Padlet as a Brainstorming Tool in the Language Classroom

What is Padlet?

Padlet is an online board where participants can share texts, pictures and videos about a certain topic under discussion. Therefore, it can be used for various topics which require brainstorming or sharing ideas. However, since my purpose in this blog is to explore how different online platforms can contribute to improving language classes, I will be discussing how language teachers can effectively use Padlet in their classes.

To start with, you can watch the following video which broadly illustrates Padlets and offers some general ways to use it:

Padlet and Writing classes

In modern writing classes, especially those which follow the process approach, the teacher plays a paramount role in supporting the students and scaffolding them throughout the writing process. Unlike traditional methods which focus on the product only without giving any attention to the various steps that students have to follow in order to produce a good piece of writing, the teacher in the process approach guides and scaffolds the students throughout the process. One essential stage of the writing process is brainstorming where students, usually scaffolded by the teacher, share ideas which may function as the skeleton for their paragraphs and essays.

Using Padlet for brainstorming ideas in a pre-writing activity has many advantages. Firstly, all the students will have an equal opportunity for sharing their ideas. When brainstorming is done traditionally with the teacher receiving ideas from the students and writing them on the board, some introvert and less confident students may feel embarrassed to share their ideas to the entire class, while when done anonymously, all the students get an equal opportunity to have their voice heard. Secondly, Padlet offers students the chance to comment on each other's ideas in a visually clear manner. As a result, students will have the chance to be cognitively engaged in evaluating each other's ideas and supporting or refuting each other's arguments. Finally, discussions which take place at Padlet remain saved at the class' account, which helps the students to review the lesson, do the writing as homework and even use the online discussion later when preparing for the exam.

Consequently, Padlet can contribute to enhancing learners' collaboration and creativity. Students' dependence on the teacher automatically and gradually decreases, for they no longer entirely need his/her assistance in planning for their writing. Alternatively, students' interdependence (students depending on each other) will increase since they will help each other in generating ideas, which gradually results in the students being independently able to generate ideas for their writing.

An example which demonstrates how a topic can be addressed on

Padlet and how other users can comment on someone's contribution

Suitability for the Palestinian Context

I have been informed by Mr. Tawfiq Khwaireh, a friend of mine who works as an English teacher at Kufur Qallil Primary school, that both governmental and private schools in Palestine have at least one computer lab that English teachers can arrange to use whenever they need to. As a result, using a tool such as Padlet is not going to be a challenge for Palestinian teachers or students, for the teacher can arrange to book the lab for their classes and use the computers to enjoy the activities that Padlet offers.

Any drawbacks? 

Nevertheless, the fact that the discussions are saved and remain accessible for students can be a double-edged sword. This is not a real drawback of Padlet, but this means that the teacher will have the responsibility of checking the information that the students share to make sure it is accurate and can be used as a resource in the future. Moreover, Padlet might not be really handy in large classes, for if all the students are expected to share one idea at least, having more than 40 answers for one question can be quite confusing, and more outstanding ideas might not be observed. Therefore, teachers can overcome this problem through randomly selecting the desired number of students to participate in the task while the rest of the class can discuss the question in groups without having to share their ideas with students outside the group.

In short, Padlet is a great tool through which teachers give their students the opportunity to work on their planning more independently. However, it is necessary that teachers make the right decisions concerning the points highlighted above in order to maximise learning in the language classroom.

Go Creative and Interactive with TRIPTICO!

It is believed that a modern classroom is one where technological tools such as computers, projectors and mobile phones are used. However, many teachers blindly use these tools because they are available, and perhaps some teachers want to show off their exclusive talents as good users of technology in the 21st century. 

It is crucially important for teachers to know the rationale behind each activity used in the classroom and its educational value. In this post, I will shed the light on Triptico, more specifically the Find Ten activity, and I will explore the educational value that it adds to the language lesson.

Why use Find Ten in a language lesson?

