Combining powerful education tech tools, like Nearpod and Flocabulary, to do more than either one can separately do is not a new concept. App smashing is “the process of developing content on multiple digital applications and then integrating or ‘smashing’ them together in order to create a richer, innovative digital product.” (Brenner & Hauser, 2015). App smashing can also increase the efficiency of using multiple edtech tools in the classroom. With an average of 42 tools used by an individual teacher in a classroom, it is more important than ever to use the tools in the most effective way possible.

What are the benefits of using Nearpod and Flocabulary together?

When you consider the platforms and the content available with Nearpod and Flocabulary, it becomes clear that each tool contributes to powerful learning in its own way.

Nearpod, at its core, is a robust, multi-purpose instructional platform that transforms instruction from direct teaching into an interactive, two-way learning experience that drives results. It has the functionality to bring most, if not all, of your instructional resources together for an efficient delivery. This can increase instruction by decreasing the time needed to move between tools, so you avoid losing students between tabs.

Flocabulary, on its own, accelerates learning and academic vocabulary of Tier 2 and Tier 3 words through rigorous and authentically engaging learning experiences centered on video-based lessons. Using a tiered word system helps teachers and students focus on the words they need to be successful in the academic space.

Dr. Laura Rigolosi, Curriculum & Literacy Specialist at the Center for Professional Education of Teachers, references Dr. Isabel Beck’s work when she describes the tiers as follows.

“Tier 1 words are basic words that students typically know, unless they are an ELL, and in that case they may need to be taught that word. Tier 1 words include: computer, sunlight, coffee, sleep, etc.

Tier 2 words are those that are often used in classrooms and extend beyond one particular subject area, including: analyze, tweak, estimate, determine—words in that academic arena.

Tier 3 words are highly specific for each content area, and are housed within a particular subject. Examples of Tier 3 words include: parabola, hypotenuse, simile, monarchy, osmosis, etc.”

Through the Flocabulary video, students have a first introduction to a set of vocabulary words in a given context. Flocabulary’s memorable and rigorous activities then allow students to have multiple exposures and practice opportunities to apply their learning.

The two platforms, Nearpod and Flocabulary, can significantly impact learning all by themselves, but have you ever wondered what might be possible if these tools were used together in creative ways?

How to add Flocabulary to Nearpod

Nearpod lessons can easily house activities from any other platform using the Web Content option. But adding a link is just the beginning. Imagine one of your favorite Flocabulary activities as part of your best Nearpod lesson, or finding an entire lesson in Nearpod that is built around a Flocabulary video. These are just a few of the ideas we consider as we explore how to bring Nearpod and Flocabulary together.

How to find Flocabulary lessons on Nearpod

Additionally, you can explore Flocabulary lessons in the Nearpod Lesson Library. Search “Flocabulary” and filter lessons by grade level, subject, and type. To view lessons only, click on “Lessons” at the top of the screen. If you have a Flocabulary account, you can access various lessons, videos, and activities. If you don’t have access to Flocabulary, check out these unlocked lessons! Keep reading to explore how Nearpod and Flocabulary can be combined to deepen the learning experience.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod and Flocabulary. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons on Nearpod. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod and Flocabulary for schools and districts.

How to combine the power of Nearpod and Flocabulary

1. Topic Sparks and Literacy Across Media lessons

Prebuilt and editable lessons are always a teacher’s go-to resource when things get busy during the school year when faced with unfamiliar new content, or when the ideas are just not flowing to create something new. The stellar Nearpod and Flocabulary content creators collaborate to create two sets of lessons that strategically combine the superpowers of each platform. Each lesson includes instructional content wrapped around a high-quality hip-hop based video. These lesson series are called Topic Spark lessons and Literacy Across Media lessons.

Topic Spark lessons are 25- to 30-minute learning experiences that feature a Flocabulary video and best-loved Nearpod features, such as a Collaborate Board to continue the discussion or a Draw It to build on the creativity from the video.  These lessons are designed to introduce students to new topics, provide an opportunity for review, or be used in stations or blended learning classrooms.

