A "Byte of Information" to satisfy your appetite for technology...Nearpod

Post date: Apr 23, 2015 2:22:54 PM

March 11, 2015

A "Byte of Information" ....Nearpod. Nearpod is a web based interactive presentation tool that allows teachers to create and customize their own content. You can build formal and informal assessments into the presentation to gather evidence of student learning and understanding. The presentation can then run on both the SMART board as well as on individual student devices, all controlled by the teacher, so that students can interact with the lesson from their own device. Nearpod can run on any type of device (including, but not limited to, iPads, Chromebooks, laptops, etc). Some of the unique features of Nearpod include the ability to poll the "audience" and then bring up the results live for the class to see, the ability to track the responses of a particular student or small group of students, and the ability to control the student devices to ensure that students are following along and on task.

The beauty of Nearpod is that, as a teacher, you have the ability to completely customize the presentation making it as simplistic or advanced as you would like. This feature makes Nearpod an excellent option for all grade levels from Pre-K up through grade 8. Additionally, there is a library of Nearpod presentations that you are welcome to use if there is a particular topic for which you are looking. For the older grades, Nearpod has also teamed up with OZY, an up and coming current events magazine that caters to education, to provide teachers with Nearpod lessons that connect to high interest current events at the middle and high school level. These lessons come complete with the Nearpod presentation and coordinating lesson plans.

I enjoyed using Nearpod when I was teaching and hope that some of you will consider giving it a try. You can access Nearpod by visiting www.nearpod.com and signing up with your Google account information. Happy Tech-ing!