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.

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The post Empowering engagement in Compton Unified School District: Nearpod and Flocabulary’s impact appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

New to 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.

Addressing the challenge: Nearpod empowers Leo Academy Trust in advancing personalized learning

When a district strives for excellence, it must continuously evolve. In 2020, Graham Macaulay brought Nearpod into Leo Academy Trust schools’ (then virtual) classrooms to ease the shock and panic brought on by the pandemic and to ensure engagement and inclusion. By year-end, the Trust’s 60 teachers across six schools were consistently using Nearpod to support more than 3,500 pupils in learning at their own pace … and loving it.

Well into the new normal, teaching has changed, and tools have changed. Nearpod is now at the heart of the Leo Academy Trust’s learning ecosystem. While the Trust continues to empower educators and enrich its curriculum, new challenges have arisen in balancing expectations, as Graham explains:

“Nearpod has expanded opportunities for our students and improved collaboration among our staff. Now, we aim to take it a step further, leveraging the platform to provide even more, higher-quality education while remaining considerate of staff workloads.”

Engagement through immersive learning experiences

Nearpod has become an essential element of Leo Academy’s teaching approach, motivating educators as they witness students actively engaging with immersive learning experiences. Graham has been delighted to see how the process of delivering engaging lessons has become more intuitive, and less daunting and demanding for staff.

“It’s a win-win. Teachers save time, and students enjoy even more engaging and enriching lessons. Nearpod bridges the gap between teaching and learning, empowering teachers with the necessary tools to focus on what truly matters.”

Rather than preparing materials, teachers can now quickly share resources through Nearpod, which acts as conduit between teaching and learning, enabling teachers to create and share valuable resources that benefit them, their peers, and ultimately hundreds of students.

Lessons as diverse as their learners

Recognizing that students respond differently to the tools at their disposal, Graham and the educators at Leo Academy Trust value Nearpod’s versatility in offering a wide range of learning experiences. 

“Some students thrive in competitive situations, so they love features like Time to Climb, while others prefer the opportunity to engage repeatedly with the same content on a mini whiteboard,” he explains.

Graham also emphasizes the importance of empowering staff to take risks and embrace a culture of continuous improvement. For him, innovation in education involves risk-taking, self-reflection, and a focus on what truly matters. Rather than replicating traditional practices digitally and doing “what has always been done, but better,” the Trust is now exploring how Nearpod can create truly unique learning experiences, as Graham reflects:

“The minute you change anything in education, there’s an adoption cycle you’ve got to go through. And as you climb that mountain, you make mistakes. As leaders in education, we’ve got to empower our staff to do that, to reflect and even to fail forward.”

Education is asking questions every day

With Nearpod by its side, Leo Academy Trust is more driven than ever to meet the individual needs of its students and teachers today and tomorrow, as Graham concludes: 

“Every day, we ask ourselves how we can empower teachers to support students and deliver the best possible education while fostering innovation. Balancing these goals is a significant challenge, but the rewards are immense.”

Ready to learn more about how to prepare every student for success with Nearpod? Schedule a call with one of our experts and learn how you can empower educators with unlimited access to everything they need to engage learners.

About the trust

The Leo Academy Trust encompasses nine primary schools in South London and Surrey. Forward thinking and fearless, the trust strives to provide outstanding education, while fostering an inclusive environment that ensures the well-being of its 5,000 students. With its sights firmly on innovation, the Trust ensures outstanding teaching and learning experiences while addressing the digital divide through a pioneering one-to-one program, giving each child internet access and a personal Chromebook to support their education—regardless of their background or learning pace. Six years into the program, Leo Trust leads the way in personalized learning in the UK, challenging the notion that education is confined to traditional school hours.

About the educators

Graham Macaulay is director of strategic partnerships at Leo Academy Trust. An edtech leader, Google Certified Innovator, trainer and coach, and seasoned primary school teacher, he spearheads the Trust’s support for edtech through the Department for Education EdTech Demonstrator Schools & Colleges Programme. Graham is relentless in his mission to embrace technology to keep the Trust at the forefront of personalized learning while prioritizing the involvement, inclusion, and well-being of every student and teacher. 

Nearpod Team

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

nearpod.com/

The post Multi-academy trust puts student outcomes first: LEO Academy Trust’s story appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

A significant step for students is a giant leap for educators. Determined to support and not swamp teachers, the Adirondack Central School District in upstate New York is leveraging its long-term partnership with Nearpod to prepare its staff for the standards—and the assessments that will inevitably follow. Together, the district, educators, and Nearpod specialists devised a pioneering plan to align ready-to-teach lessons from Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program with these standards so that by the time they come into force, everyone knows what they’re doing, how they’re doing it, and why.

New to 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’s 21st Century Readiness Program for schools and districts.

Main challenge: Navigating digital literacy standards with purpose

How could an ambitious rural public school district prepare all its teachers and students for incoming digital literacy standards without ramping up the pressure and workloads? 

Determined teachers across the Adirondack Central School District were aware of the criteria set out by the New York State Education Department. For Michael Faustino, the district’s director of curriculum, instruction, and technology, the only way to successfully implement the standards was to transform educators’ apprehension into intention and purpose. 

“The easy way out would be to explain the standards and ask teachers to just do their best. That’s not our philosophy. When you have new standards, there’s going to be an assessment of some sort and there must be an accountability measure,” he explains.

Michael knew the district needed to support all teachers with a solid, structured plan so they didn’t feel overwhelmed or underequipped.

“Anytime you have mandates come down, the tendency is to put more on teachers’ plates without taking anything away. We realized that we can’t put students first if we put teachers last,” he adds.

For Nick Palczak, the district’s STEAM coordinator, it would be crucial to support teachers in leveraging the existing lessons and resources their students enjoyed and engaged with.

“Our educators are already meeting many of the standards—sometimes without even knowing it. So, the question was simple: How do we incorporate these lessons into their classes?” he asks.

