More Ideas For Using Padlet

If the activity is designed properly, Padlet can add value to your instruction and support your learning objectives. I created a few simplistic examples to give you some ideas of ways you can use Padlet with your students in face-to-face, blended, and online courses. Feel free to add more!
Padlet is one of my favorite tools for ice-breakers, exit tickets, wisdom walls and brainstorming activities. What is Padlet and how does it work? Padlet is an easy-to-use tool for sharing, collaborating, making lists, and posting notes. Padlet allows you to create digital boards (called “walls”) to gather text notes, images, websites.

Sharing knowledge and ideas is the key to learning. You can’t learn on your own. You’re learning ideas from other people. Ideas in books, ideas from television, ideas from friends and family, ideas from your teachers and from your fellow students. You interact with those ideas and create your own.

A great thing about using Padlet for remote learning is that students can interact with you and each other in a single, safe place. There are a few ways to set up the Padlet for student responses. One possibility is to make a different column for each question or prompt, and students add their responses underneath. Padlet is a digital canvas where you can create, create, and collaborate. It’s one of the most popular tools with my colleagues, and I’ve used it for years, since its previous incarnation as Wallwisher. It’s a freemium product, with a version for schools called Padlet Backpack. To use Padlet, it’s best to create an account. Padlet is a website and app that allows kids to curate information onto virtual bulletin boards using a simple drag-and-drop system. Students, alone or in groups, can start with a template or a blank page and add videos, text, links, documents, images — basically anything — to the wall and organize it, like a page full of Post-it notes.

Because sharing ideas is so important, we need some brainstorming tools to support that. In this post I’ll go over a list of some amazing brainstorm tools.

Apps to support brainstorms and collaboration

1. iBrainstorm

Capturing and sharing a student’s creative mind has never been easier. iBrainstorm lets them brainstorm in the most easy way.

Students can write and add notes to the board. They can even invite up to three fellow students to participate in the brainstorm.

Students can start from scratch, or they can choose one of the 13 background templates. They can even brainstorm about how to put their football players on the field!

Image: Kristin Giorgio’s Professional Teaching Wiki

2. Padlet

Padlet can be used by students and by teachers. With padlet you can create an online board that you can share with every student or teacher you want. Just give them the link. Padlet allows you to insert ideas anonymously or with your name. It’s easy to use and very handy.

Whoever has the board open on its computer, tablet or smartphone, can see what’s on it and what everyone is writing. Students can use when collaborating on a teamwork and the teacher can use it to do some live brainstorming on a topic in class.

Collect your ideas when you find something interesting on the internet that you can use in your lessons. Simply save it to a Padlet board. Students can do the same.

Take a look at all these amazing things you can do with Padlet.

3. Google Docs

Google Docs is just like Word, but with a little (read gigantic) twist. You can work together in the same document at the same time from another device. No more sending files back and forth. No more figuring out which file was the latest.

Oh, another great thing for students: every change is saved automatically! Total disasters are not possible in Google Docs.

So why is this a brainstorm app? I’ve given Google Docs a place because its a collaboration tool and it’s very easy to use when brainstorming from home with other students over an assignment or a new project. Working together has never been so swift and easy.

Here’s a video to get a better view:

4. Popplet

Popplet is perhaps the simplest tool to capture and organize ideas. With a few clicks on your screen you can make “Popplets” (little squares) and add text and images. It’s easy to connect the Popplets, rearrange them, change their colour and even adjust their shape.

Popplet is great for learning in the classroom and at home. Students use Popplet to think and learn visually. Students learn to generate new ideas by capturing facts, thoughts, and images. They learn to make simple mind maps in just a few steps.

Image: Pinterest - Steve Lee

5. Trello

Trello gives you and your students a view over all the projects, assignments, etc. It’s actually an app for the business world, but I am convinced it can work in education too.

