Teaching math can feel like an uphill battle, with students often coming into the classroom believing that math is dry, hard, or simply not their strong suit. However, math instruction can be a rich experience full of questioning, exploration, and discovery. Despite this potential, math performance across the US remains a growing concern. The 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress reported the largest declines in math scores for grades 4 and 8 since 1990. Often, resources are too focused on standards coverage and content, lacking intentionality about the instructional experience.

Lessons and math tools for teachers

With Nearpod, you can use interactive videos, interactive slide-based lessons, and gamified activities for an engaging instructional experience. This guide will show a few ways to capture that energy and bring it into your math classroom using interactive tools.

According to an ESSA Level II study, CAASPP scores for math achievement demonstrated significant improvements among students who utilized Nearpod. These findings highlight Nearpod’s positive impact on math academic outcomes across different student demographics:

• 8th graders exhibited higher scores
• 6th graders also showed improved scores
• 6th graders with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) displayed enhanced scores

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons.

Nearpod Math Program

Nearpod Math, our K-8 supplemental curriculum, helps teachers enhance instruction with intentionally organized content and tools to create engaging math learning experiences for every student. With this program, educators can supplement any math skill or standard and build collaborative, active math classrooms.

Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to explore Nearpod Math and unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Math lesson guide

Nearpod has curated a Math Lesson Guide for Grades K-8 so you can spend less time searching for resources and more time doing what you love: teaching. With ready-to-launch lessons, activities, and videos, these guides can help you remediate key skills, reteach concepts, and even prep for testing time.

Download lesson guide

8 Engaging strategies and lessons for teaching math in any classroom

1. Write about math using Open-Ended Questions

To take math instruction off the page, ask students to explore what their work means. Calculating the solution to a problem is only one aspect of doing math; students also grow as mathematicians by discussing their work. With writing, you can ask your students to access deeper meaning within their work – by analyzing a story question, setting a goal, writing a plan before they solve a problem, discussing the steps they took to solve it, or justifying their answer.

According to McREL, writing can improve students’ grasp of mathematical reasoning and problem-solving, use of evidence and logical processing, and ability to communicate their findings more clearly and effectively. Simply put, writing expands student’s ability to be analytical problem-solvers.

When previewing a challenging question, you can ask students to pause and write a goal or a plan for the question before they begin. You can also use this to bring more dialogue into your classroom. Students need opportunities to share their thinking about math in a safe environment. This strategy allows students who may not want to share out loud to have their voices heard.

After solving a problem, use Nearpod’s interactive Open-Ended Question to prompt students to defend their answer; you may ask them to justify each step or focus on one part of the question to dissect. With the “Share” tool, you can anonymously broadcast any student’s answer and use it to open up a discussion with your students: Do they agree with this student? How was this answer strong, or how could it be improved?

Instead of having to circulate around the room to check each student’s work during math instruction, their plans will arrive on your screen in real time, and you can focus on the students who need you most. You can also attach Reference Media to Nearpod activities such as Draw It, Open-Ended Questions, or Polls to foster independent thinking.

2. Do a warm-up activity using a number talk

Number talks are perfect warm-ups and can be tailored to any grade level. It’s a great strategy to build numeracy and number sense with your students when teaching math. Number talks are short (10-ish minutes) question-based discussions that complement your regular instruction. They can become high-leverage learning moments in your classroom because you ask students to generate solutions and evaluate strategies. You may ask students to find a rule, solve a problem, or analyze a pattern in a number talk. The key is that students independently design and describe their pathways to solve the problem and then collaboratively share and critique their ideas.

To do a number talk with your students, present the class with a problem and ask them to solve the problem mentally, but don’t share their answer. When students have found a solution, they’ll signal to you that they’ve solved it, and if they can find more than one way to solve the problem, they signal that, too.

The “talk” portion of a Number Talk is the most essential: this is where students share out their solutions and evaluate them. It can feel energizing to hear active minds at work, but recording your students’ ideas as they share them aloud can be overwhelming. Nearpod can lean in on numerous ways during Number Talks.