The answer was Nearpod. The Adirondack Central School District has been an active Nearpod partner since January 2019. The incoming standards present a prime opportunity to take the partnership to the next level and use Nearpod to align what is being done with what needs to be done. As Michael asserts:

“Our goal for this academic year is to familiarize all our teachers with the alignment documents we are creating. If we roll out the alignment by September 2024, we won’t need implementation. We will just be fine-tuning.”

Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program sets path to meet NYS Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards

Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program is a powerful tool that equips teachers with a singular solution to infuse 21st-century learning into their daily lessons. This program is designed to bridge the gap, ensuring that students not only excel academically but also develop vital life skills.

Adirondack recognized the transformative potential of this program for educators who aspire to ready their students for the complexities of the 21st century while meeting the stringent requirements of the New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards.

To support the district in the demanding task of aligning its curriculum with the new standards, the Nearpod team helped build alignment documents using lessons from the 21st Century Readiness Program, specifically customized for these incoming standards. These documents encompass comprehensive, user-friendly, and adaptable resources.

The district’s forward-thinking approach to education is evident in creating curriculum maps that meticulously identify Nearpod lessons aligning with the New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards across various grade levels. Significantly, most of these curriculum resources are sourced from the 21st Century Readiness Program. This strategic integration ensures that students are exposed to high-quality, standards-aligned content and underscores the district’s commitment to nurturing digital fluency and 21st-century skills among its learners. By leveraging these curriculum maps, educators can effectively use them to pinpoint which of their lessons fulfill the criteria of any given standard and track their progress toward ticking all the boxes.

So that’s what Adirondack did, and the results were rewarding—and relieving—as Michael explains: 

“We knew we didn’t want a system that provided standard-aligned lessons but was complex to navigate. Nearpod is so easy to use and works so well. Kids love it. Our students’ mental health is one of our primary concerns, so the platform was a win-win.” 

Nick concurs: “It’s not hard to introduce Nearpod to a set of students by day two. They can run lessons at their own pace. Teachers, even those who are tech-wary, lose their fear because they still use tools they’re familiar with, like Google Docs, with Nearpod.”

Teaching with, not at

In anticipation of the 2024 deadline, Michael and Nick are collaborating closely with Nearpod to plan and execute a comprehensive districtwide rollout meticulously. The first step will be training administrators to become instructional leaders who build capacity through workshops and ongoing support from turnkey trainers. They aim to help teachers explore the standards and connect the dots to what they’re already teaching.

“We’re not going to teach at them,” Michael insists. “The beauty of the Nearpod alignment documents is that teachers can see the standards broken down into subjects and the timeline and then link to the lessons they can use in the classroom.”

New York State’s learning standards work by bands. Nick has taken each band and broken it down by grade for K-12. He is progressively feeding the alignment documents in which the standards are listed, with an explanation of the standard, examples of the standard that the state provided, and lessons that align with that standard to give to teachers, encouraging them to add their own lessons to the document.

The aim is for teachers to recognize what they’re doing in class and understand how the district and Nearpod can help them fill in the gaps or try something new. Nick gives an example:

“Part of the digital fluency standards is creating a digital artifact. Every teacher who creates a slide in Google Slides is creating digital artifacts. How can we make that more intentional? Why did you pick Google instead of something else? What are the features of it? How do you save it? Do you have folders? Is it stored in the Cloud? What does that mean? Great. Now you can deliver a lesson on digital citizenship.” 

Here are some examples of the lessons* Adirondack used for instruction: 

• Computer Vocabulary (Grades 2-3): In this 3-5 Nearpod Digital Citizenship and Literacy lesson, students investigate how technology can be used to make their lives simpler, more productive, and more expansive. Students learn the uses of different computer hardware devices.
• Visualizing Data (Grades 4-6): In this 3-5 Digital Citizenship and Technology Drag & Drop activity, students will demonstrate an understanding of how to read various simple data sets.

• Lesson 5: In the Loop (Grades 7-8): In this 3-8 Coding lesson, students will be able to define what a loop is and explain its importance as it relates to writing code. Students will practice their new skills by completing a selection of CodeMonkey challenges.
• Who’s Looking at Your Digital Footprint? (Grades 9-12): In this Common Sense Education lesson on Digital Citizenship, students learn how any information they post online can affect their future. They create a vignette that shows how a positive digital footprint can help take advantage of opportunities.

*These lessons are only available on Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program.

From vision to action

For Adirondack, the key to successfully implementing the standards is to know which skills to teach and how. Even if students nor teachers know what the future holds in store, as Nick concludes: 

“We want our kids to leave Adirondack ready for high tech colleges and high tech jobs. I had a student who graduated last year. He’s now at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He’s trying to decide which robotics club he is going to join so he can compete in robotics programs. He’s so excited to go to a technical college when he grew up in a town of 100 people. I want more and more students to be able to leave our school to do those kinds of things.”  

Michael believes that educators must understand what is being measured and the outcomes:

“It’s not enough for us to have a vision statement that says we want our students to be college and career ready. We’re preparing them for jobs that don’t even exist right now. We can’t just give them taglines; we need to give them avenues, and the only way is by building professional learning without overwhelming teachers. That’s where Nearpod makes all the difference.”

It seems like the difference is already being made in the district. Far from dreading the incoming standards, Nick is confident they will help Adirondack achieve its goals: 

“In 2024, we want to intentionally meet these standards because we know why they are in place. We want to ensure our staff knows why these standards are in place. What jobs are available in 20 years? I have no idea. What skills do you need to be ready for those jobs? Adirondack’s goal is to have kids college and career ready. These standards are really going to help us to meet that goal.”

To learn about the Adirondack Central School district’s actions, watch the webinar “Preparing for Digital Fluency with Nearpod” where they explain how they’ve been using Nearpod resources!

Take the digital fluency leap with Nearpod

Nearpod created New York State-centric alignment documents to demonstrate to teachers how their existing lessons correspond with incoming standards and help the district implement a strategic plan to meet them well before the 2024 deadline. Adirondack squared up to the challenge and developed curriculum maps, which clearly outlined the standards for each grade level and identified relevant Nearpod lessons that taught the necessary skills for students in each grade band.

