Nearpod

I use Nearpod to make interactive presentations. It's a platform that's relatively easy to use, is free, and is a great way to get students engaged in what would normally be a lesson of primarily lecture format. Nearpod integrates with Google Slides, so you can move presentations you have already created into Nearpod and make them more interactive. What's also great is that you can search through the library of Nearpods that others have made. It also can link directly to outside websites or videos, helping teachers diversify how they present content.

There are two main ways to use Nearpod lessons: teacher-led and student-led. Both are great because for teacher-led lessons, the students can only advance slides as the teacher does, which helps everyone stay on task. The student-paced option lets students still participate in all the same interactive activities but at whatever speed is best for the student.

Nearpod is also a great way for teachers to have quality formative assessment in their lessons. As the teacher, you can go back and review student answers and check for overall class accuracy. I have used Nearpod as both a teacher and as a student, but have found it especially helpful during the COVID-19 outbreak in the spring of 2020. During this time when many teachers had to shift to distance learning, Nearpod was a great way to still have full class participation and assess them individually in a way that was fun for them and a little different than assigning a million Kahoot quizzes.

Overall, I would recommend this tech tool for educators to use in their classrooms.

Danielson Framework

This tech tool helps teachers meet all of the domains of Danielson's Framework for Teaching. In Domain 1 (Planning & Prep) it helps teachers design assessments that are appropriate to the lesson and the students. For Domain 2 (Classroom Environment), teachers are providing a fun and somewhat competitive way for students to engage with content, hopefully motivating them and making the atmosphere more lighthearted, even if it is at a distance. Under Domain 3 (Instruction), Nearpod helps teachers perform formative assessments because it generates detailed feedback from all of the activities, telling the teacher what has been learned well and what might need more reviewing. For Domain 4 (Professional Development), Nearpod helps teachers have accurate records of formative assessment and helps them to engage with other teachers as they share resources and learn to teach remotely. [1b, 1d, 1e, 1f, 2b, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 4a, 4b, 4f]

ISTE Standards

This tech tool also integrates some of the ISTE Standards for students into the classroom as well. By using the Nearpod interactive features, they are being Empowered Learners, and by having students create their own Nearpods, they are becoming Knowledge Constructors, Innovative Designers, and Creative Communicators. [1c, 3c, 4a, 6a, 6b]