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Using Padlet to Create Discussion Groups

  • by Kelly Harmon
  • Nov. 11, 2020, 9:40 a.m.

One of the biggest challenges for teaching during a pandemic is facilitating small group discussions. Students may not want to engage virtually for many reasons, including being embarrassed about their home situations or they don't like how they look online. Regardless of the reason, we need to hear from students in order to know how to guide and facilitate their learning.


The tech tool Padlet might be a great fit for silent discussions. Padlet is an online bulletin board that can be used in many different ways. It is free to sign up; however, you can only make three Padlets before you need to upgrade to a monthly or yearly subscription. Teachers can get a 30-day free trial before upgrading to the monthly or annual plan.I definitely think it's worth the monthly subscription. I use it to streamline communications with learners.


Because it is two-way communication platform, you can post and students can respond in real time. It can be used synchronously or asynchronously.


When you create a Padlet, you share the link with your students in the meeting chat, Google Classroom, SeeSaw, or any LMS platform.


Here are some examples of how I've used Padlet.


Small Reading Groups

Set up 3 Padlets by learning targets that need to be practiced.

Here is a Padlet for practicing asking questions about how characters respond to events and challenges in a story. Click here to view the Padlet.


I've also created a Padlet with videos that early literacy learners can view to practice letters, sounds, and phonics skills.