By offering comprehensive, standards-aligned lesson plans, interactive activities, and assessment tools, the program simplified the process for educators and ensured that students receive a dynamic and engaging learning experience. It sets a blueprint to help schools across and beyond the state take bold strides and implement new educational standards with confidence, calm, and care.

Ready to learn more about how to prepare every student for success with Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program? Schedule a call with one of our experts and learn how you can empower educators with unlimited access to everything they need to engage learners.

About the district

The Adirondack Central School District in Boonville, NY, is a rural public school district encompassing four schools—two elementary, a middle school, and a high school. The district strives to create a safe, respectful, and accepting environment, and to provide students with the mental and emotional support to thrive and excel. By prioritizing open and transparent communication, and fostering a positive school spirit, Adirondack is committed to uniting the community while nurturing academic growth and achievement. Firmly focused on developing STEAM capacity, the district has invested greatly in building facilities and capacity to prepare students for whatever might await them. Its administrators and educators work for and with students to raise graduation rates, enhance state exam performance, minimize the need for academic intervention services, and increase enrollment in advanced courses to prepare students for their chosen—and changing—life endeavors.

About the educators

Michael Faustino, with three decades of experience in education, including 17 years as a kindergarten teacher before becoming a principal, now serves as the director of curriculum, instruction, and technology for the Adirondack Central School District. He leads the district’s mission to prepare all students for college and career success by emphasizing the importance of curricula and data. Michael collaborates closely with educators throughout the district to ensure they are well prepared to implement the New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards in 2024, guiding teachers and students through every step of the transition, aligning with and even surpassing the timeline.

Nick Palczak, a seasoned physics teacher at Adirondack Central School since 1996, also serves as the district’s STEAM coordinator. He collaborates closely with the tech director to oversee K-12 STEAM programs, while also teaching STEAM courses at middle and high schools. In 2021, Nick played a pivotal role in establishing the Adirondack STEAM program, including setting up a new laboratory post COVID-19. In the past two-plus years, the Adirondack STEAM program has won several robotics competitions and has received numerous recognitions for its work with students. Alongside district coordinator Michael Faustino, Nick readies students and educators for upcoming standards while integrating STEAM into the curriculum. With a family legacy in education, Nick is passionate about preparing students and their teachers for 21st-century careers.

Nearpod Team

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

nearpod.com/

The post Taking the digital fluency leap with Nearpod: Adirondack Central School District’s story appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

About the study

Filipino students from Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) in Valenzuela City participated in a study highlighting Nearpod’s effectiveness. The study interviewed 224 students who had used Nearpod consistently for over four months. Their positive feedback emphasized how Nearpod significantly improved their learning journey across social motivation, creative expression, and personalization. This research aligns with David Havens’ framework, advocating for technology tools that encompass these crucial aspects in the classroom.

Empowering Filipino higher ed students: Nearpod’s role in transformative learning, motivation, and creativity

Several factors contribute to the effectiveness of a technological tool in education. First, it should facilitate a shift from traditional teaching methods to more progressive ones, fostering innovation and engagement in the learning process. Second, it should sustain student motivation, whether in the context of distance learning or face-to-face instruction, ensuring that learners remain eager and committed to their studies. Additionally, it should influence the development of 21st-century skills in students, preparing them for the demands of the modern world. Last, the use of technological tools, such as Nearpod, often reveals unforeseen benefits that enhance the overall educational experience, making it a valuable asset in contemporary classrooms.

New to Nearpod? Book a demo with one of our experts and learn how you can empower educators with unlimited access to everything they need to engage learners.

Key research questions

This research study aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of college students who have incorporated Nearpod into their classroom activities. The exploration is guided by three key research questions:

• How do college students who used Nearpod in their classes feel about Nearpod in terms of social motivation, creativity, and personalization? This question aimed to uncover the students’ perceptions regarding Nearpod’s impact on aspects such as social interaction, creative engagement, and personalized learning experiences.
• How do students describe their experience with Nearpod? Here, the focus is on gathering in-depth descriptions of students’ personal encounters with Nearpod, providing valuable insights into their overall experiences and interactions with the platform.
• What are the students’ favorite things about working with Nearpod? This question aimed to pinpoint specific aspects or features of Nearpod that resonate most with students, shedding light on the elements that contribute to their positive perceptions and preferences within the platform.

Key findings

Boosted students’ social motivation

Social motivation is basically any motive that is acquired by interaction with others. Peer interaction is a big part of the learning journey, which is why most traditional and non-traditional learning cultures emphasize the importance of teamwork and group activity.

The study asked students if, during Nearpod activities like Collaborate Board, Quizzes, and responses shared on Time of Climb, students interacted with their peers in a way that helped them learn. An impressive 96% said that they often or sometimes did. When asked about their preferred aspect of using Nearpod, the three leading responses comprised engaging activities, chances for creativity and self-expression, and the user-friendly interface it offers.

When asked about their preferred aspect of using Nearpod, the three leading responses comprised engaging activities, chances for creativity and self-expression, and the user-friendly interface it offers.

• 99.5% of the students felt that their teacher knew how they were doing with the material or lesson some or most of the time while using Nearpod.
• 95% of the students said that someone (teacher/peers) would see the work they did during Nearpod activities.

Nearpod enables proactive tracking of teacher-student interaction, while also fostering social motivation through peer engagement. This social motivation, arising from interactions with others, is substantially important to the learning process, as evidenced by both traditional and non-traditional educational approaches that prioritize teamwork and group activities as integral components of the learning journey.

The teacher remains an integral part of the student journey, easing the fear that education technology could make teachers redundant. Most of the time, or sometimes, the teacher knew how the students were doing with their lesson.

Ignited student creativity

Creative forms of learning enable the lessons to stick far longer. Nearpod offers students various avenues to stretch their creative muscles and learn while at it. By incorporating interactive activities, multimedia presentations, and collaborative projects, Nearpod empowers students to engage with educational content in innovative ways, enhancing their retention and comprehension. This approach not only makes learning enjoyable but also cultivates a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

• 97% of the students said they can express themselves creatively using Nearpod. 
• 67% of the students claimed that Nearpod provided them avenues to express themselves creatively more than other classroom activities.

