engineers, are creative, innovative, and imaginative when it comes to solving problems.” (Cox-Boniol, 2012)  Why not harness the child’s natural enthusiasm for problem solving in order to teach math, science, team building,  and communication skills (required to work together and to present)?  “Hands-on activities and  project-based learning are fun and effective ways to help students learn and retain more math and science concepts.  By choosing to teach engineering, teachers can help students make the links between classroom learning, their everday lives and the wider world. (Cox-Boniol, 2012)

A teacher might start by giving students an understanding of what engineering  is and what engineers do.  Some suggestions from the authors cited above include making Hollywood connections.  For example, ask students to identify scenes in which Willy Wonka, the chemical engineer, did engineering work.  Have them investigate how engineers developed the iPod.  Have them imagine other designs for skateboards.  Show how engineers worked to design video games, cell phones, etc.  A valuable resource along these lines might be www. Howstuffworks.com.

To access design briefs, listed  by grade level and SOL, and submitted by elementary teachers from Chesterfield County, Viginia, click here.  To access many other links which lead to more design briefs and resources, click here.   A design brief is the paper you would hand out to the students explaining the assignment—here is the problem, here are the materials you have to work with, have your group create a solution.

I’ve kept this post brief, giving you time to view some of these design briefs and consider their use in your class.

Work Cited:

Cox-Boniol, C. B. (2012). Teaching Engineering Made Easy; A Friendly Introduction to Engineering Activities for Middle School Teachers (Second Edition). Springfield, OR: Engineering Education Service Center.