Do you find kids struggling to find things to read? I'm sure you have seen someone pick up a book read a page then discard it. They might repeat that cycle over and over again. This isn't isolated to just books, reading magazines and things online fall into the same wandering pattern.
There might just be a way to help some of the kids discover new things to read based upon what others in Flyer Time, or class, are reading.
Padlet To The Rescue
What is padlet
Think of it as a simple Post-It Note board but totally online. To add a note all you need to do is click, it is really that easy.
Padlet Examples
- Reading - this example shows how the kids share what they are reading week to week. Check out week seven.
- What are you reading this week? Similar to the above, kids posting about what they are reading. These types of pages help others discover great books and magazines to read. Here is another example of kids sharing.
Visit padlet.com and create an account.
You should see the big pink button in the upper left, click to create a Padlet.
There are five different types of Padlets to choose from. My personal favorite is the wall or grid. Not sure which one to choose or what it will look like? Just click on the PREVIEW button on each layout to see what they look like on the web.
Above is my brand new Wall Padlet page.
1. Fill out the title and description. I like to think of the word description is really code for directions. Write some directions because humans often forget what they should do next. Whatever you write here will also show up in the upper left corner of the Padlet.
2. Click Next.
1. Privacy (access) - I would recommend making it either Secret or Public.
Secret - anyone with the link can access. The link won't be accessible by Googling or on Padlet's site.
Public - Anyone could access it. I like to think finding it is similar to finding a needle in a needle stack. That is way harder than finding that same needle in a haystack. When the Padlet public it is wicked hard to just stumble upon.
2. Make sure you allow them to write on the Padlet you created. That is kinda the whole purpose, kids writing and sharing with other kids.
3. Click Next.
Kids need to type this WHOLE address into their browser to access the Padlet.
Does it look kinda long? Check out how to shirk the URL, wicked easy!
Posting to Padlet - BYOD
I used my phone to post on the wall. Below are screenshots of how I did it.
Navigate to the Padlet page.
Click the plus symbol in the lower right to add to the page.
1. Add a title and a description.
2. Click to add an image.
To add an image - aka shelfie
1. Click Choose File.
2. Click Camera.
Click DONE when you are ready to post.
WARNING...
It is not enough to just post to Padlet. You need to take time to talk about what was posted, time must be dedicated to allowing the kids to scan what their peers posted. Reflection is key to making it all work. The Padlet will not help kids discover if you don't take 2-3 minutes to draw attention to it.
Proof
I saw a teacher using a similar tool in her classroom. While everything was running smoothly the tool wasn't making the impact we all thought it would. One day she made one tiny instructional move, she pulled up what the students submitted and they talked about it as a whole class. By taking just 3-5 minutes a day to reflect, the learning forever changed the rest of the year.
Resources
Whenever I am looking for examples or ideas to jumpstart my thinking I turn to Twitter. I used the search window to look for anything referencing Padlet. At the very top of the page you do have a few categories to choose from, I usually stick with Top and Latest to start with.
Change it up a bit, try Padlet math or Padlet science and see what you get. I use Twitter as it will usually give me many more usable and actionable ideas than just a search on TpT or Google.
I will search for math/science/writing Padlets even if I am looking to create one for social studies. Looking outside a content area will usually spark fresh ideas.
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