Here are some of our favorite sample lessons!

• Active Listening (Grades 4-8)
• Statue of Liberty (Grades K-3)

Literacy Across Media lessons are 45- to 60-minute learning experiences that use Nearpod features in conjunction with a Flocabulary video to build content knowledge and apply literacy skills to multiple types of media. These lessons are designed to provide rigorous, grade-level differentiated instruction, encourage critical thinking, support culturally responsive learning environments, and focus on one section of a Flocabulary video for close reading and analysis.

Here are some of our favorite unlocked lessons!

• Location, Latitude, and Longitude (Grades 4-5)
• Intro to Long Division (Grades 4-5)

2. Embed Flocabulary videos

The most famous component of any Flocabulary lesson is the video, especially if you’re interested in learning how to add Flocabulary to Nearpod! The video, on its own, provides students with an opportunity for a memorable learning experience that can be used to introduce new topics and the academic vocabulary words that are key to unlocking the content.

An effective practice when using a video in a lesson, especially with Flocabulary videos, is to play it uninterrupted. The first time, allow it to play straight through to simply enjoy the media and take in some of the initial learning. Then play the video again, with either a specific purpose for watching or with embedded questions using the Nearpod Interactive Video tool to check for understanding with open-ended and multiple-choice questions.

Adding formative assessments directly in the video allows students to have a moment to pause and focus on a specific vocabulary word or part of the content to make a lasting connection in their learning. Utilizing an Open-Ended Question specifically can move beyond a check for understanding. Crafting a well-worded question will encourage students to connect the new information to previous learning or push them to consider how it might apply to future work. Another idea would be to use the Open-ended question to prompt students to create or share questions they might have instead of answering one. Asking thoughtful questions is a critical thinking skill that will raise students’ levels of thinking.

All Flocabulary videos can be added to any Nearpod lesson in two ways with access to school/district accounts on both platforms. Having these options available through the Nearpod platform makes the transition between videos efficient and requires minimal movement between tabs and platforms, limiting the loss of instruction time that can occur when there are multiple logins and passwords.

Add videos from the Nearpod library

You can find your favorite Flocabulary video in Nearpod through the Interactive Video option when building a lesson, or by searching the Nearpod library for video content from Flocabulary. Flocabulary videos from the Nearpod library have comprehension and discussion questions already embedded in the video to create a more interactive experience.

Add Flocabulary lessons as Web Content

Another method to incorporate a Flocabulary video is by directly embedding it into the Nearpod lesson as Web Content using the lesson URL. When utilizing this approach, the Flocabulary video will open within the Flocabulary platform, granting students the ability to adjust the playback speed and access the lyrics. Unlike the previous method, this video will not contain embedded questions and can be played continuously without interruptions.

3. The Flocabulary lesson sequence

Switch up the Flocabulary sequence as you bring the activities from the lesson sequence into a Nearpod lesson. Add individual activities supporting a different lesson for additional vocabulary review, a creative introduction, or a quick assessment. You can re-create these activities using Nearpod or simply embed the URL of the Flocabulary activity using the Web Content feature.

Consider adding the Flocabulary Vocab Game as a bell ringer into your lesson or drop in the link to the Read and Respond activity for additional review of related vocabulary, a learning standard, or a specific topic.

Use the attached Vocab Card template in a Draw It activity and provide students with the opportunity to create their own vocabulary cards!

4. Connect to the Lyric Lab framework

The broadest option for bringing Flocabulary into any lesson at almost any grade is to use the Lyric Lab framework. While in the Nearpod lesson, provide the prompt and words students will need to include in their scaffolded writing experience through Lyric Lab.

Use this template to create your own slide if you would like it to look similar to the Lyric Lab experience.

Then, using the Nearpod Web Content option, link to any Lyric Lab in the Flocabulary platform. An example might be the End Punctuation lesson using this link. The vocabulary words listed can be a reminder to students to use the required punctuation as they write their lyrics around the content and vocabulary of your choosing … or theirs!

