Padlet - Engaging All Learners

Padlet is a digital bulletin board where students and teachers can post messages, collaborate, reflect, share links, share videos, and share pictures. Padlet is a great resource to support engage students in digital learning experiences.

• Padlet has 7 different styles that you can start with, including Wall, Canvas, Stream, Grid, Shelf, Backchannel, and Map. When you create a new Padlet you have the option of previewing each one to determine which fits best for your students and any connected learning goals.
• Padlet posts can include file uploads, links, Google searches, photos, webcam recordings, audio recordings, screencasts, drawings, map locations, or links to other Padlets.

5 Reasons Why Padlet is an Essential Tool for Today's Classroom Connected to the ISTE Standards for Students

Today, I wanted to share a little more about Padlet.

Awesome Updates for Padlet

Padlet has become a favorite tool for collaboration and communication so I am super excited for the new updates Padlet has unveiled recently.

Learn more about using Padlet in your classroom with this post by Lucie Renard.

30 creative ways to use Padlet for teachers and students

Here are three of the updates that I love the most right now. 

1. I am probably most excited about the new Reaction feature. Now teachers and students can Like, Vote, Star, and Grade posts in Padlet. You can turn on one of these 4 options for each Padlet that you create and share. This is a great way to engage students in Padlet.

• Like is just like it sounds. Have a little heart when you like a post. (Think Twitter)
• Vote allows users to give the good old thumbs up or thumbs down. (Think YouTube)
• Star allows users to rate a post between 1 to 5 stars. (Think Amazon)
• Grade allows users assign a grade on a scale. (Think Google Classroom)

Learn more about Reactions here.

2. You can now create a Padlet using 1 of 5 Formats or 1 of 8 Templates. These Formats and Templates bring new style and versatility to Padlet in the classroom. 

Learn more about Padlet Formats here. 

Learn more about Padlet Templates here.

3. Posts can now be Color-Coded with one of 6 different colors regardless of the type of Padlet. Colors add another way to organize and categorize posts in collaborative Padlets. 



Learn more about Coloring Posts here.

Please share how what you love about Padlet or how you use it with students in the comments below.

Collaboration with Padlet and Google Plus

"Today’s students must be prepared to thrive in a constantly evolving technological landscape. Zip codes and borders no longer determine the learning opportunities, skills and careers that students can access. The ISTE Standards for Students are designed to empower student voice and ensure that learning is a student-driven process of exploration, creativity, and discovery no matter where they or their teachers are in the thoughtful integration of ed tech."

Source: ISTE Standards for Students

When considering where to start incorporating technology, I think first about the interpersonal skills of communication and collaboration. The skills connected to collaboration and communication provide a strong learning foundation for students to understand content and develop additional skills. 

• Creative Communicator Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.
• Global Collaborator Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally.

Face to face classroom collaboration and communication will always be important. Today these classroom activities can be enhanced with a variety of EdTech resources. My students collaborate regularly with Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Keep. I also love Google + and Padlet for whole class collaboration and connections. This post will focus on Google + and Padlet. 

Google Plus Communities

Google + Communities are moderated secure digital environments for teachers and students to collaborate and communicate online. There are many ways to teachers and students can use Google + Communities as a collaboration and communication tool, including:

• Posting and responding to questions.
• Sharing links, videos, attachments, and images.
• Sharing student work.
• Creating categories to better organize sharing.
• Participating in online discussions.
• Flipping and Blending the learning experience.

Learn more about setting up and organizing Google + Communities with this Google + Community Tutorial.

Padlet

Padlet provides teachers and students with a customized digital board. I often think of Padlet as a virtual post-it note board. I think Padlet is best for a single topic or discussion stream, so I typically create new Padlets for new topics. There are many ways to teachers and students can use Padlet as a collaboration and communication tool, including:

• Posting and responding to questions.
• Sharing links, videos, attachments, and images.
• Sharing student work.
• Moving and grouping posts. 
• Participating in online discussions.