Trello lets you create boards with lists. You can name them and you can add different “cards” to the lists. Add documents, links, comments, checklists, etc., to these cards. You can invite your students to the boards with the lists. They can also add cards.

Sounds a bit confusing, doesn’t it? Take a look at this video below to see an example.

The ability for students to add cards and lists makes brainstorming easy. You can also create boards for teamwork and projects. As a teacher, you can monitor your students work via the lists they make and the cards they add. You can also use it for your lesson planning and creative ideas (like in the video).

There are so many ways to use Trello in your Classroom, so don’t stick to the video ideas. Use your imagination!

6. Miro

Miro is an endless virtual whiteboard to brainstorm and write down visual projects. You can add videos from YouTube and Vimeo and Google Docs from your Google Drive to the Whiteboard.

Students can collaborate on teamwork on different devices. They can add little memos and comment on them with the mini-chat.

The app looks a lot like iBrainstorm. However, it’s more advanced. iBrainstorm works better for younger students, Miro is perfect for the older ones who need more features.

Image: Miro Demo

7. Lucidchart

Lucidchart is a web based program which allows you to create plenty of different diagrams like flow charts, mind maps, wire frames and much more. Get started with a number of templates.

Why is it so good? Well, students can work together on these charts without sending new versions by email over and over again. Collaborate with others and work on diagrams together in real time.

Lucidchart provides free educational licenses that include all premium features to schools and universities.

8. Brainstormer

This app isn’t an app that helps you to collaborate on ideas and gives you a solution to brainstorm easily. This app gives you the idea.

Use Brainstormer in art lessons, and language lessons to give students an idea to start from. The app gives them inspiration to start with. Let them write a story, using the Brainstormer app. I’m very curious what the result will be!

Image: Google Play

So these were my top picks for brainstorming apps. I hope I’ve inspired you to teach more from your students' point of view and let them do the work. These apps are just right for that! Teamwork is also made easier with these apps. Nothing is stopping you now.

I’m always excited when I’m using Padlet. Is it the interface, the way everything is designed, its purpose or the fact that I’m organizing things smoothly? I don’t know. It just makes me happy.

And today I’ll try to make you happy as well. How is it that this online Post-it board can make your day? How to use Padlet in your classroom? What are the best lesson ideas with padlet? How can you use Padlet in the elementary classroom and in high school? I’ll tell you right away…

But first:

What is Padlet?

Padlet can be used by students and by teachers. With padlet you can create an online post-it board that you can share with any student or teacher you want. Just give them the unique Padlet link. Padlet allows you to insert ideas anonymously or with your name. It’s easy to use and very handy.

Whoever has the Padlet board opened on his smartphone or computer, can see what’s on it and what everyone is writing. Students just have to take a device and start adding little sticky notes online. They can see all the ideas gathered on the teacher board immediately.

How to use Padlet?

Using Padlet in the classroom is easy. You can install the Padlet app for Apple or for Android on your phone or just go to the Padlet website.

Here you create an account and make your first board. Once that is settled, you have to get the board to your students. Sharing a Padlet board is easy; choose for a QR code or a link. There are more sharing options, but these two are the most obvious.

Let your students insert the link in the browser or in the Padlet app. They can ‘continue as guest’ so they just have to scan the qr code with the Padlet app or type in the URL, without creating an account. Shortly after, they will be directed to your first Padlet board.

Then there’s one more question that needs to be answered: How to post things on Padlet? Well, there are a few ways to do this:

double click anywhere on the board;
drag files in;
paste from clipboard;
save as bookmark with Padlet mini;
or just click the ‘+’ button in the lower right corner.

30 Ways to use Padlet in the classroom

Padlet reaches as far as your imagination. It’s you that makes an educational app like this really powerful. So, let me give you some padlet ideas for in the classroom.

1. Brainstorming on a topic, statement, project or idea

This lesson idea is probably the most popular among teachers. That’s why I’ve put it first on this list.