Supported personalization and embracing student individuality

Recognizing the individuality of each student and acknowledging the diversity in learning speeds and abilities, Nearpod’s educational tools stand out in their commitment to personalized learning. While tailoring lessons to cater to every inquisitive mind might present challenges within a traditional classroom setup, Nearpod’s tools have demonstrated remarkable success in this endeavor. In fact, a significant 88% of surveyed students attested that the difficulty level of Nearpod’s activities was perfectly suited to their learning needs.

More than 60% of students experienced a sense of connection with the content and a personal interest in the topics they were learning through the use of Nearpod.

Key results

Faculty members of Our Lady of Fatima University reinforce that Nearpod not only enriches the learning experience but also empowers both students and teachers. It has helped foster a sense of community and collaboration while embracing the unique strengths and needs of each learner. These findings affirm the value of Nearpod in modern education and its potential to shape a more engaging, creative, and personalized learning landscape.

Ready to bring Nearpod to your department or institution?

Join hundreds of faculty and institutions elevating instruction worldwide. Engage 100% of your students with interactive activities delivered live or asynchronously on any device.

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Nearpod Team

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

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The post How Nearpod empowers Filipino HigherEd students: OLFU Research Study appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

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The positive impact of digital citizenship instruction in K-12

Julia Maynard: 6th-grade teacher, Willie Brown Middle School, San Francisco Unified School District, San Francisco, CA

Julia Maynard is a sixth-grade teacher at Willie Brown Middle School in the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco. She has been teaching middle school for 10 years as an English, history, and humanities teacher. She currently teaches history and a technology class.

Keep reading to learn from Julia how digital citizenship impacted her classroom.

Overcoming challenges with online behavior

“Most adults don’t know how to protect themselves online, and we’re expected to teach the principles of online safety and responsibility to our students. It’s not something most teachers grew up with, and it’s also something that parents oftentimes don’t know how to talk to kids about. My kids posted inappropriate things on Instagram, students made fake accounts, and, unfortunately, students shared inappropriate pictures and texts with each other. They don’t realize that what they send can’t be taken back and can be hurtful to their classmates. It was a big problem in the school last year, and this year the digital citizenship curriculum has helped our students think about these issues in a new way. 

Additionally, as many middle school teachers know, students can sometimes be mean to each other. They’re not sure how to relate to each other, and when they don’t have face-to-face interaction, it’s a lot easier to be mean. Kids don’t really think about their actions online the same way they think about their actions in person, and this curriculum has helped bridge that gap. 

In general, the most challenging part of my job is finding ways to get kids engaged and keep them motivated to learn. Finding things that pique their interest while trying to compete with cell phones and video games is a challenging task. Most of my students come to school with devices that are unlocked and interconnected, yet we (school staff) expect them to do exactly what we want them to do, not what they normally do when they have those devices.”

How Julia used Nearpod to teach digital citizenship

“I’ve used Nearpod for a long time and was excited when we found out that we had access to extra features and curriculum through the SFUSD license. Nearpod is awesome because it delivers the lesson to the student’s hands. I don’t have to worry about the kids who are sitting in the back or kids who are shy, everyone is on the same playing field. There’s instant engagement when kids can share their work, I can share their answers back to the class, and I can poll the class to see how they’re feeling. All of the kids answer all of the questions, and I get to see what they know and how they’re progressing with new information in real-time.

Digital citizenship is such an important topic to cover with students, and with Nearpod, it’s easy to teach. The Nearpod and Common Sense Digital Citizenship lessons that come with the 21st Century Readiness Program are high-quality resources. There are a lot of topics that I wouldn’t have thought to discuss with my students, but the curriculum is comprehensive. On Nearpod, the lessons are great because I can download, review, and teach immediately! There’s minimal prep work, I don’t have to spend a lot of time researching and curating resources, and the lessons are easy to use with students. Additionally, kids have multiple ways to answer questions and demonstrate an understanding of key concepts.”

Building a positive community through digital citizenship

“One of the things that surprised me about this curriculum was the strong community-building aspect. Not simply building a digital community but building community in the classroom, too. We continue to teach even more digital citizenship lessons because it’s a great way to build a positive community. We have a brand-new school, so at the same time, we’re building a curriculum for the year, and we’re building school culture and community, too. Finding ways to facilitate serious conversations has made a noticeable difference in how my kids talk to and interact with each other.”

“We continue to teach even more digital citizenship lessons because it’s a great way to build a positive community.”

Julia Maynard

Alex Springer-Post: K-5 Instructional Technology Coach, Seldens Landing Elementary School, Loudoun County, Virginia

Alex is a K-5 instructional technology coach in Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia. She previously taught in North Carolina and West Virginia, where she was the first teacher in a computer lab at her school.

Keep reading to learn what Alex has to say about teaching digital citizenship.

Teaching students the importance of digital citizenship

“Our students are on the Internet every day. When I talk to younger students, even my K-2 students, they’re playing games, and a lot of games have the ability to chat. I asked my second graders, “Have you seen anyone write a mean comment to someone else online?” Unfortunately, I’ve started to skip over that question because the answer is nearly 100% yes. Some of them were scared, some of them didn’t know what to do in that situation, and they didn’t want to tell their parents because oftentimes they’d lose their devices.

The concept of a “digital footprint” is great to introduce younger students to because many of them already share their words online and are leaving a footprint behind. It may not be attached to them because they usually don’t share their private information, but they have to know that future employers, colleagues, friends, and loved ones have the ability to find things you said or did when you were younger, and what they do or say now has the ability to impact their future.”

How I use Nearpod to teach digital citizenship

“Before I used the Nearpod Digital Citizenship curriculum, I had students sit in a circle on the floor to complete pencil and paper digital citizenship activities, and a few students raised their hands to add to the discussion. With Nearpod, more kids participate, and more of them feel comfortable contributing to the lesson.

There’s safety in Nearpod, and my class has been impacted in a positive way. I have a student with selective mutism who can now participate and share his thoughts in the lesson! I share student responses, but I keep the responses anonymous so we’re able to stay on topic and keep the discussion focused. Lots of students are excited when I share their answers, so they aren’t afraid to take credit. In my classroom, I set the expectation that students don’t call each other out, and Nearpod helps to encourage that expectation.

