To enable students set goals that are sustainable, measurable and realistic, this year we used Teachers College Reading & Writing Project’s Reading Grit Test. Once the students identified their “Grit Score,” I incorporated a reflection activity using Padlet, formerly Wallwisher, where students shared their thinking about what they know themselves as a reader, and asking:
1. What do you know about yourself as a reader? Start your response with: “I realize that I…”
2. Then, how can you help yourself to reach your reading goal. Start your response with: “From now on, I will…”
Embedding a reflection piece that is “visible to our learning community” established multiple goals including a shared understanding of individual accountability, ownership of own learning, and overall, a sense of togetherness in this thing called, “achieving our goals.”
Padlet is a free online sticky-note chart paper. As the facilitator of the page, you can set a guiding question, and ask your students to post their thinking on the sticky notes. Students can also post a link or insert an image to describe their words. Your “walls” or chart papers stay online on your “dashboard” as long as you have your account, and accessible to use at any time. And yes, there’s an app for Padlet for use on iPads.
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