Give a statement students have to discuss or a project about which students have to brainstorm. Share the board and let students share their ideas and comments. This way, every student can see what the others think. You can discuss a few of the given answers with the whole class.

Let’s try it out for this post. I listed 30 ways to use Padlet, but there are so much more lesson ideas with Padlet. Why not share them with everyone? How do you use Padlet in your classroom apart from the ones that are already in this list?

Just click on this link, and start collaborating. I’m so curious about how many ideas we’ll get! Nothing to contribute? Then just take a look! After a while, the board should contain a lot of fun classroom Padlet ideas.

2. Live question bank

Let your students ask questions during the lesson. It’s very handy when students don’t understand something or need a better explanation. Stop your lesson 10 minutes early and go over the questions.

This way students who are afraid to ask questions can still ask their questions anonymously. It gives a voice to every student in the room, even to the shy ones.

3. Gather student work

Use Padlet to gather student work, all in one place. Don’t use it for ordinary homework, because all the other students can see what the others have done. Use it for articles and research on a topic.

When you let your students do some research on, for example, ‘great historical poets’, you have all the articles and research on the same place. Other students can take a look at the research of someone else as well.

When it’s international poem day, you could ask your students to post a poem they really like.

4. Online student portfolio

Use Padlet as a student portfolio tool. Create boards for every student and let them post assignments, articles and projects on it. As a teacher, you can comment on each one and give meaningful feedback.

Whenever a student finds something helpful for his portfolio, he just has to save it on his portfolio Padlet board. No more editing and printing articles.

5. Exit Ticket Padlet

Let your students answer some important exit ticket questions like “what did you learn today?”, “What didn’t you understand?” or “What questions do you still have?”.

It gets better…

Here are some other exit ticket promts your students could answer:

Write down three things you learned today.
If you had to explain today’s lesson to a friend, what would you tell him/her?
What question do you have about what we learned today?
What part of the lesson did you find most difficult?
What would you like me to go over again next lesson?
Write down two questions you would put in a quiz about today’s lesson.
What were the main points we covered today?
Did the group activity contribute to your understanding of the topic? Why?
Read this problem … What would be your first step in solving it?
I used app X extensively today. Was it helpful? Why or why not?

6. Icebreaker: 2 truths and 1 lie

Let your students post a selfie and add 2 truths and 1 lie about themselves. It’s up to the other students to find out which one is a lie. You’ll be surprised by how well students can lie!

7. End of the schoolyear: Give a compliment

Add al the headshots of your students on the Padlet board or let them add a picture. Then, everyone has to write at least one compliment as a comment beneath everbody’s picture.

This is a fun goodbye as they are going to the next year. Everyone loves compliments!

8. Graduation time

When students graduate, you would like something to remember them. What better way to let them fill in their best times as a student in your school.

Simply create a board with the question “what’s the most fun thing you did in this school?”

9. School events

When its open house in your school, you could leave a tablet at the exit point, so parents could add a post on your Padlet wall. Ask for a comment on your “guest wall”, or for their first impression of the school. You could even ask for some innovative new ideas that would make the school a better place.

10. “Thinking” maps

Use a Padlet wall for students to create various thinking maps or mind maps. You can upload a custom background to help them with the layout and they can start adding Post-it notes to a flow map, tree map, or even a circle map format.

11. Classroom communication

Familiar with the Google Classroom stream? Well, you can do the same with Padlet. Use the Padlet stream layout and communicate assignments and important lesson material to your students by adding posts to the communication stream.

You can even add some fun BookWidgets exercises in the stream.

12. parent communication

Use the same stream layout like in the classroom communication idea to communicate with parents. Enable email notifications so you receive an email whenever parents post on the Padlet wall. This way you stay on top of all the posts and potential questions.

Use the stream for fun classroom updates. Having personal conversations is not the best idea because any other parent can see them.