When we’re dealing with topics like media literacy, digital drama, self-identity, and cyberbullying, Nearpod is especially helpful because students are more comfortable sharing answers that are personal or scary to them. My students don’t have to raise their hands and broadcast their answers to everybody, but they also don’t have to search for me afterward if they need to explain something. They can share their thoughts and feelings without feeling self-conscious. Some of the topics are especially sensitive because kids don’t want to seem “uncool,” admit that they were hurt, or that someone made fun of them.”

The impactful results

“In my 5th-grade class, we completed a “Power of Words” lesson, and it was interesting to see the way students reacted to cyberbullying and the difference between each class. I had one class last year that was a challenging group. In one of the Digital Citizenship lessons, students were asked to agree or disagree with the statement, “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt me.” 65% of the class thought that this was a true statement, and many of these kids had no idea the impact their words could have on others!”

“It sparked an interesting and productive conversation and also enlightened the rest of my colleagues about the importance of being attentive and intentional regarding students’ choice of language. Our class discussion about the impact words can have on others hit home with many students, who realized that they have been hurt by the words of others, and then made the connection to what they were saying and posting online. The connections they were making between in-person and online interactions were so productive for how they treated each other moving forward.

No one wanted the lesson to end. When it was over, many questioned, “Class is over already!?” How often does that happen as a teacher? After my students left class, they treated each other with a higher level of respect, and they were more likely to take each other’s feelings into consideration when choosing what to say online or off.”

“No one wanted the lesson to end. When it was over, many questioned “class is over already!?” How often does that happen as a teacher?”

Alex Springer-Post

Harmony Cano: Educational technology coach. Pasadena Unified School District, Pasadena, CA

Harmony is one of two education technology coaches in Pasadena Unified School District, serving 30 school sites and 1000+ teachers across the district. She previously taught middle school social studies and ELA in Pasadena.

Keep reading to learn about the impact digital citizenship instruction had on Harmony’s students.

District-wide benefits of using Nearpod’s 21st Century Program

“I’m one of two education technology coaches in Pasadena Unified School District. My colleague and I help 1000+ teachers at 30 school sites with classroom technology integration. Since we have so many school sites and there are only two of us in the district, it’s challenging to get out to all the sites to create a curriculum and assist with hands-on technology integration. We used the Common Sense Digital Citizenship curriculum before we used the Nearpod & Common Sense curriculum. Before the Nearpod curriculum launched, it was overwhelming for teachers to use the curriculum and challenging for us to coordinate. Common Sense & Nearpod’s partnership has been a huge asset to our district.

The curriculum is delivered in a way that’s student and teacher-friendly. There is minimal prep time for teachers, the lesson plans are easy to follow, teachers can preview the lessons, and there are interactive activities and links to other resources that teachers can use.”

The Nearpod platform has helped our small technology team deploy digital citizenship lessons to teachers around the district, whereas beforehand, distributing the lessons to 1000+ teachers every year was a difficult task! With this curriculum, it was easy to build a library of digital citizenship lessons in our district Nearpod account, where teachers accessed and downloaded the lessons in a ready-to-teach format. Additionally, we now have reports in Nearpod that we can send to the state, and Nearpod has helped tremendously with the paperwork we have to complete for e-rate compliance.

It has made life easier for everyone, and the digital citizenship roll-out in our district has been a success. The way this curriculum is built makes it easy for everyone involved.

Harmony Cano

Efficient lesson prep

“The teachers’ favorite aspect of the lessons is how age-appropriate they are. Teachers don’t have to plan the lessons and consider how to approach the principles of digital citizenship for different age groups. The students are really engaged, and developmentally the lessons catch the students’ attention. They can easily access and interact with the curriculum, and they feel like they’re learning from their peers because there are videos from kids their age, and teachers can easily share responses from their classmates. We love the curriculum, and we’re excited and blessed to have it. I look forward to continuing to use this great resource from Nearpod & Common Sense!”

Amy Klabunde: School technology lead & computer lab teacher, Baltimore City Public Schools

Amy is a 15-year veteran educator in Baltimore City Public Schools. She is currently a school technology leader and a computer lab teacher for a Title 1 school in Baltimore.

Keep reading to learn how Amy used Nearpod to teach digital citizenship.

How I use Nearpod to teach digital citizenship

“With the digital citizenship curriculum, I rarely need to supplement or modify the lessons. Even my eighth graders, who often think they’re “too cool for school,” get excited about the next activity in the lesson. They look forward to learning the key concepts, and they’re excited about how much they get to participate and voice their opinions. Before I found the Nearpod & Common Sense digital citizenship curriculum, it took me at least an hour to plan for each digital citizenship lesson because I had to make sure every website worked, think through the flow and timing of the lesson, and build in procedural time for directing students to online resources. But with the Nearpod and Common Sense curriculum, everything is packaged together, and it’s easy for my kids to understand. The curriculum developers definitely understand how to be age-appropriate and sensitive to the developmental stages of my students.“

Leveraging student-paced Nearpod digital citizenship lessons

A lot of the curriculum in my technology class is related to digital citizenship. My district wants our kids to understand that the Internet can be very helpful, but it’s a place where they have to be thoughtful, careful, and responsible. Nearpod’s student-paced option for teaching digital citizenship lessons is amazing, especially because I teach students who have vastly different reading levels and writing skills. Initially, with the live participation option, it was challenging to keep everyone on the same page. Now students can complete activities at a pace where they feel comfortable. Other students can take extra time and ask clarifying questions, while the rest of the class can progress without frustration or too much idle time. The student-paced option has made this school year so much better because my kids feel more in control of their learning.

Digital Footprint lessons

“With the Nearpod and Common Sense digital citizenship curriculum, I’ve seen a lot of changes in my students. The curriculum itself encourages students to think about their presence on the internet. I recently completed the “Who’s Looking at Your Digital Footprint?” lesson with my 8th graders. We started the lesson with the prompt, “Google your name and see what appears.” Some of the students were very upset about what they found publicly available about themselves. They asked, “Why did my Facebook page pop up? Why did my Twitter profile pop up? Anyone can see this?!” Many were not aware of privacy settings or what data could be accessed by billions of people around the world on the internet.

