Collaboration Made Easy

One of the aspects of teaching that teachers struggle with is getting all of their students engaged. Now we all know those 5 or 6 students in a class that raise their hands no matter what question is asked, but I’m talking about those shy students who may not want to raise their hands. Many times it’s not because a student doesn’t know the answer, its because he or she may feel embarrassed about talking in front of their classmates.

There is a web 2.0 tool that helps greatly with classroom discussion/ collaboration. Padlet works like a virtual cork board. When given a web link a student can post a question or an answer to a question that is asked. (No sign in for the student is required!)

From Blog Pics

There are so many cool uses for Padlet in your classroom. These are just a few:

1. Use as a pre-assessment and have students post all they know about a certain subject.
2. Post a question of the day and have students respond to the question.
3. Use it as a collaboration tool between classrooms or between schools.
4. Have students post story starters for creative writing.

Once you are done with a board you can save it and even embed it into your blog.

How to Sign Up:

1. Go to www.padlet.com.
2. Click Sign Up. (If you already have a Google account you can use that make your account.
3. Then you are done you are free to start a new board. You will be given a unique web address. Give students this address and then they can start posting.

Remember to sign up for a time with me. I’d love to co-teach with you!