Learn more about getting started with Padlet using this tutorial. Padlet also has a great searchable Knowledge Base if you need help with any features. 

How would you use Padlet or Google + with your students? Share your ideas and questions using this Padlet or in the comments below. 

The 12 Days of Techmas - Day 6: Padlet

Image Source

12 Days of Our Favorite Resources to Engage Learners

I always try to remember it’s not about the tech, it’s how you use it. This being said, sometimes learning about a new tool or resource will open the door to bigger discussions about, creativity, pedagogy, and learning. It is ok to sometimes start with the tool and then explore how or why you might use it to enhance teaching and learning.

Day 6 - Padlet

Yesterday, I shared The Noun Project, a great resource for high-quality icons and graphics. Today I am sharing one of my favorite resources to support digital collaboration and communication. Whenever I want students to share ideas or creations with the class, Padlet is the place. 

Padlet is a digital bulletin board where students and teachers can post messages, collaborate, reflect, share links, share videos, and share pictures. Padlet is a great resource to support student voice and creative communication in any classroom.

Everything you need, nothing you don’t. If only life were like that.

Did you know that Padlet posts can include file uploads, links, Google searches, photos, webcam recordings, audio recordings, screencasts, drawings, map locations, or links to other Padlets? 

Learn more about the power of Padlet in our Padlet - Collaboration & Communication Resources and Tips Document. 

If you’ve used Padlet in your classroom, please share your story in the comments below. If you have questions or other ideas, the comments below are waiting for you to ask or share. 

12 Days of Techmas Calendar

(Links to Each Day's Resource as They Become Available)

Don't worry, I will be back tomorrow with another resource to share. 

Image Source

I am a Science Teacher and Instructional Technology Coordinator at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, IL. I am a lifelong learner who is always looking for new ideas and challenges. 

Twitter: @WickedEdTech | Blog: Know Your Why | Website: WickEdEdTech

Bonus: The 12 Days of Christmas: the story behind the holiday’s most annoying carol

I Am Not Giving Up on Padlet But It's OK To Explore Alternatives

"Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important."
Bill Gates

"Technology will never replace great teachers, but technology in the hands of great teachers is transformational."
George Couros

Padlet has become one of my favorite resources for collaboration and communication. I love the recent updates and we use it several times a week connected to classroom activities and HyperDocs. 

Padlet rather abruptly announced a change to their pricing structure on Tuesday, April 3rd. This has understandably upset many educators. 

Details are still sketchy about how Padlet will continue to support teaching and learning, but there will still be a free option with more limits. While I try not to rely on any single EdTech resource too much, but losing Padlet altogether would be difficult. I am not giving up on Padlet and I am hopeful that a plan and a pricing structure will be established that I can work with. 

While I am waiting on what's next with Padlet, I will begin exploring some new resources. 

• Wakelet - Share articles, videos, images, tweets and other great content with one link. Save them for later and create collections, called wakes, at any time. 
• Realtime Board - Online whiteboard for visual team collaboration. Add pictures, mockups, drawings, videos, sticky notes, office documents and Google Drive files on an endless canvas,
• Lino - lino is an online web sticky note service that can be used to post memos, to-do lists, ideas, and photos anywhere on an online web canvas.
• Google Drawings - Choose from a wide variety of shapes to create diagrams and charts. Matt Miller shares some great templates for Google Drawings in this post. 
• Grid View in Google Slides - Alice Keeler shares how Grid View can be used with students. 

We have also organized a Doc of additional Recommended Collaboration Resources for teachers and learners. There might be something here for you to explore? (Padlet is still there for now!)

If you have any additional suggestions or questions, please share in the comments below. 

One Word to Rule Them All - 2023 One Word Student HyperDoc Challenge

I always like to welcome my students back after the holiday break with a bit of reflection. I also think it is important to revisit goals and set goals for the new year. For the last several years we've focused on the idea that one word can be the foundation for the year.

Forget New Year’s Resolutions. Scrap that long list of goals you won’t remember a few weeks from now anyway! Choose just one word.