13. Book discussions

When the complete class has to read the same book, it’s fun to create a discussion about the characters, things people do in the book, hidden meanings, plot twists, etc. You can even let them invent a sequel to the book.

14. Prior knowledge

Try to figure out what students already know about the topic you’re about to teach. What prior knowledge do your students have about that particular topic and what don’t they know? Students just post their knowledge on Padlet, so you can see how to build your lesson.

15. Analyze a quote

Start the lesson with a quote that concerns the lesson topic. Let your students brainstorm on what the quote is about and if it has a hidden meaning or not.

Students will start digging really deep looking for hidden meanings, even if there are none. You’ll laugh with the stories and theories they came up with!

16. Current events

To speak about current events, you could let a student add an article on the Padlet board for the next day. Every day a different student has to add another article. A fun way to go through the current events of the week.

17. Birthday wall

When its a student’s birthday you could create a Padlet wall on which every student has to write some nice birthday wishes.

You can do the same for a sick classmate. Instead of birthday wishes, you let them write some get well notes or add some nice drawings.

18. Classroom newsletter

Let your students be the reporters of the classroom newsletter. Gather all the articles and games on a Padlet board, and when it’s finished, share the link with their parents or the complete school.

19. Gather teacher feedback

Once in a while, you should ask your students for feedback. Create a Padlet wall just for that and make sure to let students comment anonymoulsy. This way they will be more honest. Don’t foget to really do something with the feedback they gave you.

20. Book Wishlist

Students may not always choose their own book to read for a book review because the teacher hasn’t read them yet. That’s a pity, because students won’t be eager to read that way.

Let your students add some books on a Padlet wishlist board. You can choose 5 books (or more if you want) that pass your inspection.

21. Suggestion box in the library

Just like with the book wishlist above, students can make some suggestions of books they want to read. The library will look into the books and purchase them if it are some good suggestions.

22. Tops and tips

Use Padlet for peer assessment. Let students add two ‘tops’ and one ‘tip’ on the Padlet wall of their fellow student who just finished his presentation.

Tops are things the student did well and a tip could be something the student should improve the next time.

23. Geocaching

For physical exercises, students have to go walking more. Let you students do some geocaching and let them post pictures of themselves and the treasure to the Padlet board. It will encourage the others to find the treasures as well.

24. Notetaking

While listening to the teacher, students can work together and add notes to a Padlet wall to create a wall with resources they can use later on.

As a teacher, you could do the same thing in staff meetings.

25. Class agenda

Use a Padlet board to share every important date with your students so they have something to look forward to. These can be holidays and free days, field trips, school events and students' birthdays.

26. Free time funny videos

Having fun between two lessons should be allowed from time to time. Let your students add funny videos to a Padlet board. So every student can have some fun during the lesson breaks. Make sure to put in some rules and to check the videos on the wall.

27. Complete the story

Create a story and ask students how it should continue. Students can post their ideas on the Padlet. Finally, take some of your students' ideas and complete the story. You’ll have some funny stories!

28. Event Planning

More Ideas For Using Padlet Shapes

When you’re planning a field trip or a class party, you can post everything you need to think about and to arrange on a Padlet board. This can include pictures of the destination, a list of who’s bringing what, links to important websites and more.

29. Crafty ideas

Share a Padlet wall with your teacher colleagues and let them post crafty ideas for father’s day, mother’s day, valentine’s day or just for the weekly craft class. This way you get inspired by other teachers and try out new things.

30. Bookmark with Padlet mini

More Ideas For Using Padlet Google Classroom

Use Padlet mini to bookmark interesting articles on the internet. That way, you won’t have to search for that article or creative ideas again. Most of the times you can’t find it again anyway. Create different Padlet boards like “Classroom management ideas”, “Classroom decoration ideas”, “educational apps to try out”, etc.

More Ideas For Using Padlet Design

So now it’s your turn! How do you use Padlet? Let us now and contribute your ideas on this Padlet.