Internet Safety with Padlet as an AFL tool

My Reflection on teaching padlet to TYs and 1st year ICT Class

My plan is to use two contrasting methods of teaching how to use padlet, I have a copy of an instructional handout(algorithm) and a YouTube video.  I explained to them, we would watch the video first, then follow the handout, and afterwards they will tell me which method helped them the most.  I have a exit card in a google form.

In a previous class, I introduced the algorithm concept, so I asked them to evaluated was it a good algorithm and to identify if any steps are missing.

Objectives: Target Groups:  TYs and 1st Year ICT class

1. Internet safety powerpoint is presented and handout given.
2. Teacher creates one wall for students, they must do one of the following:

   add text and an image

..about one topic from internet safety presentation.(Peer learning)

3. Students must follow the Algorithm on how to use padlet (handout given) and also watch the youtube video, I will give them an exit card to find out which method was most helpful. (independent learning)
4. Students must create their own wall, they must do ALL of the following

add text  and relevant (URL)web address

add text and upload a document

add text and  an image

about the 3 remaining topics from the internet safety presentation.

5. Students will upload the link to their wall to your eportfolio and send it to me through google classroom.

Evaluation from students: (14 TYs of Mixed ability, unusually half absent due to a snow day)

Q1.  Will you use Padlet again?  100% said yes.

Q2.  Which method was most helpful when learning how to use padlet?

Instructional (Algorithm) handout     93%

Youtube video                                     7%

So only 1 person (High Attainer (HA)) preferred Youtube method,…great news they still need me!

Q3. What did you learn today? Most common answer…”how to use padlet” ...They seem to know a lot about internet safety already.

Feedback from students on the Instructional handout…..They said I omitted 2 steps! Which I have now added.

Another change I would make is, Under privacy controls, it is better not to tick moderate posts, as it prevents peer learning in group work because the posts are slower to appear.
They also said they want to use padlet for group work on a project for another subject.

So Options for the future:

1.    I could continue to use the instructional handout to teach how to use apps.

2.    I could use the ‘flipped classroom approach’ and give them the instructional handout in advance of the class, to enable the high attainers to prepare in advance and then they could work on class content, this would also facilitate extra attention being given to low attainers.

3.    In the future, I would like them to create their own algorithms to teach something.

4.    I will still use Youtube but they seem to want to use it for watching educational films, etc

I am still in the process of teaching this to the first years so I will update this blog in due course.. 

I have taught Padlet to 1st years.  It was a much slower process than teaching the TYs understandably.  The main difference being, the first years preferred watching the youtube clip as opposed to the instructional handout.

Using Padlet as means of Assessment for Learning (AFL)  Lesson 1

To make a start on testing what apps work best for me, I want to use padlet with a number of class groups next week.  So to coincide with Internet Safety week, we will work through the presentation and then use padlet  as a means of assessment.  I will ask the students to evaluate it and see do they like padlet.  But as such its easy to use and I can put safety settings on the wall to prohibit and restrict access.



1.  Click on the link below for the Internet Safety Presentation

https://docs.google.com/a/cmco.ie/file/d/0BzoOi1a8UpioSDdwSVJiUVN2UnM/edit

REF: EtherShield. (2014) Internet Safety available at URL http://www.internetsafety.com/internet-safety-presentations.php  [Accessed 07/01/2014]



2. Click on the link below for my instructional handout for using Padlet.com

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzoOi1a8UpioUWZ5bF8yMlhPUHM/view?usp=sharing
or PDF version
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzoOi1a8UpioT2NVUFY1WTdXQVU/view?usp=sharing
http://bit.ly/1NF6Nae

OR

3. Watch this youtube (6 Minutes)


REF: Byrne,R. (2013) How to use Padlet. [Youtube].
10/09/2013 Available at: URL [http://youtu.be/UuzciL8qCYM ].