One word you can focus on every day, all year long… One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live. It will take intentionality and commitment, but if you let it, your one word will shape not only your year, but also you. It will become the compass that directs your decisions and guides your steps. (OneWord365)

Today I wanted to share a HyperDoc designed to help students set goals for the 2023 year with a focus on "one word". This activity is inspired by Mike Ashcraft's and Rachel Olsen's book My One Word: Change Your Life With Just One Word. 

Reboot the Noggin - 2022 New Year's Welcome Back HyperDoc

  

Learn to Create - Create to Learn

I love being an educator and I am always excited to return to school after a break, but for some reason I don't always think many of my students feel the same way. This is one reason why I always try to come back after break with something outside of our content. Something that I hope if fun, reflective, and maybe a little inspiring.

Today I wanted to share a HyperDoc designed to help students reflect on 2021 and set new goals for 2022. While I use this after we come back from break, I think this also could be used before the holiday break. 

One Word to Rule Them All - 2022 One Word Student Challenge HyperDoc

The Updated 2023 One Word HyperDoc can be found here.

I always like to welcome my students back after the holiday break with a bit of reflection. I also think it is important to revisit goals and set goals for the new year. For the last several years we've focused on the idea that one word can be the foundation for the year.

Forget New Year’s Resolutions. Scrap that long list of goals you won’t remember a few weeks from now anyway!

Choose just one word.

One word you can focus on every day, all year long… One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live.

It will take intentionality and commitment, but if you let it, your one word will shape not only your year, but also you. It will become the compass that directs your decisions and guides your steps. (OneWord365)

Today I wanted to share a HyperDoc designed to help students set goals for the 2022 year with the focus on "one word". This activity is inspired by Mike Ashcraft's and Rachel Olsen's book My One Word: Change Your Life With Just One Word. 

Developing a Future Ready Classroom With the 4 Cs - Free Flipped PD Opportunity

The skills connected to collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity are essential for all students. The best classroom activities engage students in content while providing opportunities to practice the 4Cs in learner-centered environments.

The best professional development also models the 4 Cs for staff. We've created a free flipped PD HyperDoc to connect educators to 4 Cs resources and experiences. Let us know what you think in the comments below. 

Developing a Future Ready Classroom with the 4 Cs HyperDoc

Share Your Learning Experience

Learn something new? Have a resource to share? Maybe a question? Please engage in the conversation using one or more of these resources.

• Padlet - Collaboration
• Padlet - Communication
• Padlet - Creativity
• Padlet - Critical Thinking
• Flipgrid - Share Your Why

Collection of Picture Books to Engage and Inspire Students in 2023

Padlet Collection of Picture Books for Teachers and Learners of All Ages

One of my passion projects over the last several years has been to explore and discover picture books for students of all age. Today, I wanted to share that I am updating the digital collection of picture books to engage students of all ages in essential topics and skills. 

One Word to Rule Them All - 2021 One Word Student Challenge HyperDoc

The Updated 2023 One Word HyperDoc can be found here.

  

Today I wanted to share a HyperDoc designed to help students set goals for the 2021 year. This activity is inspired by Mike Ashcraft's and Rachel Olsen's book My One Word: Change Your Life With Just One Word. 

One Word Student Challenge HyperDoc

Feel free to make a copy of of the document and modify it for your students. 

Video and Audio Resources for Remote Learning Experiences

A flipped classroom is a type of blended learning where students are introduced to content at home and practice working through it at school. This is the reverse of the more common practice of introducing new content at school, then assigning homework and projects to completed by the students independently at home. In this blended learning approach, face-to-face interaction is mixed with independent study–usually via technology. In a common Flipped Classroom scenario, students might watch pre-recorded videos at home, then come to school to do the homework armed with questions and at least some background knowledge. (Teach Thought)

The idea of flipped learning can also be applied to support students in the event of an eLearning day. Videos and audio recordings can be used to engage students in learning experiences outside of the classroom. These recordings can be simple introductions to a topic or complete learning experiences for students connected to classroom content. Most of the resources on this document are geared towards laptops or Chromebooks, but many also have mobile apps.

