My Take
I believe that Padlet is an amazing teaching tool. I liked that Padlet gave my students the ability to join discussions even if they are not physically present in the room. It also allows learners to archive information which otherwise could have been forgotten through a regular discussion. This tool fit under the Modification sector of the SAMR model for my use. A regular discussion would not have allowed students outside the classroom to see discussion postings in real time. This is an amazing tool that all teachers can use.
How I Use It
I used Padlet to lead a group discussion on case study which my fellow teacher taught in class. In order to start the discussion, I posted an open ended question in the center of the Padlet. I then allowed students to use their own devices or computers to join the Padlet. At this point, students were able to post their thoughts to the question in real time. The students could see the responses of their peers appear on their devices in real time. This sparked a thorough class discussion on the topic at hand. The ability to share answers in real time was something that was extremely engaging for the students; however, some students tended to simply rephrase the answers of other students. Overall, the site allowed students to generate discussion which otherwise would have been flat and boring.