Using Nearpod in the Classroom
by Nikki Gutierrez
Learning Designer: Coaches model and support educators to design learning experiences and environments to meet the needs and interests of all students.
ISTE Standard 4a Coaches collaborate with educators to develop authentic, active learning experiences that foster student agency , deepen content mastery and allow students to demonstrate their competency.
Nearpod is a Web 2.0 tool that allows educators to build authentic connections for students and embed activities to keep students actively engaged in the lesson. It also provides multiple ways to check for student understanding throughout the lesson. Nearpod can be used for presential and remote learners . Real-time data on student learning as well as post-session reports provide lesson analytics.
Time to Climb is an interactive gamified activity within Nearpod. Student engagement is increased with friendly classroom competition. Teachers can turn multiple choice questions into a fun game. Students select a game character and watch them climb to the end of the race as questions are answered.
Increase student engagement and collaboration by using a collaborative board activity within Nearpod. Prompt students with a question and let them respond individually with a "post-it" like response. Finally, share the board for all participants to read and view everyone's responses.
Formative assessments are easy with the poll activity in Nearpod. Use this feature to take a class vote, highlight student opinions, or ask a multiple choice question without a correct answer. The overall poll can be shared with the class which can promote further discussion.
The Draw It activity within Nearpod allows students to respond using images, text, and drawings. Teachers can add a background image or have students draw on a blank background. Use for labeling maps, showing work on a math problem, sketching graphic organizers, and creating tables.
Post a prompt for your students to respond to with an open ended question. Add media such as an image, text, audio, website, video, etc. Students can select from a variety of ways to respond to the prompt including with text, recorded audio, and images.
Use the matching pairs activity within Nearpod as an interactive game to increase student engagement. Embed images and text. Students can build vocabulary and demonstrate knowlege by matching lesson ideas with specific terminology.
Which feature(s) within Nearpod are you most excited to try in your classroom? How might you use Nearpod for an upcoming lesson?
1. Individual Brainstorm Time (2 minutes)
2. Discuss within your team (5 minutes)
3. Share ideas with the group (2 minutes)
The Universal Design for Learning provides us with a framework to ensure all learners can access and engage in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities. The goal is to break down barriers so that all learners can be successful.
Think! What barriers might learners find challenging? How can features be used withing Nearpod to break those barriers and support all students to be successful?
Are you up for more of a Nearpod challenge? Try exploring other features within Nearpod. Which can you use in your classroom? How might they increase student engagement and collaboration?
1. Field Trips Powered by 360cities
2. Interactive videos using YouTube or your own uploaded videos
3. Use Flocabulary within Nearpod
4. Check out Nearpod's Sharing Library
5. Convert Google Slides into Nearpod lessons
6. Explore the analytics provided after a Nearpod session and use this to guide your instruction
References
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Kim, H. J., Yi, P., & Hong, J. I. (2020). Students’ academic use of mobile technology and higher-order thinking skills: The role of active engagement. Education Sciences, 10(3), 47. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10030047
Koehler, M. (2012, September 24). TPACK explained. https://matt-koehler.com/tpack2/tpack-explained/
McMahon, D. D., & Walker, Z. (2019). Leveraging emerging technology to design an inclusive future with universal design for learning. CEPS Journal, 9(3), 75-93. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.639
Murphy, A. (2017) Embracing the UDL classroom: 4 steps to a more flexible education. EdTech Magazine.
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Peterson-Ahmad, M. (2018). Enhancing pre-service special educator preparation through combined use of virtual simulation and instructional coaching. Education Sciences, 8(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci8010010