Before I led the digital footprint lesson, a lot of my students didn’t understand what it meant to have a digital footprint. They didn’t grasp that their comments, posts, and pictures on the Internet could last forever. The curriculum is great because it makes kids think and reflect on their actions online and offline. During the digital footprint lesson, students reflected on the question, “Am I the person I see on the Internet when I Google my name? Is this how I want to present myself to the world?”

After the lesson, my students began to understand that there’s a difference between making themselves look “cool” and purposefully sharing what they post on the internet. That made me happy because a lot of kids think that the purpose of Facebook and Instagram is to show off and put on a facade, but that’s not necessarily the best representation of themselves.

The next step for my class was to create a “digital footprint,” where we each made a physical footprint that doubled as an infographic to hang outside of my classroom. The footprint included how my kids wanted to represent themselves to others online.”

Reducing cyberbullying

“We had cyberbullying occur a lot last year. Kids wrote negative comments about other students online and thought it was private or that teachers and parents wouldn’t discover it. The cyberbullying spilled into the school building, causing fights in the hallway after school. When we investigated what caused the problems, it often stemmed from comments or posts on social media.

Once we discussed the specifics of cyberbullying, digital identity, and digital footprint, my students realized that their words online could have a negative impact on their classmates. They understood the permanence of their comments and built up empathy for what it would be like on the other side of the bullying situation. Having these conversations as a class has made a big difference in how the kids think and act when they’re online.”

“A lot of our social media drama has declined since we made an effort to teach digital citizenship.”

Amy Klabunde

Impact on school culture

“Discussing digital citizenship makes our lives as teachers a lot less complicated as we’re not trying to mediate issues that we don’t even know about. We’re not friends with our kids on Facebook or Snapchat, so we don’t know about problems that start online, and we’re taken by surprise when the problems enter the building.

Since we’re now proactive about these topics, kids can identify and solve problems online before they escalate. Now, it’s impossible to know if all of the students are behaving appropriately online all the time, but online issues have not spilled over into the school building this year, which creates a safer environment for our kids. Teaching digital citizenship on Nearpod makes my students feel like they can express themselves honestly and not feel embarrassed or scared of the reactions of others. That makes Nearpod lessons much more powerful than paper-based lessons because the kids have an added sense of security to be themselves because their answers will be shared anonymously.”

Start teaching digital citizenship with Nearpod

As these educators have highlighted, Nearpod’s interactive curriculum has not only made teaching digital citizenship more effective but has also empowered students to think critically about their online presence and interactions. In a world where technology is an integral part of daily life, nurturing responsible digital citizens is not just an educational imperative but a societal one. Through innovative tools like Nearpod and dedicated teachers, we can pave the way for a safer, more respectful, and ethically sound digital future for our students.

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Based in New York, CEE is a non-profit organization with a vital objective: to cultivate economic literacy and empower both students and educators. This mission is achieved through a range of comprehensive lessons, insightful publications, and engaging activities.

CEE provides comprehensive economic and financial education resources to K-12 students nationwide, reaching over two million students and numerous teachers. With its top-tier online platform for K-12 educators, EconEdLink, the organization reaches more than 450,000 distinct users. Additionally, the organization annually involves around 50,000 teachers in nationwide professional development workshops. CEE’s dedicated efforts equip educators with essential skills and knowledge for navigating the complexities of the modern economic landscape.

Nearpod has partnered with CEE to enhance the engagement and interactivity of their professional development sessions, contributing to the expansion and reach of their mission.

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Nearpod helps foster community growth through financial education: Council for Economic Education’s story

Council for Economic Education’s background

Empowering K-12 students with essential tools in personal finance and economics is the central focus of the Council for Economic Education. One of its premier resources is EconEdLink, a top-notch platform for K-12 economics and personal finance resources. It equips educators with a range of high-quality lesson plans, videos, assessments, activities, and professional development webinars. Through the provision of these free resources and training, the Council facilitates informed financial decisions for students, families, and communities.

Another key initiative offered by CEE is the Council for Economic Education’s Master Teacher Program. This unique initiative is designed for educators, coaches, and administrators across various disciplines. The program’s mission is to nurture a dedicated group of K-12 teachers capable of conducting professional development workshops for fellow educators within their districts or on a national scale. This effort aims to expand the reach of personal finance and economic education, thereby benefiting an increased number of students.

Main challenges

Connecting with a wide range of teachers all over the country and giving them meaningful opportunities for growth required a tool that encouraged interaction and engagement. Even before hybrid learning became the norm, Ruben Rivera, CEE’s Senior Director of Professional Development, and his team were focused on creating a sense of in-person connection, no matter where teachers were located.

They realized that, just like students, teachers enjoy collaborating and sharing solutions, strategies, and personal stories. The big challenge was: How can we make professional development more engaging, customizable, and affordable for teachers?

This was when Nearpod entered the scene, collaborating with CEE to enhance the reach and amplify the impact of their mission.

Nearpod’s solution

Within the Council’s network of Master Teachers, the exchange of best practices is a regular occurrence. Before the pandemic, one of these Master Teachers shared their insights about Nearpod.

Although Ruben had experience with a variety of educational technology tools, he was quite impressed. “Nearpod does virtual kinesthetic work. It’s as close as you can ever get to ‘in-person’.”

Nearpod ticked all the boxes in bringing together K-12 teachers to share their professional development journey in an interactive, inclusive setting – regardless of where they were located.

Within a few months, Ruben’s department was using Nearpod to train teachers and to develop and disseminate content.

“It’s a complete package of fun and engaging ways to interact with teachers, and we can also teach them how to use the tool and take our content and enrich it in the classroom.”

As part of its Enterprise license, the Council gives all of its Master Teachers and trainers a Nearpod account. This serves a dual purpose: to enhance their online pedagogical skills and to serve as a platform for delivering optimal professional development experiences.

