At first, the concept of Padlet (an attractive online post-it board) seemed a little impersonal to me to use in the communicative classroom. Rather than brainstorming an idea in class with learners speaking to each other, they log into Padlet and type their thoughts and comments. However, I've now had a couple of attempts at using the site and I'm beginning to see it's usefulness.
One major thing that Padlet enables learners to do is to comment and post anonymously - something that could act as a great confidence builder for those who are less forthcoming in class. In my own lesson on using modal verbs in the future tense (click here to view), I have decided to use Padlet to encourage and enable peer feedback, not just in the brainstorming section, but also for grammar correction; again, something learners won't always feel comfortable doing in class.
In the 2015 article on Blended Technology in ELT, Kaya observes another benefit of Padlet (and other web-based resources), that it can be accessed anywhere, at anytime, offering the opportunity to collaborate with peers outside of the classroom, and therefore giving students the autonomy to take control of their own learning. Kaya also notes that Padlet allows learners to set the pace of their learning, and become active rather than passive in the process. In a study into the usefulness of Padlet in the classroom, Nyawanza (2017) found that student participation and engagement in the classroom increased while using Padlet. It was however noted that those who did not enjoy using Padlet found it to be distracting, and the study aptly points out that such technologies should be used as "a tool, and not an approach to learning" (Nyawanza, 2017).
One major thing that Padlet enables learners to do is to comment and post anonymously - something that could act as a great confidence builder for those who are less forthcoming in class. In my own lesson on using modal verbs in the future tense (click here to view), I have decided to use Padlet to encourage and enable peer feedback, not just in the brainstorming section, but also for grammar correction; again, something learners won't always feel comfortable doing in class.
In the 2015 article on Blended Technology in ELT, Kaya observes another benefit of Padlet (and other web-based resources), that it can be accessed anywhere, at anytime, offering the opportunity to collaborate with peers outside of the classroom, and therefore giving students the autonomy to take control of their own learning. Kaya also notes that Padlet allows learners to set the pace of their learning, and become active rather than passive in the process. In a study into the usefulness of Padlet in the classroom, Nyawanza (2017) found that student participation and engagement in the classroom increased while using Padlet. It was however noted that those who did not enjoy using Padlet found it to be distracting, and the study aptly points out that such technologies should be used as "a tool, and not an approach to learning" (Nyawanza, 2017).