The power of Lyric Lab begins by giving students the creative avenue to share what they know or have learned about a topic. This can be expanded when students have the opportunity to perform their lyrics or read their writing to an authentic audience—an audience of more than their teacher and classmates! Tap into your school’s media options such as morning announcements, in-school news channels, or upcoming family night events.

5. The independent practice (a.k.a. homework)

Homework is one of the most debated topics in education. Do you give it? Do you not? Is it fair? Is it not? Is it for a grade? Is it for practice? No matter what your opinion is, we can all likely agree that students need some time to practice new learning on their own and would prefer it to incorporate an element of fun along with the required rigor.

Provide additional practice for students by linking a complementary Flocabulary lesson at the end of your Nearpod lesson. On Flocabulary, use the search by state standards option or the key word search to find the lesson that most closely supports the topic.

When you have decided on your Flocabulary lesson, add it to your Nearpod as Web Content. Send students directly to the Flocabulary lesson following the large group instruction. This can be designated in whatever way makes the most sense in your classroom: homework, classwork, small group work, station rotation, or centers. Switch from Live to Student-Paced mode to have students complete the work at their own pace. Linking it into the Nearpod lesson makes it more efficient for students to move from one platform to another without getting distracted by other technology and tabs.

Whatever you choose to call it, we call it a memorable learning experience that students will more than likely be interested in completing. Assign all or parts of the Flocabulary lesson depending on the needs of your students. You do not have to grade it; the students’ responses are provided for you in the Flocabulary lesson report and can be used as evidence of practice or translated into a grade based on your expectations.

Start using Nearpod and Flocabulary together

Using technology in the classroom is not a quick, impromptu decision. It takes deliberate, thoughtful planning to ensure the technology is being used to provide a positive impact on student learning as well as provide evidence of the impact on the learning experience. When combining tools like Nearpod and Flocabulary, there are any number of ways you might choose to use these two platforms together. We’ve just provided a few examples. Whether you use all parts of a Flocab lesson to follow large group instruction or choose just one or two Flocabulary activities to add variety, start with the approach that will best improve learning outcomes for your students and then let the learning flow!

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod and Flocabulary. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons on Nearpod. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod and Flocabulary for schools and districts.

Julie Cobb

Julie Cobb is a Director of Professional Services at Nearpod, leading high-quality implementation and training consultations for Nearpod School and District partners across the United States. She has her Bachelors in Education of the Hearing Impaired and her Masters in Educational Leadership. Passionate about education technology, she was inspired to join Nearpod because she wanted to share innovative ways to transform teaching and learning using technology in the classroom and beyond.

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Empowering engagement in Compton Unified School District’s: Nearpod and Flocabulary’s impact

Challenge

Before the school shutdowns mandated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Compton Unified School District was on an upward trend when it came to school improvements and student outcomes. Many obstacles challenge those who teach a student population that is more than 76% low-income and more than a quarter of English language learners (ELLs); now, throw the catastrophic wrench of a global pandemic with school closures into the mix, and post-pandemic, there was more than just “disruption.” Nationwide reports summarized the estimated widespread learning loss, with the Los Angeles Times underscoring a great discrepancy for Black, Hispanic, and other “vulnerable” children already impacted by inequalities.

“[Well, first, let’s look at chronic absenteeism. You cannot get to good scores if the kids aren’t in school. So what drives kids to go to school and then what drives them to look to not be suspended or not be in trouble… That is the engagement piece. So a lot of people think, ‘Oh, my God! We’ve got to get our math and ELA scores up’ where I believe that before you can get scores up, you have to give kids a reason to come to school. So when you’re thinking about, why do kids come to school, or why don’t they come to school? And it really comes to a lack of engagement and the lack of relevancy…]”

Michele Dawson, Compton Unified School District’s Senior Director of Innovation and Technology

Solution: Nearpod

When the pandemic struck, CUSD quickly pivoted to shore up its tech infrastructure, recognizing that it was going to have to focus on resource choice and teacher training to provide a 1:1 solution. The district had an ambitious goal to provide all educators with 100% of the resources and all students with 100% of the learning tools they needed. Nearpod became one of the two main web-based supports for their English language learners (ELLs), which meant that they could increase the amount of learning services students were receiving daily.