How to conduct Number Talks

Nearpod allows students to share their strategy, whereas, in a traditional number talk, only a handful of students can share their thinking. Also, students can try the problem with low risk while giving the teacher formative data about the strategies. For example, a teacher might use 5 x 25 as the number talk. Then, students can share their strategy to solve the problem using Draw It slides or an Open-Ended activity. The teacher can then showcase strategies and have students explain their thinking orally to the class.

When students want to signal that they’ve found a solution, using a public signal, like raising their hand, can be overwhelming or discouraging to surrounding students. Try giving your students a Poll question on Nearpod asking: “How many solutions can you find to this problem?” You’ll receive instant data about which students have solutions and can pull ideas from across your classroom, even if they have put their hand down.

For the “talk” portion, ask your students to explain their ideas on a Collaborate Board. Collaborate Boards create a public space for all your students to respond to a question, and each student’s response shows up as a virtual post-it note. As the teacher, you can see who wrote which response, but the responses can be set as anonymous for student view. Your students can practice explaining their ideas in writing, have a clean and organized view of everyone’s ideas, and vote for their favorite responses by clicking the heart icon on the post-its they agree with most.

3. Use interactive drawing assessments to teach graphs

Analyzing data is one of the most powerful and important elements of teaching math. Graphs and tables are common in everyday life, and teaching your students to become “fluent” in graphs and tables empowers them to excel in class and make more sense of the world around them. Taking data and turning it into a graph is no small feat, though — and interpreting data from a graph can be even more challenging for students. You can use technology to breathe life into graphing and graph analysis in your classroom using Nearpod’s interactive drawing assessment tool, Draw It.

There are many steps to constructing a graph, and more likely than not, your students come into class with different levels of mastery: some of your students may be ready to plot, while others are still grappling to discern the x-axis from the y-axis. Using the Nearpod Draw It tool, you can quickly monitor each student’s progress. Each student’s work is displayed in your teacher view, and it updates in real-time to show you their work as they progress through a problem. With this data, you can narrate common misconceptions for the whole class and visit individual students for targeted support. With the “share” feature, you can also show-call student work — Nearpod will broadcast an individual student’s graph anonymously to every student’s screen, and your class can discuss (or admire!) their work.

The Draw It tool can also help you deepen how your students analyze data. You can upload any graph as a “background” that students can then draw upon. Ask students to annotate a graph to find the peak, individual data points, or outliers. You may want to show your students a graph missing certain data, like axis labels or a scale, and ask them to fill in the missing information. If your students are learning to construct their own graphs, a popular student activity is to “grade the graph,” create a graph riddled with errors, then ask your students to mark (and correct) as many mistakes as they can find!

4. Model the steps for problem-solving

If you have ever given students a problem to solve on a specific template, it’s important to model the steps to solve the problem. This will help support your students when it’s their turn to problem-solve.

One way to model for students is through Nearpod’s Draw It tool. Make the template or equation into a Draw It slide and have them use the drawing and writing tools to solve the question. You’ll get insight into their responses in real time. Teachers can review the responses on their screens and share them anonymously on students’ devices to discuss the strategies they used. To model examples, use the Live Teacher Annotation* and draw on the slide. Your drawings will show up on students’ screens immediately so they can see and discuss a strategy that might have been missing from your students’ examples.

*Live Teacher Annotation feature is only available for School & District licenses.

5. Teach math vocabulary with Matching Pairs

It’s no secret that math has its own language. Whether your students are learning to find partial products and how many quarts fit inside a gallon or to calculate continuous functions and find derivatives, students are engaging in decoding and internalizing new vocabulary. It can be challenging for students, especially our students who read below grade level or are learning English, and these challenges can compound over time, leaving struggling students behind.

It might feel tedious to dedicate a whole lesson to vocabulary or to ask your students to devote class time to making flashcards when teaching math. The good news is, you don’t have to. Integrate a Matching Paris activity into your lessons instead. Nearpod’s Matching Pairs tool is an interactive and attention-grabbing way to practice math terms. In a Matching Pairs moment, students’ screens fill with tiles that disappear as they correctly match each term with its definition. Students have as many chances as they need until they match each term with its correct definition.

