Padlet

Technology integration in education has enhanced traditional learning ways. To make the classroom and learning experiences more enjoyable, different tools are available online that educators can use to make their classrooms lively. Online education can be more challenging than traditional one as there is no physical contact with the students, hence online tools can help the teachers to make the most out of it and make the teaching-learning process more interactive and interesting so students don’t lose their interest. I used various tools while delivering online lessons during Covid 19. But today I will talk about the one that I heard a lot about but never tried myself (not until now).

Overview: It took me a while to explore different platforms and I feel Padlet is an excellent tool that can allow students to do their collaborative projects. In this post, I will talk a little about this online tool that can enhance the teaching-learning experience. It is an online platform where one can create single or multiple walls wherein students, teachers, or even parents can add and share their thoughts on any topic or concern. However, the control is in the hands of the moderators that can allow the owner of the wall to have access to whom the wall would be shared. I feel this allows the teacher to have some control in her hands and hence can refrain from unnecessary people joining and writing on the wall. One of Padlet’s most appealing features is that it is extremely easy to use, particularly for young children. This makes it convenient to be used in the primary grades as well. The application works on desktops, laptops, and gadgets such as Chromebooks, iPads, and smartphones. With the free version of Padlet available to all users, one can create up to three boards at once. After creating a padlet, a link is generated, which can then be shared with the students. By just clicking on the link, students can start working on it. They can even add more content, such as films, pictures, or audio depending on the Padlet template they’ve selected.

Pros

1. It is convenient, students do not need to make an account. They can just join the padlet board using the link that is shared with them.
2. I can make the Padlet private so that only my classes can access it which helps keep the privacy of the posts and what students share.
3.  Padlet allows the teacher to have full control. I can arrange Padlets so that comments quickly publish or I can choose to moderate student posts.
4. The design and interface of padlet are really interesting and pleasing. The boards look nice and can complement visually the particular board topic.

Cons

There aren’t many disadvantages that I found in this tool. However a few can be.

1. The free version only provides access to three boards. And for using the full version, you need to pay a monthly/yearly subscription. So it is not a totally free tool.
2. Since anyone and everyone is posted on the same board, individual privacy is somewhat compromised.
3. I tried using it a couple of times, and the link didn’t work once and I could not really understand why that happened.

So concluding this, would I use padlet for my classroom?

Yes, it is a helpful tool and every teacher should try it at least once. In order to provide an excellent online lesson, however, we cannot rely solely on one tool and need many tools to collaborate. With this in mind, it can be used to conduct interactive activities or as a companion tool to other tools.