Today, Nearpod has become a best practice for the Council when engaging educators virtually. “Our data shows that whenever we include activities in webinars, our satisfaction surveys for acquiring and sharing knowledge always mention Nearpod,” Ruben explains.

Empowering teachers and enhancing personal finance and economic education with Nearpod

Teachers were so pleased with their Nearpod experience that they subsequently introduced the platform to their schools.

Ruben highlights the effectiveness of interactive videos and quizzes in fostering student participation beyond attendance. According to him, Nearpod has elevated teaching techniques, enabling educators to take more responsibility for content delivery while empowering students with a stronger sense of accountability and confidence in understanding what lies ahead.

The pandemic taught Ruben and his network that they all had areas of improvement. “There was a gap in teacher training in how to use edtech tools. It’s common knowledge that students had a hard time keeping up, but teachers found it equally hard engaging students in a virtual world.”

While Ruben’s department focuses on supporting K-12 educators, Nearpod has also opened a new avenue of collaboration with higher-education teachers. The Master Teachers‘ network includes highly accomplished college professors with decades of experience. Ruben recalls how professors were introduced to Nearpod in a professional development session and immediately asked for training on the platform.

“It was so empowering to see these tenured professors, these published authors, learn something new. It was a game-changer … Nearpod alleviated a lot of the uncertainty of teaching online.”

Today, along with their K-12 counterparts, higher-education teachers across the network are increasingly using Nearpod to train students in college readiness.

Co-creators in the content-delivery process

Nearpod’s Collaborate Board served as the initial point of engagement for all, allowing teachers, students, and stakeholders to contribute in real time. Following this, employees and volunteers enthusiastically embraced learning through activities like Time to Climb, Matching Pairs, and Drag and Drop. Additionally, Nearpod polls played a central role in fostering social and emotional learning and supporting professional development.

“They enabled us to immediately gauge and tap into how our educators feel about a topic and how much they feel they know about it.” Ruben also highlights how Nearpod has helped educators to become “co-creators in the content-delivery process, enhancing their creativity online and in the classroom.” This propels the mission and strengthens the reputation of the Council, which was set up 75 years ago and committed to virtual learning long before the pandemic.

From positive thought to positive action

Drawing on his background in non-profit organizations, Ruben has experienced how Nearpod can move beyond the classroom and help large financial institutions give back to the community.

One of the Council’s partners, Intuit, compiles curriculum content for teachers on budgeting, marketing, and taxation. “Filing taxes is a life skill and demands engaging content for students of all backgrounds. This starts by engaging teachers.”

Another main partner joined forces with the Council and found Nearpod a firm ally in demoing what an organization can do in its volunteer spaces. Nearpod became central to building the Council’s blueprint for philanthropic action.

Ruben is convinced that Nearpod is helping to magnify the impact of economic and financial education across the country.

“Many organizations hear what the Council is doing and want in. It feels good to have people follow our work, get passionate about the topic, and keenly contribute. Nearpod helps us turn positive thought into positive impact.”

A catalyst for important conversations

Through a further partnership with Wells Fargo, the Council ran monthly family financial fun nights at participating schools, which included pop-up stations designed to make financial literacy a dinner-table discussion topic.

By popular demand, Ruben digitized the content and made it relevant to students and parents, covering core concepts like budgeting and cost-benefit analysis with relevant cultural references. Over 100 families regularly attend this hybrid event and receive food vouchers for participation.

Nearpod is also helping institutions increase philanthropy and cross-collaboration with other organizations.

“It helps us train volunteers who have never been teachers. They get a sense of what teaching is about, see the impact, and give back more effectively with a tool they love using in so many different ways.”

Council for Economic Education Math Lessons are available in the Nearpod Library! These lessons for grades 6-12 apply math to real-world scenarios to help students acquire economic and financial knowledge.

The future of Nearpod at CCE and beyond

When it comes to the future, Ruben is optimistic. He is keen to roll out Nearpod across socially disadvantaged communities and tell the stories of what he sees and learns.

“The purpose of teaching is to reach the students who need us most. I believe we’ve found the platform to help elevate their situation.”

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In response to the post-pandemic challenges, AHIS turned to Nearpod while searching for an all-encompassing solution that could offer interactive resources, real-time progress tracking, and personalized engagement. Nearpod enhanced teaching dynamics but aligned with the school’s focus on digital citizenship and social emotional learning (SEL), propelling Al Hekma on a path of continued educational excellence and growth.

Highlights of Al Hekma’s success with Nearpod

• From August 2022 to present
• 6,800+ lessons edited using Nearpod
• 22% of resources from Nearpod library, in addition to teachers’ own resources
• Around 2,075 activities were completed by students using the platform
• Students joined Nearpod more than 126,000 times across a range of subjects

New to Nearpod? Learn more about international school and district licenses.

Challenges

As students returned to the classroom at Al Hekma International School following the COVID-19 pandemic, a new challenge emerged for its principal and teachers: How could they measure and support every student’s progress without overwhelming teachers after such a fragmented period in everyone’s lives? Teachers needed instant insights in order to improve student engagement, performance, and self-esteem, and they needed a solid, diverse bank of resources they could draw on to make the necessary changes.

Solution

Al Hekma started integrating Nearpod in 2021, and the school had several training sessions with the Nearpod team experts to ensure all their needs were met. Teachers were trained on how to create lessons, summative and formative assessments, and reporting. They valued having a one-stop solution that enabled them to use various resources at the same time from the same place.

The results

• Usage grew steadily, and within a year, over half of the teachers became Nearpod Certified Educators! 
• Nearpod seamlessly integrated into the school’s teaching approach and is now embraced across various subjects.
• Giving teachers tools to track progress and pain points in real time has made decision-making more effective and has ramped up student performance.
• No student or teacher need ever be left behind. Fully engaged students are learning more, learning faster, and making the most of every minute in class.
• Self-paced learning has played a pivotal role in nurturing teachers’ autonomy, self-assurance, and sense of responsibility.
• Teachers feel more empowered to personalize lessons by providing a strong, versatile base of trustworthy resources and templates they can edit and adapt.

