Review by Amanda Bindel, Common Sense Education | Updated September 2016
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Padlet

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Customizable bulletin boards jazz up collaboration and ease discussion

Subjects & skills
Subjects
N/A
Skills
  • Communication & Collaboration
  • Creativity
Grades This grade range is a recommendation by Common Sense Education and not the developer/publisher.
6–12
Great for:
Common Sense says (See details)
Teachers say (112 Reviews)
Price:  Free, Paid Free accounts support three padlets and 10 MB of storage. Pro accounts are $99 per year and offer unlimited padlets, no ads, and 250 MB of storage.
Platforms:  Website

Take a look inside

1 video | 5 images
How to Promote Student Collaboration with Padlet
Educator Video
1:59
Create a virtual board with video, text, links, images, and more.
Collaborate with other users using a public link or through private sharing.
The creative options for using the tool are endless.
Help and tutorials are available, as are blogs and a community for support.
Upgrade to remove ads and get more padlets and storage.

Pros: It's beyond easy to use, the interface is intuitive, and help is available around every corner.

Cons: Walls are semi-private by default, meaning there's an extra step involved in ensuring total privacy for student users.

Bottom Line: Padlet gives students their own little corner of the internet to collect and save information in a simple, fun manner.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

You can use Padlet in the classroom in various ways. If you are in a 1-to-1 situation, use a projector to show the class a bulletin board you create. Share the URL with the class and have students answer a discussion question, work on a "Do Now" activity, or even create an exit slip. It's also possible to use Padlet as a place to collect assignments; create a shared wall for your whole class and have students upload papers directly to the wall.

Padlet really shines as a tool for group projects. Divide the class into small groups and have them work together at home to research a particular subject -- for example, McCarthyism and the Hollywood Blacklist. Each student could devote research to a type of media supported by Padlet (video, audio, photo, or text), add it to the group's shared wall, and then present the findings in class. Padlet's blog and Twitter feed showcase other examples of how teachers are using Padlet.

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Put this tool into practice:
Standards:

Padlet is a website and app (iOS, Android, Kindle, Chrome) that allows kids to collect information from the internet and pin it onto virtual bulletin boards using a simple drag-and-drop system. Videos, text, links, images -- basically anything -- can be added to a board and organized there, like a page full of Post-it notes. There's also the option to include rich text (Padlet provides a simple HTML guide in its Help sidebar). You can add as many notes to a wall as you like; it scrolls in all directions. 

Students can also upload documents they've created, such as class notes or completed assignments. More than one person can contribute to a Padlet wall, opening the door to teamwork and group projects. Once kids create a wall, they can share it through the usual social media channels (Facebook, Twitter), export it to a file, embed it in a blog or website, or turn it into a QR code. There's also the option to keep walls private, of course.

There are dozens of online bulletin board sites out there, but Padlet is one of the more intuitive and appealing for kids. The colorful backgrounds and customization options let students add some personality to walls, even if they're using them for boring ol' school stuff. The drag-and-drop interface is smooth and intuitive as well. The depth of the site depends on what you put into it; it's basically a blank page, but Padlet shares lots of helpful examples.

Privacy isn't all that tight, but with a watchful eye, there's great potential for collaboration and teamwork here. Padlet walls are great for study groups, class projects, and discussions. Padlet gives kids a lot of freedom to explore interests online and save that information in an organized manner. Whether it's school- or fun-related, kids get to create a space of their own.

Overall Rating
Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

As far as online bulletin boards go, fun backgrounds and a truly simple interface make Padlet a cut above the rest. Students will like the social aspect and can even use the boards for nonschool purposes.

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

Organizing information is a skill students will continue to use throughout their school and work lives. By sharing boards with fellow students, they'll get experience collaborating and working as a team. 

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

The fantastic interface is so easy to use. A help window pops up alongside the board if needed, and the information is written in a fun, colloquial voice. Data is saved online and can easily be shared.

Common Sense Reviewer
Amanda Bindel Classroom teacher
About our ratings and privacy evaluation.

Key Standards Supported

Reading History/Social Studies

  • RH.6-8.7

    Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

  • RH.9-10.7

    Integrate quantitative or technical analysis (e.g., charts, research data) with qualitative analysis in print or digital text.

  • RH.11-12.7

    Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

Speaking & Listening

  • SL.6.1b

    Follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

  • SL.7.1b

    Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

  • SL.8.1b

    Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

  • SL.9-10.1b

    Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.

  • SL.11-12.1b

    Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.

Writing

  • W.6.6

    Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.

  • W.7.6

    Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.

  • W.8.6

    Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

  • W.9-10.6

    Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.

  • W.11-12.6

    Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

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Teacher Reviews

(See all 112 reviews) (112 reviews) Write a review
Featured review by
Bonnie S. , Classroom teacher
Classroom teacher
PTECH
Brooklyn,
Easy and quick forum for posting , for a variety of objectives.
I like this teaching tool as yet another option for encouraging all students to participate in writing. I like its ease of use for posting. My concern is that students may respond inappropriately, where they may be able to post before I would have an opportunity to review their writing. My suggestion is allowing for a tool for teachers to be able to proof students' submissions before posting.
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