Find Ten is a simple game where students are asked to find ten answers to a question related to the topic of the lesson. For instance, in a vocabulary lesson, this game can be used as a final activity which reminds the students of the vocabulary items which they have learned. Learners can be asked to find ten vocabulary items related to the class topic being studied such as body organs, weather vocabulary, furniture vocabulary, etc. What is particularly beneficial about the game is that the teacher can add a picture and/or a text which elaborates the answer and visualises language learning (look at the example above taken from one of the designed activities).

I have created a game called "Ten words which can replace "and"" (Click here to view the activity). This activity is designed for a lesson where students learn about connectors which can replace "and" in order to develop their writing skills. This kind of activity can be used at the end of a writing lesson to review the lesson and to remind the students of the new vocabulary they have learned. On top of that, It can be used at the beginning of another lesson to activate students' knowledge and to establish context for the new topic of the writing class. 

In addition to its effectiveness in reviewing a lesson and establishing context, Find Ten promotes interaction between students, for it uses visual effects as well as sound effects which exclusively attract the learners' attention and increase their involvement with the lesson. Moreover, when students are asked to accomplish a task, the whole class (or group if divided into groups) work together to select the correct answer, and during this process many discussions and negotiations eventually take place in the target language to allow learners to transmit knowledge to one another.

Suitability for the Palestinian Context

Most schools in Palestine these days are equipped with the necessary ICT tools and services such as internet connection, computers, and projectors. Hence, teachers of different subjects enjoy the chance of using these tools in their classrooms. Most games on Triptico, especially Find Ten, do not demand pricy and highly developed technological tools; the basic tools can be sufficient. Therefore, I believe that Triptico activities go well with the current technological levels in Palestinian schools.

Any points to consider?

Nevertheless, teachers need to be careful when using games which involve the entire class, for all the students are likely to shout out the answer at the same time, which means that the teacher might not be able to hear a student who may disagree with the majority of the students. Therefore, a teacher should make sure that the whole class agrees on one answer in the first place, and if more than one answer is given, it will be a great opportunity to negotiate the meaning and to hear more than one opinion before revealing the answer and justifying it.

All in all, the use of technological tools in language classrooms can facilitate language learning when used appropriately due to the high degree of engagement they offer. However, teachers need to have clear goals which they aim to achieve through the activity. 

An English Teacher? Harry up and Read Scott Thornbury's Blog (An A-Z in ELT)!!

In Scott Thornbury's blog, A-Z is not used figuratively as you have probably thought; it is literally an A-Z ELT blog. Unlike most blogs which display more recent articles first and older ones come after that, this blog deliberately lists the articles alphabetically, and each letter stands for an issue in ELT and language acquisition which is discussed through an article. For instance, the discussion about the issue of Age comes first, then it might be followed by an article about "bad" language learner, etc.

You're worried because you think each letter stands for one topic only and you won't be able to read an article about Dictionary and another about Drills? 😒

I agree. This would be awful and uncreative 😫IF it were like that! 😂

Each letter stands for various entries, which means different topics which begin with the same letter ARE actually written about in the blog!

You are wondering how the topics are addressed in this blog! 🙇

Take it easy. I'll tell you 😉In many instances in this blog, Scott Thornbury tries to show us the other side of the story: A side we are not likely to have thought about.

How?

Examples speak louder than fire alarms. It is believed, and much research has proved, that fluency of language is harder to acquire than accuracy. However, in his article entitled "A is for Accuracy", Scott Thornbury argues that Accuracy can entail accurate use of language at all linguistic levels (which sounds intimidating). Moreover, he argues that the word "accurate" is relative, for what you believe is accurate in your dialect might be completely wrong in another dialect. 

In addition, in his "A is for Accent", Scott Thornbury discusses the idea that learners usually try to get rid of their accents and try to sound more like a native speaker, while in fact to think about language learning as to unlearn something and to master something else is a misunderstanding of SLA. Thornbury argues that language learning is about addition rather than subtraction; learners learn new things and develop their interlanguage (they add to it rather than remove from it).

In short, Scott Thornbury's blog is an excellent one that insightfully critiques different issues in ELT and SLA and in many instances shows us the other side of the story.