Of all the tech tools presented so far, I liked Padlet the most (of course only next to Socrative that we presented). I can see using this tool for variety of purposes, one of them being for collecting feed backs from students in an anonymous manner. I think giving students a channel to express their feelings about a topic or subject is a great way to encourage them to reflect. Sometimes we all get into situations when we feel the void but struggle to express.. Void in learning is one such thing. When a student does not understand something, putting it in words can help them to think about their own knowledge ( meta-cognition). Recognizing these voids is like accomplishing half the journey. Secondly it creates safety for students. To be able to post anonymously without fearing judgments, is a great way to get the introvert and shy students express themselves. As a tool, padlet is easy to work with, has a great UI if set right and is great for collaboration between students and the teacher.
With so many tech tools, it is rather confusing to choose which one to use. They are all equally enticing. But if we work backwards with our teaching goals set in place, it becomes much easier to choose the tools that might fit our needs.One of my goals as a teaching intern is to recognize different learning styles of students and cater to them all using variety of instructional aids.. and for this reason I think padlet will help me study the variety of student needs in my class room and so I can help them the best possible way.
Subha,
ReplyDeleteI also really liked Padlet as a tool in the classroom. I also love the different features that allows students the safety and anonymity when necessary. I also recognize that there are a lot of tools out there, and a teacher does not want to confuse students by using too many online tools. What I was thinking of doing is using a padlet as my teaching website where I can post everything I need. I envisioned connecting my socrative classroom into the padlet so that it is the main headquarters for students. I am really considering this because I love the idea of having a website that students can contribute to and edit pieces of. I think this makes the website a welcoming place for students that they will actually use, rather than just something that is just there and no one benefits from.
Subha,
ReplyDeleteNothing can beat Socrative because we presented it :). I also enjoyed using Padlet. I like the fact that this tool enables students to interact and get creative with posting questions and presenting a board. I also enjoyed the fact that the teacher can monitor it. The only thing I found difficult was when a teacher "borrows" a Padlet they can not edit it unless they are given permission. I like that you mentioned it provides safety. When students post aunonomsly it relieves some stress and students may ask questions that they would not in a regular classroom because they may think it is "dumb". I really enjoyed reading your reflection!
Stay warm!!
Sara
Subha,
ReplyDeleteI'm probably a little biased because I presented on Padlet, but it was genuinely one of my favorite tools. One of our goals as teachers is to create a safe environment for students to learn and grow, and I agree with you that Padlet offers a user-friendly option for anonymity that allows students to express concerns and questions without fear of ridicule. When I was young, I was that student in class who did not like to participate out loud, fearing that my answer would be wrong or that my voice was not valued. Padlet offers a way for you to give those quiet, shy students a chance to participate in a low stakes way. I also really liked the idea of using Padlet as a resource page for a classroom. The thread may contain videos, assignments, homework, photos, powerpoints, etc. You can organize all of the resources surrounding a topic in one place for students to go back to and study! It's really a useful tool.