I was first introduced to Padlet in the context of language learning. When I studied Italian at university during my undergrad degree, the professor(essa) used Padlet as a platform for us to submit a series of writing practice exercises. I found it was great because I could see what my peers posted, and it also made it a bit more fun and engaging than just submitting individual written assignments to Canvas. One reason why it is more engaging is because posts are often accompanied by images, or at least by a fun background behind everyone’s posts on the board.
I enjoyed exploring my new Padlet Teacher’s account because it helped me to realize that Padlet can actually be used for much more than I was previously aware of. All of these templates exist for employing Padlet in the classroom:
Clearly, it’s a really useful and diverse tool! One template of particular interest to me was the “art showcase” template.
This is a board I can see myself using in the classroom. I think a digital showcase tool is valuable for many reasons. For one thing, a lot of students’ creative work will take its final form in a digital product. I really value the opportunity for students to share their work with eachother, and I don’t want a non-physical project to mean the student can’t share it with everyone else in the class. Conversely, physical projects can easily conform to Padlet’s “Art showcase” template, as students can take a picture of their project and post it there. I would love to have students’ artwork hung on the walls of the classroom, too, but this free online tool allows teachers to be inclusive in showcasing digital projects and artwork in addition to this more conventional mode. Students can log into a free Padlet account to browse the class’ work; another fun idea would be to scroll through the board on the projector during class. Another thing to note about this format is that it can be writing-heavy, including reflections, captions, descriptions, etc, or it can be more of a quick visual post. This less writing-heavy option is reflected in the example given in the video tutorial:
I like this example because it is about adding interesting and engaging imagery that I imagine would compliment a literature lesson very well, because it would give students something to imagine in the culture, era, or art/ literary period being described. It is also an opportunity for students to choose and contribute an image that they find particularly intriguing.
Another pro of using Padlet boards is that students’ posts are editable by them, so they can go back and add to them, change them, or even integrate feedback that you give on their posts. I like this feature for English studies, as I believe in emphasizing the reality that writing and English projects in general are iterative in nature. This means it involves multiple drafts and editing, and that an extensive and engaged editing process is integral to a final product that is reflective of the students’ potential.
Overall, I am quite excited by the potential of Padlet for use in my English classroom, and I look forward to experimenting with it more when I start teaching.