This activity can be meaningful in your classroom in many ways because it’s flexible. You curate the terms and definitions that fit your content. You can cover many terms during a review lesson or only a few keywords for a quick check for understanding. With instant data, you can create targeted support groups and tier your instruction to match your students’ diverse needs.

6. Start (or end) a lesson unit with an educational game

Start the lesson by gathering data about what students remember about the concept to differentiate the instruction for the day. Starting the lesson with an engaging activity will help keep the energy level high throughout the lesson. Using educational games for math instruction helps students learn what’s being taught, builds problem-solving skills, and builds community while learning the lesson’s material.

Students love Nearpod’s educational game, Time to Climb, where students race to see which character gets to the top of a mountain first by answering a series of questions both correctly and quickly to increase their own points to become one of the top three winners of the game. You can also use an educational game to end a lesson unit to see what students have learned.

Drag & Drop is another Nearpod gamification tool teachers can add at the beginning or end of a lesson. Students can categorize, label, and sequence items or images with this activity.

7. Collect data in real-time to assess students throughout the entire lesson

Formative assessment is a valuable tool for teachers. It allows teachers to see what students know and what misconceptions they may have about addressing them immediately. Nearpod collects real-time data efficiently through various activities where the teacher can view all the student responses on one screen. For example, suppose students are creating a multiplication model on a Draw It slide. In that case, the teacher can see what strategies students are using and address any errors a student or group of students might have before moving on. You can also use the Collaborate Board to share student work, which allows students to review, discuss, and critique their peers’ responses.

8. Find premade content that is standards-aligned, engaging, and interactive

Finding reliable and quality resources to use for teaching math can be challenging. It’s important to use standards-aligned resources created by experts while engaging and flexible for students (and teachers!). Nearpod’s Lesson Library has the perfect blend of lesson resources you need. You can explore quality interactive lessons, activities, and videos made by content experts and partners. Teachers can explore the library, download lessons, and modify them, all for free! Use the search bar or filters to find resources that fit your classroom’s needs.

Traditionally, you might think about using Nearpod as a presentation tool. However, you can assign these lessons as student-paced for independent work to provide additional practice opportunities and games and gather formative assessment data. With Live to Student-Paced mode, teachers can toggle between Live and Student-Paced mode for flexible instruction to support differentiating for student needs. This engaging independent activity can allow students to get immediate feedback on activities.

Start teaching math with Nearpod

Digital interactives are a fun way to make your math instruction more dynamic. With these strategies, you can bring energy to your classroom and enhance your student’s mastery of mathematics while gathering meaningful, real-time data. Nearpod is a great tool to increase engagement, discourse, and achievement in your math class. It is easy to take your existing presentations, upload them to Nearpod, and make minor tweaks that allow instant access to your students’ mathematical thinking.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Click here to learn more about Nearpod Math!

Kate Roscioli

Kate is a Title I Math Specialist in Northern Virginia. She loves supporting teachers in integrating technology in lessons to allow students to authentically engage in mathematics content.

The post 8 Engaging strategies for teaching math in any classroom appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Why do some students lack motivation?

Students may lack motivation due to various factors such as external hardships in their home life, a disconnect between learning and real-world applications, disinterest in the subject matter, potential undiagnosed learning challenges, and the developmental stage affecting their ability to foresee the consequences of disengagement.

Perhaps there are extenuating circumstances in their home, whether it be familial strife or lack of food, that can cause them to lack presence and connection to the classroom or instruction. Too often, we’re unaware of the many layers of a child’s life and the stressors they encounter daily. Lack of motivation can come from not understanding the real-world applicability of skills. Students need to learn the skills alongside the use cases – and that use case can’t just be for a test this coming Friday. Perhaps a student lacks motivation because the subject just doesn’t interest them.