CUSD developed its award-winning distance learning platform to encourage teachers to integrate these powerful services across the curriculum by modifying their pacing guides to ensure continuity of learning. Yet by March 2021, less than 25% of its student population had returned to in-person schooling. By the fall and winter of 2022, CUSD realized that it needed to offer a hybrid model to meet the in-person needs of its high-priority populations, such as the homeless, special needs, and ELL students, by rotating small cohorts of students attending on alternate days.

“More than 80% of the students who took our end-of-year survey felt that their lessons became more engaging as they moved through the year. 84% of the English-speaking parents and 78% of the Spanish-speaking parents who completed the survey also saw improvement or significant improvement in the quality of the lessons their students received in comparison to last school year.”

Annual Update for the 2020–21 Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan

Decision makers in Compton were introduced to Nearpod founders Guido Kovalskys and Sebastian Feldman back in 2012, and CUSD was intrigued by Nearpod’s large library of content, ease of use, formative assessment activities, and real-time data collection—all of which hold the promise of improving student outcomes. In an attempt to be more tech-forward to increase personalization and thus engagement, CUSD wanted an approach that reached beyond slide decks and paper-based activities.

During the pandemic, CUSD recognized the learning curve and immediately focused on teacher training to make the most out of its Nearpod Premium Plus, Nearpod English Learners (EL), and Flocabulary platforms. CUSD built platform use into its pacing guides to weave the content and instructional tools across the curriculum. Nearpod’s and Flocabulary’s reports also made it easier to share student success stories with their homes and build stronger relationships between staff and caregivers.

Just take a look at the California School Dashboard, and you can see evidence of CUSD’s long-term commitment to not only pushing through but escalating the rigor and dedication to inclusivity to ensure that all their students succeed day in and day out, with continued improvements in student engagement, achievement, and attendance year over year.

At a glance

Compton views Nearpod and Flocabulary as inclusive, student-centered tools that promote student interest and engagement across the curriculum, most notably in ELA, social studies, math, and science. With multiple points of entry, multiple checks for understanding, and multiple opportunities to provide feedback, English-language learners benefit from the concrete and tangible points of connection and real-world application. CUSD’s teachers appreciate the platforms’ applicability to all students, as adjustments can be made, reteaching can occur, and small groups can be addressed thanks to Nearpod’s and Flocabulary’s built-in scaffolding. Teachers can intervene right in the moment and provide immediate feedback.

Michele Dawson, a nine-year veteran educator with the Compton Unified School District as Senior Director of Innovation and Technology, describes how CUSD has shifted from a mindset around edtech adoption to one of innovation so that its students will not only be consumers of technology but also producers with technology who can meet future job market demands.

“You need to be able to know where your audiences are—are they engaged? And are they understanding the concepts that you’re doing? When I first saw Nearpod, I understood the power of that, and that’s why I jumped on the bandwagon.”

Michele Dawson

An appeal for Flocabulary

The increasing adoption of Flocabulary resulted directly from educators requesting access to the platform. Given the increased engagement observed with students using Nearpod, teachers requested Flocabulary, especially with their ELL students in mind. In Compton’s elementary schools, CUSD has a three-station rotation model during a 90-minute ELA block, with one station dedicated solely to Flocabulary use. At the secondary level, teachers use Flocabulary as a whole-group and small-group instruction tool.

Jennifer Graziano, Senior Director of English Learner Services, speaks to Flocabulary’s use of music, rhythm, and rigor to engage students. In addition to focusing on vocabulary and grammar, she speaks about how these skills ladder up and align with Common Core Standards and cross-curricular applicability. She describes how instrumental the training has been, with specific training in Flocabulary to provide best practices for instructional support for bilingual instructional assistants in their dual-language and newcomer classes.

