background
Several years ago my school was very dedicated to a system called “Baldridge.” It provided strategies for data collection and providing various ways that teachers and students could analyze and organize this data. One Baldridge strategy that I have seen used in various formats is when the teacher asked students for their ideas about a certain topic. Students placed each idea on a sticky note and then posted the notes on the board. This allowed for collaboration as well as a way to identify common themes. Ideas were organized and tabulated.
Fast forward to today. I am always looking for ways to be more tech savvy. (I recently was given a classroom set of laptops.) I have always liked the idea of the sticky notes, but I wasn’t sure how to use that idea in a digital format. That’s when I ran across Padlet.com.
Fast forward to today. I am always looking for ways to be more tech savvy. (I recently was given a classroom set of laptops.) I have always liked the idea of the sticky notes, but I wasn’t sure how to use that idea in a digital format. That’s when I ran across Padlet.com.
What is padlet?
Padlet is basically an online sticky note board. Participants can post their ideas to the board and the notes can be organized. However, since it is online, it is so much more interactive than the traditional pen and paper sticky notes. Posts can include a hyperlink and an image to increase meaning and understanding. This is incredibly valuable to my students!
And that brings me to how I used Padlet in two different ways this year. I used it to stay connected with my students during a field trip, and I also used it to solve the “deli line problem” that occurs in a classroom.
STAY CONNECTED DURING A FIELD TRIP
Students at the secondary level have more freedom on field trips than their younger counterparts. While this is great benefit to me as a teacher (I don’t have to babysit them and I don’t need as many chaperones), it does pose a challenge to ensure students are doing what they are supposed to be doing. That’s where Padlet came to the rescue!
I set up a competition for my students when we went to one of the largest train displays and fun house. (They were exploring the proportional relationships behind making model trains as well as the math behind making optical illusions work in a fun house.) While traveling around the attraction in groups, students were on a scavenger hunt. Different finds accumulated different point values. Click here for a student handout that outlines point values.
I set up a competition for my students when we went to one of the largest train displays and fun house. (They were exploring the proportional relationships behind making model trains as well as the math behind making optical illusions work in a fun house.) While traveling around the attraction in groups, students were on a scavenger hunt. Different finds accumulated different point values. Click here for a student handout that outlines point values.
Students then posted their finds on the class Padlet. This was a great interactive experience because while students were physically separated from most of their peers, they were able to stay virtually connected. They could keep track of who found what and for how many points. There were several groups who kept trying to “one up” each other, which only meant they were looking for more mathematical connections. As a teacher, this is EXACLTY what I was going for!
The benefits did not stop there. Since students logged their learning on the Padlet, it served as a springboard for discussion when we returned to the classroom. They were able to ask each other questions, add to the findings (“Hey! I saw that too and I noticed ____.”), and further investigate the subject matter. Padlet was an incredible experience of integrating classroom content with real world application all the while using technology.
The benefits did not stop there. Since students logged their learning on the Padlet, it served as a springboard for discussion when we returned to the classroom. They were able to ask each other questions, add to the findings (“Hey! I saw that too and I noticed ____.”), and further investigate the subject matter. Padlet was an incredible experience of integrating classroom content with real world application all the while using technology.
deli line problem
Have you ever had the “deli line problem” in your classroom? I’m sure you have – we all have! This is where students are working and they are asking you, the teacher, questions. You do the best you can to get to every student in the order in which they had their hand up. Inevitably, you miss someone. It’s usually because who you are currently helping is the student in the front right of the room. The next one in line is the one in the back left of the room. As you make it from one corner to the next, you get stopped 5 times for other questions. Now the student in the back is upset because you have forgotten, or possibly worse, ignored him. If only there was a way to keep track of who is next, like they do at the deli counter where customers pick a number!
Oh but there is a solution through the use of Padlet. I set the scene for my students by describing the scenario as stated above. I can tell they have the same frustrations based on the multiple head nods through the story. Then I demonstrated the Padlet solution!
I set up a Padlet specifically designed for students to digitally raise their hands. While working, they had this Padlet open. I set it to the linear feature so I could see who listed their name and in what order. I deleted student names as I went through the list to answer questions.
This classroom procedure has been beneficial for many reasons. It encouraged students to know they have a voice in expressing a question and their voice has been heard. Students knew their “pecking order.” For example, they knew they were fifth in line and could watch their turn get closer and closer. Because of this, they stopped asking me “when is it my turn?”, “I was next”, “I’ve been waiting for 100 minutes!” However, the most astonishing affect was, for the most part, students continued to work while waiting their turn. The “deli line” application of Padlet has been a lifesaver for me and my classroom management!
What other ideas do you have for using Padlet in the classroom?
I set up a Padlet specifically designed for students to digitally raise their hands. While working, they had this Padlet open. I set it to the linear feature so I could see who listed their name and in what order. I deleted student names as I went through the list to answer questions.
This classroom procedure has been beneficial for many reasons. It encouraged students to know they have a voice in expressing a question and their voice has been heard. Students knew their “pecking order.” For example, they knew they were fifth in line and could watch their turn get closer and closer. Because of this, they stopped asking me “when is it my turn?”, “I was next”, “I’ve been waiting for 100 minutes!” However, the most astonishing affect was, for the most part, students continued to work while waiting their turn. The “deli line” application of Padlet has been a lifesaver for me and my classroom management!
What other ideas do you have for using Padlet in the classroom?