How Nearpod empowered a forward-thinking school in Bahrain to redefine excellence in education

Al Hekma’s principal, Maya Harb, had discovered Nearpod prior to the pandemic – when it was recommended as part of a routine school tech audit. In a flash, Nearpod became the school’s one-stop solution during the lockdown, ensuring that staff and students could access the materials and resources they needed and spurring active participation. But that was just the beginning, as the partnership evolved and continued well into the next normal.

Maya believes that Nearpod not only streamlined the transition back to the classroom but also made the teaching and learning experience more meaningful than ever.

Besides empowering teachers to track student attendance and engagement, Adreen Haddad, Al Hekma’s instructional coach and Nearpod PioNear, also highlights how Nearpod provides her with essential insights into progress across various classes and subjects:

“In addition to the instant feedback Nearpod gives us, when I check the session reports, I can see and save teachers’ notes, track which students are engaged, check their answers, and save reports to review and compare at any time and in any format.”

 A small step for teachers, a giant leap for students

Al Hekma International School has always embraced transformation and innovation as integral to its mission of facilitating continuous growth and excellence for both students and teachers. This courage is deeply rooted in the unwavering trust and support that permeates the relationships among teachers, staff, students, and parents.

Adreen vividly describes the initial enthusiasm among teachers and students after Nearpod was implemented in 2022. “Right from the beginning, our teachers were fully on board, and students found it incredibly easy to join using the provided code,” she recalls.

In the first year, the school started with 60 teacher’s licenses across different subjects. Then, in the following year, they elevated their engagement and upgraded to Nearpod Premium, which provided them with 30 accounts to work with.

The implementation process was made seamless through comprehensive step-by-step video tutorials, hands-on training sessions, and dedicated Nearpod workshops on formative assessments. This set the stage for a transformative educational experience that has since become an integral part of their approach.

One of the aspects that resonated most with teachers is the convenience of consolidating all their instructional resources within a single platform. Adreen highlights how Nearpod streamlines this process:

“With Nearpod, we can open all YouTube channels from within the same session, allowing us to seamlessly track everything from attendance to student engagement.” She reflects on the previous practices where teachers would juggle multiple platforms, such as PowerPoint presentations, YouTube, and other resources, causing inefficiencies.

Making the most of every minute in class

For Maya and Adreen, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing engaged students immersed in a learning experience. Adreen explains how Nearpod is helping students stay on task and make the most of each class.

“Our students love the activities, which are the most interesting and interactive parts of the lesson. You see how they come alive with Time to Climb or Draw It, how their creativity and critical thinking shine through.”

And it’s not just students who are experimenting and exploring. The Nearpod library has been a springboard for teachers preparing activities and planning lessons that are vibrant but also vibe with the school’s values and vision, as Maya explains:

“Our teachers love that they can start from scratch using Nearpod as a platform, or that they download presentations from the library and edit them in accordance with our priorities and standards, adjusting them and changing the templates.”

From digital natives to digital citizens

Digital literacy and English proficiency are at the heart of Al Hekma’s mission to give students the best skills, achievements, and opportunities – but teaching these comes with responsibilities. In her commitment to building students’ emotional and social skills, Adreen has found a firm ally in Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program:

“Our computer department promotes Internet safety and digital citizenship, and the emotional and social package that we’ve added to our licenses during the past two years with Nearpod have really helped teachers to search for good resources. We apply common standards and share feedback on how the students are evolving as digital citizens.”

Maya explains how this emotional and social learning package the school added as part of its upgrade to a premium license has nurtured students’ confidence and critical thinking.

“The topics are impressive, inclusive, and really help students reflect on how to collaborate with each other, and the advice Nearpod gave us on how to work with the resources was really helpful.”

Adreen adds that Nearpod also supports Al Hekma’s priorities in giving students autonomy and recognition:

“The self-paced learning, where the teacher gives access to the students, really improves their independence and sense of personal and collective responsibility.”

Real-time solutions and real-life skills

Al Hekma relies on data to make decisions as a school – not just at the administration level but also at the teaching level, as Maya explains: 

“Every single decision that is related to learning in class is taken thanks to the instant feedback that the teacher receives from the students. For example, when the teacher notices that there is a trend where everybody makes the same mistake, he or she can immediately channel this information to revisit the concept.”

For the principal, the transformation is palpable, saving teachers time and enabling them to make changes the day of, and not the day after. It also gives a voice to all students, not just those who “raise their hands and jump to answer.” For Maya, Nearpod has created greater equality in the classroom, giving shyer students the confidence and opportunity to participate.

“Thanks to Nearpod, no student is left behind in class. All our students can take part, all our students can show us what they understand or don’t understand, and we’re right there to help.”

Recognizing and empowering teachers

In addition to recognizing students’ progress, Maya and Adreen create social media posts and videos to celebrate teachers’ accomplishments with the platform.

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A post shared by Al Hekma International School (@ahisbh)

The Nearpod certificates have pride of place on the principal’s office wall and in the school reception, and Maya makes a point of sharing the school’s achievements with the tool with parents and students, and through the school’s handbooks and websites.

Maya emphasizes the significance of Adreen, a dedicated Nearpod PioNear, in the implementation process: “She started a positive domino effect – the happiness, pride, and recognition are contagious: The more teachers we congratulate for using Nearpod, the more want to join, and we’re thrilled to share their success.”

Recognizing and empowering teachers is of paramount importance in cultivating a thriving educational environment. Maya understands that administrators play a pivotal role in acknowledging the dedication, innovation, and hard work that teachers bring to the classroom. By fostering a supportive atmosphere and valuing their unique insights, administrators create a sense of empowerment that translates into enhanced teaching quality and student engagement.

The future of Nearpod at Al Hekma

Moving into Al Hekma’s third year with the platform, Maya and Adreen plan to use Nearpod to help teachers share good practices and to keep admin staff tuned into the progress that’s being made in the classroom.

In addition to academics, AHIS aims to foster in every student a positive attitude toward lifelong learning, a deep value for cultural diversity, and the essential skills of advanced thinking and effective problem-solving, crucial for their future achievements.

New to Nearpod? Learn more about international school and district licenses.

Nearpod Team

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

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