Symbaloo & Padlet- Much More Than Funny Sounding Names

This week, I wanted to talk to you about two great free tools, Symbaloo and Padlet.  Symbaloo and Padlet both offer two different types of services to teachers.  Symbaloo is a tool for organizing and keeping track of important websites.  Padlet is like a digital piece of paper that allows for collaboration between students and/or teachers.

Symbaloo allows you to compile your favorite websites in one place to be accessed from anywhere with Internet access.  Even better yet, you can create webmixes that can be shared with others. These webmixes could possibly be shared with students, teachers, or administrators.  It is a great place to store links to website that you, your class, or school access often.  

How to use Symbaloo?  

• Start by accessing Symbaloo by clicking here.  
• Set up an account.  You can either create an account or connect to Symbaloo using your Facebook or Gmail accounts.

• At this point, you can create your own webmix or search pre-existing webmixes.
• To create a webmix, click on the + sign.  

• Pick a name for you webmix or search for a webmix in the Symbaloo Gallery.

• Click Add 
• To add tiles to your webmix-
• Click on a blank tile/website
• You will have the option to add a tile, search for a tile, or browse by category.

• Once you have either, created your tile or located the tile/website you were looking for it will be added to your webmix.
• You can easily organize your tiles by clicking and dragging the tiles around the webmix.  
• You can change the wallpaper of your webmix by clicking on the Options tab.

• You can further organize your webmix by creating markers.  Markers organize the tiles on your webmix into color coded sections.  You can access markers by clicking on the Options tab. 

• To share your webmix, click on the share symbol, select Sharing Options, type a description of your webmix, and a shareable link will be provided.  

Here is a sample Symbaloo webmix I created for my students.

Watch this video tutorial to learn even more about Symbaloo.  

Padlet is a place for students/teachers to collaborate and share information.  Padlet can be used as a place for students to complete formative assessments such as, admit slips or exit tickets.  Padlet can be used as a discussion board.  Padlet can be used as a place for students to compile and collaborate on their findings on a certain topic.  

How to use Padlet?  

• Start by accessing Padlet by clicking here.  
• Create a new account or sign in using Facebook or Gmail
• Click on Make A Padlet.  

• At this point, you can add a title and a description to your Padlet.  You can change the wallpaper and how the posts will be organized.  

• To share your Padlet, select Share, click on Public, and Save.  Copy the URL of your Padlet board and share it with people you want to be able to post.  

Below is picture of a Padlet wall I created with posts.  

Watch this Padlet video tutorial to learn more.  

Once again, thanks for reading my blog this week.  Stop by next week to read my blog post on Google Search Tips and Wolfram Alpha.