Passion is a critical driver in learning, so many teachers aim to help students make personal connections so that the content sparks interest. Or, a child may be facing an undiagnosed learning disability that is constantly keeping them from feeling successful. Furthermore, developmentally, younger students live more in the moment. They don’t fully comprehend the longer-term ramifications if they don’t engage, since their prefrontal cortex isn’t fully developed – meaning they may lack the foresight for reasoning, judgment, and planning.

What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in the classroom?

In the classroom, teachers strive to personalize and individualize lessons to reach every child, and the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is crucial. There are two types of motivation: Intrinsic motivation originates from within, driven by personal satisfaction, leading to increased persistence and enjoyment; extrinsic motivation relies on external rewards or pressures.

Intrinsic motivation speaks internally. In an ideal world, all motivation would be intrinsic. One’s drive and sense of purpose toward accomplishing a task or goal is done for one’s own satisfaction. Research shows that intrinsic motivation can lead to more persistence and more enjoyment. In a classroom, intrinsic motivation can be seen when a child chooses a title on their own because they want to dive into a book or when they keep their head down to solve a problem because they’re up for the challenge. A child who is intrinsically motivated tends to be more attentive, more participatory, and more engaged, and thus can perform better and realize higher achievement (Ryan & Deci, 2020).

When there is a carrot at the end of a stick or a brass ring, so to speak, the motivation becomes extrinsic. Extrinsic motivation comes from the desire for a reward or to avoid negative consequences. So, if a child is trying to earn a goodie from the prize box or please a parent with a good grade, that drive isn’t from within. Now, extrinsic motivation does have its place in the classroom: There are good forms of it when it can provide feedback, encouragement for something outside one’s comfort zone, or reinforcement for completing a task well. Grades are a form of extrinsic motivation, and most teachers use them to applaud students’ work or frame how they can do better. How they do or do not internalize such feedback is up to the students. Often, it can be helpful to look at the Motivation Matrix (internal-positive; external-positive; internal-negative; external-negative). While all the quadrants can lead to change, only internal-positive motivators tend to be associated with personal happiness.

How teachers can boost student motivation for academic excellence

According to Dr. Anders Ericsson, motivation is the most significant predictor of success. Those with motivation can make and manage change, prepare, take action, and persevere toward goals. There are several ways teachers can help encourage student motivation throughout the school year, day in and day out.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Interactive technology tools like Nearpod can support educators in boosting student motivation.

Teachers can sign up for free below to access the lessons in this post and create their own interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

1. Spark their interest

At the beginning of each school year, take the time through surveys, interviews, and good old conversations to get to know each child. What do they like? What do they shy away from? Use the trick of asking five “whys” to drill down to the root cause of a child’s nascent opinion. Then, lead them to high-interest content to help them dive deeper into a topic or broaden their horizons on another. Such motivational activities for students can yield great results.

Nearpod offers a robust library of standards-aligned content, and you can let students pick their own paths and take an active learning approach when it comes to exploring subjects and working through levels of proficiency.

Additionally, Nearpod gives you the option to integrate high-interest multimedia content, catering to students’ diverse passions and backgrounds. Incorporate dynamic media such as Virtual Reality (VR) Field Trips and Interactive Videos into their lessons. Teachers can tap into students’ interests and connect classroom content to their real-world experiences. This not only captivates their attention but also fosters a deeper connection to the subject matter, ultimately fueling their motivation for academic success.

2. Let them drive

Another way to motivate students in the classroom is to empower them with a sense of agency through student voice and have them make choices based on their own personal interests. Research-based evidence from Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan in the 1970s and 1980s put motivation on a continuum. The self-development theory (SDT) ranges from amotivation, the lack of any motivation to engage students in tasks or activities, through layers of extrinsic motivation, to intrinsic motivation. Their early work highlighted the need for individuals to feel self-determined, self-directed, and autonomous, and to have a sense of control over their lives and destiny.

Curiosity is the engine of achievement.