“I found [Flocabulary] to be engaging because I believe sometimes with English language development, there’s a thought that it’s something that has to be in isolation or something that has to be taught in a certain way. But I do believe in teaching, you know, language development through the arts, and so I believe that’s what caught my attention because I believe that we have to be more innovative in how we teach English language development to make it more relevant to the students.”

Jennifer Graziano

Graziano highlights walking into classrooms where students ask to use Flocabulary—even with limited knowledge of English—and are authentically engaged, which is an ongoing challenge for any educator. She emphasizes that the qualitative data gathered during walkthroughs is just as valuable as the quantitative data obtained from the daily and weekly student reports. Educators can not only monitor progress but also plan ahead and modify instruction accordingly in a continuous manner.

“We focus on academic vocabulary, and so [we are] trying to find innovative ways to to teach academic vocabulary because teaching academic vocabulary can be very mundane at times. And so part of it was trying to find a way to engage students, especially our students that have different learning styles and learning needs.”

Jennifer Graziano

Results

Year over year, usage of Nearpod and Flocabulary has grown, with almost 300,000 activities launched last year alone. Through its local climate survey, CUSD has shown increased student engagement and support, with 79% of fifth graders feeling academically motivated. While the numbers do decline for older students, CUSD is still on an upward trajectory, with 63% of upper-grade students feeling academically motivated. With more than 25% of the student body being English learners, Compton’s data indicates that about 48% are making progress toward English language proficiency. Chronic absenteeism has fallen, and 89% of students are graduating high school.

Dawson commends how Nearpod and Flocabulary, positioned as supplemental resources to complement the core curriculum, easily align to Common Core standards. With a focus on internal training and customer support, Compton has seen bolstered adoption, which now peaks at 36 out of 37 school sites actively using Nearpod and Flocabulary; more than half of that usage is from students engaged with the premium activities that support their video watching.

“You’re not able to ascertain where your students are at until you get a chance to look at that data, and by then it’s usually too late. And the kids don’t really care. They’ve already been there, done that. But you know with Nearpod, you can always check for understanding, look at where students are at, develop your small group instruction, your interventions, [use] the data, and students get immediate feedback so they know where their mistakes are. They can go back. You can reteach if the whole class needs to.”

Michele Dawson

In addition to the wealth of quantitative data, CUSD includes Flocabulary’s Lyric Lab in its annual Steam Fest. When an unprecedented hurricane threatened to strike Los Angeles County in 2023, teachers turned to Nearpod and used Virtual Reality (VR) field trips to see what a hurricane and its possible disruption might look like—the old education adage of SHOW, don’t tell.

Empowering engagement with Nearpod and Flocabulary

Compton Unified School District has seen the impact that Nearpod and Flocabulary are making on teachers and students across the district, as it authentically reengages all learners through rhythm and rigor in a way that enables students to see their own identities reflected and to learn about the identities of others. Both platforms meet the rigorous demands of ensuring that students are motivated to think creatively, critically, and curiously. With instructional solutions like Nearpod and Flocabulary, Compton Unified School District, one of Digital Promise’s League of Innovative School model members since 2016, has set a course for continued improvement and engagement so that its students—all of its students—will not just meet but surpass district and state goals.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Nearpod Team

Nearpod’s award-winning platform is used by thousands of schools around the globe, transforming classroom engagement.

nearpod.com/

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All ten finalists have contributed greatly to their schools, students, peers, and communities. We are grateful to have each of them in the Nearpod family and incredibly proud.

Without further ado, meet our five Educators of the Year!

Nearpod’s 2022 Educators of the Year

Breaking Barriers

Creates equitable, inclusive learning environments. Tackles obstacles head-on.

Liudmyla Katereniuk

Despite the challenges presented by the ongoing war in Ukraine, Liudmyla has consistently found ways to support and mentor other educators. She has even helped teachers overcome challenges, like finding locations in their town with the power to attend online sessions to ensure that they have the resources they need to provide the best education possible to their students.

As a school administrator, she is constantly developing innovative ways to train teachers, like organizing professional development across multiple schools for more than 20 teachers.

Community Connector

Brings people in the educator community together to collaborate and grow.

