Kahoot is a platform that allows you to create your own multi-choice quizzes, discussions or surveys. The way that students engage with Kahoot is social and interactive - a bit like a game show! Students can join the game from any device via the internet or via the app on iPad or android. They enter the game pin shown on the classroom screen. Once the teacher starts the game, students respond from their devices by pressing one of the four coloured buttons. The interaction is shown in real time with results displayed after each question. Points bring a fun competitive edge, but are done cleverly, only showing the top 5 participants in the class and not making someone feel bad for coming last. 

If you are looking for a fun way to liven up the delivery of content in  your classroom, I would highly recommend Kahoot. You can get started at https://getkahoot.com or find out more at https://getkahoot.com/how-it-works.

Enter Padlet. Previously known as WallWisher, this handily little web based app is completely free (sigh of relief) and works on virtually any device that is internet capable - no need to download an app or make a heap of student accounts. Bonus features include the ability to password protect your wall and fun ways to personalise the way it looks - 'hooray' cheer the creative types! 

The basic idea is the same - you have a blank wall were you can double "tap" (iPad) or click (computer) to add a digital post-it note. What is special about these post-it notes is that you can add more than merely text. You can also add videos, links, pictures and even whole files to share! Let's see your average post-it note do that! This of course opens up a world of possible applications in the classroom.

And to illustrate just how useful a tool it can be - I made a Padlet to demonstrate! As you can see, Padlet's can be shared. You can embed the code on class website, print it, save it as an image/PDF or broadcast it on a social media platform. Explore what Padlet can do and learn a little more on my example below:

After something of a break from Padlet, I recently found myself using it again at a PD session on collaboration at ISQ. This inspired me to use it again with my class and got me thinking about other ways it might be used in the classroom. Once I got started I found it hard to stop.

• Basic brainstorming - check! My class used it to brainstorm spelling words with our phoneme of the week and it was brilliant. I had trouble stopping them and by the end I could barely see the wall - talk about motivation! Any kind of brainstorming or collaborative note taking will work here.
• Replace that KWLH chart - create a wall instead!
• Warm up - what do you remember from the previous lesson?
• Question time - what questions do you have from today's lesson?
• Exit ticket at the end of the day/lesson - what did you learn today?
• With a novel study - predictions, character profiles or story maps
• History - timelines
• Geography - labelling maps
• Science - Recording steps and results of an experiment
• Research - gather webpages, videos and pictures for assignments
• Use it as a document hub - links to newsletters, homework or assignment sheets
• A presentation tool - so long Power Point
• Image tagging - set a picture as the background (such as a map or diagram) so that students can tag or label parts of the image
• Gather global responses for a research project - put a question out there for the world to respond to
• 
  

Once they know the basics, I think you could even have the younger children working on Padlet (add pictures of things that start with B or write words that rhyme with hat).

Getting you kids onto a Padlet wall that you have created is as simple as sharing the link to it, which they can then pop straight into their browser. You can customise the address of your wall to something easy to communicate or you can host the link on a LMS (Learning Management System) such as Edmodo or a class website for super quick access.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog entry. I would be interested to know how other teachers are using Padlet in their classrooms or if they are using something different. Leave me a comment and let me know!

Laura