I step on the various teleportation pads and I thought if you had the corresponding scroll you would activate it and be able to use it (if you had the appropriate scroll). It is not letting me use those. What am I doing wrong and how do you activate the pads so you can use them?

You should just need to left click on a teleporter pad. If your character has the required scroll in his inventory, or it has already been activated, the map of Rivellon should come up showing all the teleporter pad locations (activated ones indicated with a blue flame).

What scrolls do you have, and what teleporter pads are you trying to activate?

Have you activated any teleporter pads, and do they still work? You need to activate at least 2 pads to be able to teleport between them (by clicking on the blue flame markers on the map).

Once you talk to Zandalor the first time, you should be able to immediately head to the teleporter pad outside Aleroth (a bit south of the Aleroth fence, towards the western corner). You should have a green ribboned 'scroll' in your inventory that shows a map of Rivellon, as well as a red ribboned 'spell scroll' to activate mage teleporter pads (Aleroth, Ars Magicana and the graveyard).