Alexa Guy

Under her leadership as an Instructional Reading Intervention Coach, Alexa’s school has implemented a Positive Behavior Systems framework, structure, and incentive store to recognize student efforts and achievement. She has solidified several community partnerships with politicians, non-profits, and community organizations to fund this project, along with several others that benefit her students. As a result of her efforts, the school saw its grade rise from a projected “F” to a “B” in the last school year.

Flocabulary’s Favorite

Uses Flocabulary in extraordinary ways. It deserves the ultimate *mic drop*!

Sherena Small

Sherena Small is a School Social Worker who has found a passion for using Flocabulary in her SEL classes. She uses Lyric Lab to facilitate her students in writing a class song based on the SEL topics they have learned about (like respect, empathy, active listening, conflict resolution, self-compassion, and kindness). Allowing them to pick the music and use their ideas reinforces concepts and gives them ownership of their learning and an opportunity to learn in a fun and expressive way. A recent class creation was posted on the school’s Facebook page, titled “RESPECT IS LIT!”

Magic Maker

Brings magic to the classroom by fostering a love of learning in students! Always going the extra mile.

Amy Taylor

Amy’s students look to her for guidance as they make important decisions about their future, and she’s always available to them after they graduate. Not a graduation ceremony is complete without Senior after Senior dedicating large amounts of their final words to her. She can be found running the concession stand to raise money for the National Honor Society scholarship fund she created for her chapter. Or she’s in her classroom planning engaging lessons like author meet and greets, Zoom calls with Holocaust survivors, or planning a live French cooking and culture day with her students. She’s the only National Board Certified teacher at her school and one of just five in her county.

Nearpod’s North Star

Champions Nearpod with other teachers. Always the go-to for Nearpod support and innovative ideas.

Christie Thompson

Christie Thompson moves beyond simply using Nearpod as a presentation tool and really utilizes its possibilities within her classroom. She encourages students to use the “Save to Google Drive” feature to create notes that are transferred to their Interactive Notebooks for review and ownership. During Black History Month, she had students create an interactive Periodic Table of Black history and use Flocabulary to create raps about their chosen individuals, providing effective alternative assessment and cross-disciplinary engagement options. Christie is also an adjunct professor who has incorporated Nearpod into her courses and provided professional development sessions on Nearpod to educators in her county at Empower Virtual and the Coweta County Innovation Summit.

And a big shout out to our five runner-up finalists!

Breaking Barriers: Ashley Cornejo

• 2nd-grade teacher, North Carolina
• Oak Grove Elementary in Durham Public Schools

Community Connector: Nolan Grady

• 9th-grade Math Team Lead, Pennsylvania
• Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School

Flocabulary’s Favorite Finalist: Jeremy Percich

• 4th-grade teacher, Hawaii
• Waihe’e Elementary School in Hawaii Department of Education

Magic Maker Finalist: Sarana McDaniel

• 2nd-grade teacher, California
• Taft City School District

Nearpod’s North Star Finalist: Erin Merrill

• Social Studies Department Chair, Virginia
• Pennington School in Prince William Co Public Schools

Congratulations, educators!

Congratulations to all of our winners for their hard work and dedication to education. As award recipients, each will get $200, an upgraded Nearpod and Flocabulary subscription, and a personalized shirt!

We are honored to recognize these inspiring educators for their achievements. They showcase the day-in and day-out support, guidance, and love educators give to their students and communities worldwide. Thank you to all the educators who work tirelessly to impact our lives positively. Your efforts truly make a difference.

Lindsay Rothfeld

Lindsay Rothfeld is the Sr. Manager, Community at Nearpod. Lindsay began her career in ed tech as Flocabulary’s community manager back in 2018 and has loved every minute of it. If you’ve seen posts on social media that mention PioNears, Nearpod/Flocabulary Certified Educators, or Camp Engage, then you’ve seen the result of Lindsay’s work. She is grateful for the incredible relationships she’s built with educators across the globe and would love to connect with anyone interested in getting more involved with Nearpod’s community!

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