Padlet: A Must-Try Digital Tool for Your Classroom

Brenna Sheehan, Laney HS

Padlet is a digital canvas to create beautiful projects that are easy to share and collaborate. It acts like a virtual pinboard in which students can post video clips, photos, links, comments, etc. This awesome digital tool is not just for students to use! I’ve used it to create an introduction to The Kite Runner that serves as the base of a webquest (scroll down to see this Padlet). You can also create a group Padlet for several people to collaborate. This would work really well on a group project or simply serve as an inspirational pinboard for your class.

As a culminating assignment for an independent reading novel, I assigned my students with the task of creating a Padlet based on their novel (instructional slides are included below). Their Padlet needed to include a related design theme, articles related to their novel’s characters, themes or the novel/author, relevant photos, and videos. Once the student finished his/her Padlet, he/she shared with me the link so I could access it.

This project really encouraged my students to think outside the box as far as larger scale themes and motifs. For example, instead of reading about the novel’s perspective on physician assisted suicide, the student has the opportunity to research this topic, find other articles relating to this topic, and include it on the novel’s Padlet. I was really impressed with the research conducted by them.

Instead of having each student present their Padlet to the class (and with classes of 35, that could take awhile!), I printed off the QR codes associated to that student’s Padlet and posted them inside and outside of my classroom. I purposefully left off the novel titles so that my students would not be tempted by a fancy or clever title. Each student chose one QR code to scan using their phone and took the time to read through that given Padlet’s novel. (Fun Fact: If the student does not have the QR Code Scanner app installed on their phone, then Snapchat on iPhone scans QR codes!) When they returned, I gave them index card, students wrote down (a) the title of the novel, (b) three facts or themes about the novel judging by the material posted, and (c) state whether or not they would want to read this novel and why. I then did a quick whip around the room and asked each student to share about the novel of the QR code they scanned.

This was a really fun and interactive lesson! Not only did my students have the opportunity to delve deeper into their independent novel and explore the overarching themes and messages, but they also had the chance to view a classmate’s Padlet and, hopefully, find a new interesting novel to read. Too often students glance over a novel they read and do not take away insight or meaning, so this assignment really encouraged them to dig deeper and find purpose in their novel. -Brenna Sheehan

Check out the Padlet Brenna created as her introduction to her Middle Eastern Unit: (referenced above)

And here's the project assignment instructions she gave her students: 

Are you interested in trying out Padlet? Do you work within New Hanover County Schools? Then give this digital tool a try AND earn CEUs in the process! Click here to be redirected to the Be Awesome page to learn more.

Also, here's a great article from the Cool Cat Teacher blog with tips on how to use padlet within the classroom. We'd love to hear your thoughts about Padlet in the comment section below!