Nearpod is a website that allows educators to create interactive presentations for their class. There are many different templates to choose from, but you can also choose to start from scratch. You can even create a presentation using PowerPoint or Google Slides and then import the content into your Nearpod. I used Google Slides to create my lesson and then imported it into Nearpod so that I could add in interactive elements and formative assessments. Some of the different content that you can add into you presentation includes videos, virtual reality field trips, PDFs, Microsoft Sways (Check out my Microsoft Sway here!), and web content. The elements that make Nearpod unique, however, are the activities that you can add into your lesson. For example, there is a collaborate board in which students can all add in answers and post it to a page and then see each other's posts. You can also add in matching pairs, quizzes, fill-in-the-blanks, or memory tests to assess how students are doing with the content. There is also an interactive game called "Time to Climb" in which students can compete against each other to answer questions correctly and see who can reach the top of the mountain first! One other option in Nearpod in to upload a video and use a special feature that allows you to pause the video at certain points and ask students questions to check for understanding.
Nearpod fits in with the Danielson Framework for teaching in many different aspects. For example, it fits into domain 1F and 3D: Designing Students Assessments and Using Assessments in Instruction. While it is important to test the information that students know at the end of a unit, it is just important to test them as they learn the material to make sure they understand it. It is inefficient if as educators we wait until the end of the unit to test students because if they do not understand the material from the beginning, we would have to teach the entire unit again. However, Nearpod helps educators incorporate formative assessment into the lesson so that we can address any problems or misconceptions immediately. Nearpod also helps with domain 1B: Demonstrating knowledge of Students. Using formative assessments helps teachers better understand what their students know and don't know. There is also an option to add in a poll so that students can tell you how they are doing. this is useful because teachers can assess how students are doing academically and if they need help as well as how they are as people. If students are having a tough day, a poll at the beginning of end of class can help them communicate with you so that you can reach out and find out how you can best help them.
Not only does Nearpod help teachers meet the standards in the Danielson Framework, but it also helps students meet the 4 C's of teaching and the ISTE standards. Students can show collaboration by working on the collaborative whiteboard. Each student posts their own response and then can read the responses of other students to see their ideas and perspectives. Nearpod also helps students show creativity and communication with elements such as "draw it." The "draw it" feature allows students to answer a question or prompt through drawings. Then, students can communicate their ideas through art instead of just text. Finally, Nearpod helps students with critical thinking because there are formative assessments spread throughout each presentation. Students are challenged to answer questions as they are learning to make sure they are listening and not just hearing the lesson. Teachers can also use the open-ended question feature to ask more complex questions and then hide students names so that they can share different answers while students remain anonymous. Nearpod also helps students meet the ISTE standards such as becoming a global collaborator. While students may not be working on a presentation with someone across the world every day, students can definitely collaborate with each other from many different locations. It opens up the possibility to interact with others locally and possibly globally in certain circumstances. Nearpod also helps students be knowledge constructors and creative communicators as they demonstrate what they have learned through a variety of formative assessments. Students can draw out their answers to express their ideas in a more creative way or use the classic open-ended questions to demonstrate their knowledge on a digital platform. I would love to use Nearpod in my own classroom. I think it would be a helpful addition to a lesson because students are challenged to apply what they have learned to an activity almost immediately after learning it. This not only helps teachers understand what students are struggling with but also helps the students themselves understand what they might need to spend a little more time studying. Nearpod is especially great for online or hybrid learning because students still get to collaborate with each other even if they are physically apart. Additionally, including special elements in your presentation can help keep students engaged because they know that there will be some type of game or quiz coming up. It helps prevent students from tuning out of lectures. Instead, they pay attention to the information and immediately recite it back to help them remember it better in the future.
Check out my Nearpod on different features of nonfiction text below!