Web Base Site #5 - Near-Pod, Wherever You Are
Near-Pod, Wherever You Are
If you tried Padlet last week, I hope it was easy for you to use, and I hope it was a fun way for your students to connect. This week I would like to talk about another site that allows your students to connect in a fun way. Just like in Padlet, this site can be used after class or during lessons. This week's site is called Nearpod. Nearpod is a site that is used to engage both students and teachers in many interactive ways. The great thing about Nearpod is that you do not only have to use it with your students; you can use it during your meetings as well with your other co-workers. Not only can it be used to show presentations, but also includes videos, quizzes, polls, open-ended questions, and may even have an option for virtual reality. This is a great way to get real time feedback on how your students are handling the information and taking quick assessments. Nearpod not only allows for whole group participation, but can also be done individually at the child's own pace. This is a great option for your students who do better visually and auditorily as they can spend more time on slides if needed. Nearpod also has premade lessons, or you can upload your own from Google, Microsoft, Canvas, Schoology and more. This is what makes Nearpod great; it is so user friendly and connects so easily to other sites/apps you have used.
When getting started with Nearpod, you have to create an account. Although there is an option for a pricing package that the school can pay for, there is also a free account option that you can link through Google or Microsoft if you choose. Once you are logged in, you can start creating. Before you decide to make your own lesson, there are a bunch of premade lessons that you can choose from. These lessons range from grade levels and subjects. However, I am going to walk you through how to use the site if you would like to start from scratch. To start, you are going to see a create lesson option on the home page. This brings you to the page to get started with starting options that include add context, add quick slide, upload a file, or create a quiz. The quick slide option lets you choose from different themes, and the quiz option gives different choices for different types of questions (multiple choice, draw it, written response, fill in the blank). When you are on your slides, add text, images, videos, polls, quizzes, and so much more. They allow you to play with the background, text, add GIFs, and even audio. Don't forget, you can upload files from previous lessons. When you are finished making your lesson, you are ready to launch it! This can be in a live participation (real time) or at a student pace (students can view at their own time or at home). The presentations will be provided with codes, so only your students with the code can access the lesson which is great for privacy!
As your students go throw the presentation, they can answer questions in real time, post on discussions boards, or even draw diagrams. At the end of the lesson, the site complies a report that shows the details for the students' performance. This is beneficial because teachers can now really pinpoint what their students are having trouble with and what they spend more time on. Other beneficial things about this site are that students do not necessarily need an account. As long as they are provided with an access code, they are able to get into the lesson. Teachers are able to keep track of all their classes separately, and students can use Nearpod at home for homework. Nearpod is a great way to keep your students engaged both in school and at home.
Nearpod is one app that I would highly recommend trying out with your students. If you do try it out, as always let me know how you and your students enjoyed the site. What were things that you liked and did not like? Let me know down below and as always here is the link to get to Nearpod:
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