I was so surprised that I really enjoyed using the Padlet software app for our collaborative discussions in class. At first, we talked about using Google Docs because we were all familiar with it. Until, there was a team member of ours that said, “How about using the Padlet app?” We all got on board real quick. The reason that I was ok with this choice was because I was familiar with it, used it in professional training classes before, and wanted to learn more about it. My curiosity for it made me feel that this was going to be a good choice. And, I’m happy to say that we all loved it!
As we used it, we realized that there were so many benefits in it. This digital platform is very engaging, and makes our content interactive. We had enriching conversations on various topics. We were able to add visual content to it, to have an enriching experience. The process was constantly changing, and members could go back and forth in the discussions as if we were actually together, and talking in the same room. It offered the ability to stay organized and discuss various topics in a manner that was easy, and fun.
There are many more beneficial ways that using the Padlet app is a plus, and recommended. In discussion groups, it will allow you to keep the conversation going. It is very easy to bounce ideas off of one another. One person can share, and immediately the next person can follow. Another person can add something, whether it be a link to a good book, video clip, or famous quote and the other people can then comment with their thoughts. It is exciting! You can see the comments pop-up right away, process it, and choose how you will respond. It allows creativity, and imagination. With this app, multiple ideas are being shared all at the same time. This makes it feel more like real-time collaboration as we share our thoughts and ideas with one another.
Along those lines, I will add that Padlet is actually fun to use for discussions with others. Everyone can share in different ways, and it is eye catching and very engaging. It definitely appeals to users that enjoy using multimedia to share ideas, or expressing themselves with photos, videos, books, and links to other resources. It encourages different perspectives, and numerous viewpoints. And, even allows collaboration on complex thoughts and ideas. The conversations were meaningful, and shared in a deeper way, other than simple text messages back and forth, or merely chatting. The things we included were able to quickly grasp the attention of others.
We all had an equal opportunity to share, and there was not one person that dominated the discussion over the other. The fact that we could add our part of the discussion at our own time and pace made me appreciate the application even more because I didn’t feel the pressure of needing to reply right away, and I knew that I could take my time and be more thoughtful with my response to my team members. Padlet allowed equal contribution from all involved, and I felt that what I included was valued, and appreciated. Our team felt comfortable to participate with diverse viewpoints and ideas.
Padlet made it easy to connect and organize ideas in an orderly fashion. It gave us structure for our conversations, and we easily stuck to the theme or pattern of the conversation, so it was easy to follow, and see the thought flow. Using the Padlet app allowed us to feel productive, and accomplished. Overall, we met our goal, and we were very satisfied with the outcome. It is definitely something that we plan to continue to use for our collaboration discussions throughout the course.
In summary, there are so many benefits to using the Padlet app for collaborative discussions. There is a sense of pride, and ownership to our contribution. What I liked most is that the discussions are always available for us to go back and revisit, and it’s visually appealing to look at, over and over again. You will not get bored! You can always archive discussions to refer back to, as needed, or freely share them with others as you wish. What is nice is that you can see how a comment, or reply could drive the direction of the conversation, and how team members fed off of each other’s ideas in a positive, collaborative way. It is certainly a new, and interactive approach that I will be using for more group projects in my future. I’m glad that I took a chance on using something new.
Jackie Bittner M.Ed. 
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