Picture Book Collection Connected to Equity, Empathy, and Kindness

Padlet Collection of Picture Books for Teachers and Learners of All Ages

A few months ago I started to put together a collection of picture books to engage students of all ages in essential topics and skills. I even use some of these books with my High School Environmental Science Students. With the help of my PLN I explored a variety of books and create categories to have a some sense of organization. You can learn more about my first attempt in this post which includes a link to the updated Padlet Collection. Today I am writing about my second attempt at learning as I update and add a new category. 

My Top EdTech Tools to Engage Students in 2022 and Beyond

Sometimes great moments of learning happen in unexpected ways. In my classroom, this often happens when my students are using a favorite or new EdTech resource to explore and create as part of the learning process. 

I've been seeing quite a few #EdTech Top Ten Lists on Twitter recently and I realized it's been a while since I thought about the resources we use most often now that we are back together. Today I wanted to share some of our favorite tools that help my students and me grow as learners. 

20 EdTech Resources To Engage Students in 2020

20 tools are way too many tools to use regularly, but having a toolbox full of options to choose from is a great resource when you are creating something or having your students create something for learning. 

I typically give my students a few tools to use when we are creating and collaborating. The tools listed below work well from my perspective and are student favorites. I've also included a few links in the descriptions that are connected to some of the ways we use these tools.

Creative Student Voice and Choice Challenges

Creative Student Voice and Choice Learning Challenges

Guiding Question: What is your top learning takeaway connected to a recent learning experience?

Tell Your Story

Choose one or more of the resources challenges below and create something that you can share today to tell a story about teaching and learning. Please share your experience and creations with the #ShareYourWhy hashtag.

Adobe Spark
Adobe Spark Design Challenge

GSuite for Education
Google Drawings and Google Slides Design Challenge

Flipgrid
Flipgrid Interactive Challenge

Padlet
Padlet Interactive Challenge

Pear Deck
Pear Deck Interactive Challenge

More Creative Study Voice Resources
Explore these resources and share how you might use something here to engage learners with an educational hashtag of your choice.

• Avatar Creation Resources
• Creative Student Voice Resources
• Design Resources for Educators and Students
• Flipgrid Resources and Tips
• Padlet Resources and Tips
• Pear Deck Resources

Reboot the Noggin - 2021 New Year's Welcome Back HyperDoc

 

Learn to Create - Create to Learn

I love being an educator and I am always excited to return to school after a break, but for some reason don't think most of my students always feel the same way. In an effort to reconnect with my students after a break, I like to do something more than just review for our final exam or jump right into new content. 

Today I wanted to share a HyperDoc designed to help students reflect on 2020 and set goals for 2021. 

Reboot the Noggin - 2021 New Year's Welcome Back

Feel free to make a copy of of the document and modify it for your students. I will also share my updated "One Word" 2021 HyperDoc soon.

Essential Picture Books for Teachers, Parents, and Learners

Picture books can be a great way to engage students in lessons connected to essential skills that all students need today and tomorrow.  

I use two picture books as part of my Environmental Science curriculum. I love the connections we make in class to The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. My high school seniors are also mesmerized when I pull out the book and read it to them.

Using Popular YouTube Videos to Engage Students in Critical Thinking

There are some incredible YouTube Channels for almost every content area and grade level. Many of these are incredibly well done and have a lot of potential to engage students in essential concepts and ideas. I've even shared some of my favorites in the past. Still, the use of these videos in many eLearning experiences is still mainly about the consumption of content. Content matters, but I think we can do much more with YouTube than just distribute content.

Remote Learning Resources to Support Parents and Students

I've been amazed by the awesome learning resources so many educators are using to engage students during school closures. I've also been excited to see the great resources that are being created and shared for resources to support parents and students.