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Engaging students is more than a flashy tech tool
Engaging students is more than a flashy tech tool
By Paul Schlangen
By Paul Schlangen
Engaging students in learning activities is always on the minds of teachers, but maybe never more so than right now amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and Distance Learning models across the country (and world). When the term “student engagement” is shared, some definitions pop into our heads, and we likely can picture examples of students who are engaged and those who are not. We may envision students at varying levels of what we perceive as engaged or not engaged. To help narrow things down a bit, it helps to use the definition of an engaged student from Dr. Phillip C. Schlechty.
Dr. Schlechty describes an engaged student as one who is attentive, persistent, committed, and one who finds meaning and value in the work that they are asked to complete. In this short 1-minute video, Dr. Schlechty describes the basics of student engagement (for some more depth, consider checking out this 5-minute video from John Spencer about Schlechty's Levels of Engagement). It is with this definition in mind that I offer up an instructional tool that has the capacity to engage students in ways that compels them to be attentive, persistent, and committed. I would be lying if I said that a single tech tool guarantees engagement. There are lots of variables that go into designing engaging lessons.
Nearpod is one of the most useful, powerful teaching tools, though Nearpod alone will not guarantee student engagement. With this in mind, understanding how it is used can help. Consider the following Nearpod features and strategies that can help you engage students while you examine student thinking, provide feedback to students to move them forward in their learning journey, and help them find meaning in what they are learning:
Insert a Quiz into already-created Power Points or Slide Shows
Insert a Quiz into already-created Power Points or Slide Shows
Quizzes allow students to engage with the content soon after they internalize it. Sharing their results instantly can also help them gauge their level of understanding as well as give instructors a glimpse into student thinking.
Ask students to complete a diagram, identify a map location, or “solve for x” using the Draw It feature.
Ask students to complete a diagram, identify a map location, or “solve for x” using the Draw It feature.
Students try their best and share their work with the teacher. The teacher can share responses anonymously to spark a class discussion and/or provide feedback. “My favorite no,” explain your thinking, Try it, Talk it, Color it, Check it, and many other higher order discussion prompts are engaging strategies.
Taking students on a field trip can be challenging when not in the middle of a global pandemic, and it is flat out impossible while in one. Have your students experience an immersive Virtual Field Trip to take them places all around the world.
Whichever feature or strategy you decide to use, it is important to remember that for students, using Nearpod may be something novel for them and thus engaging, at least in the beginning. To continue to reap the benefits of Nearpod, we have to strive to generate student attention and student commitment to the broader purpose of the tool, be they presented as essential questions, learning objectives, or “I can…” statements. A quick Google search of “student engagement tool” will send back a bunch of results for “Tools to Engage Students.” I’d encourage you to start with this one tool and the aforementioned strategies to engage students in their learning because when it comes down to it, Nearpod is just a tool (albeit a Swiss Army knife of sorts) and it matters how it is used. Employing Nearpod to help analyze and adapt instruction with the purpose of increasing student learning, is the ultimate goal.
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