Sir Ken Robinson

Nearpod supports student choice and voice through interactive features like Collaborate Boards and Open-Ended Questions, enabling students to share their perspectives, collaborate with peers, and engage in meaningful discussions. This fosters a sense of ownership and autonomy in their learning journey, as they can contribute their unique insights and learn from others.

By providing a platform for student voice and choice, Nearpod helps create a student-centered learning environment that values their opinions, promotes active engagement, and encourages student ownership in their learning experiences.

3. Encourage the “pleasantly frustrating” paths

Professor James Paul Gee has written seminal research on learning and video games. He’s known as the godfather of game-based learning (GBL). He touts several good “learning principles” that video game design has exemplified in terms of hooking and incentivizing students. By challenging kids with levels of achievement, you can help motivate students to find an inner drive to keep moving ahead, one step at a time.

Check out Nearpod’s educational game Time to Climb for student motivation by having them push themselves a bit more under gamified conditions. Digital platforms like Nearpod allow for in-the-moment interactivity that is designed to push the child to try and try again.

Nearpod’s Time to Climb and other educational games contribute significantly to the promotion of active learning and student motivation. The competitive element, sense of achievement, and enjoyable experience provided by these games enhance student engagement and encourage active participation in the process of learning the material.

For example, in a science class, a teacher can use Time to Climb to reinforce concepts related to the water cycle. The game can present questions with visuals and scenarios related to the topic, challenging students to apply their knowledge. Students can compete against their peers to climb the leaderboard by answering correctly and quickly. This not only encourages active participation but also creates a sense of achievement and enjoyment as students progress through the game.

4. Show the long-tail effect

Developmentally, many students struggle to think about the long-term future. Jim Taylor, Ph.D., writes that motivation to change often begins with the 3 D’s: direction, decisions, and dedication. So, teachers often become masterful storytellers who weave tales of the real world, future careers, and passions to encourage student motivation. They showcase subjects like math outside of drill-and-kill worksheets and word problems by sharing everyday practices or career-advancing (and enhancing) skill sets that rely on math proficiency. Students need to understand that they are not learning for learning’s sake alone; they are learning to whet their appetite to expand and hone their skills.

Learning isn’t confined to specific subjects; it’s about acquiring a toolkit of skills that empower individuals to analyze problems, make informed decisions, iterate on ideas, and share their insights effectively. By integrating crucial skills known as the 5Cs – critical thinking, computational thinking, collaboration, creativity, and effective communication – educators can show students the real-world relevance of their studies in their lessons. Nearpod’s interactive platform allows teachers to seamlessly weave these essential skills into their lessons, illustrating their long-term value in preparing students for success in any field they choose to pursue.

5. Provide feedback

Everyone likes a gold star once in a while. Extrinsic motivation isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as long as it’s not excessive to the point of having an overjustification effect, where the extrinsic cancels out any intrinsic motivation. Consider ways to give feedback that builds their confidence, encourages them to reach just a bit higher, and rewards them for taking chances. Remember that asking questions and modeling active listening is a way to provide authentic feedback.

Nearpod’s formative assessment tools provide you with real-time data on student responses so that you can plan your instruction not only for the whole group but for individuals as needed, just in time. The best feedback is given immediately.

The true power of feedback lies in its immediacy – addressing questions and misconceptions while they are fresh in students’ minds. Nearpod’s feedback features, such as stickers and writing options for teachers in Draw It and Drag & Drop learning activities, enable educators to respond instantly to each student, tailoring guidance to their specific needs and ensuring that the learning experience remains personalized. By harnessing Nearpod’s capabilities for real-time feedback, teachers can motivate students to thrive and excel academically, creating a supportive learning environment.

6. Talk about procrastination

Procrastination for many is not merely a time management issue, postponing a more important task in favor of a less important one. Often, procrastination is an emotional management conundrum when fear, frustration, anxiety, insecurity, or self-doubt thwart the best of plans. Students and adults alike battle with procrastination. Procrastination can cycle and build into negative thought patterns called procrastinatory cognitions (the Procrastinatory Cognitions Inventory (PCI) has 18 such items). Social and emotional learning (SEL) supports students’ development of self-awareness and self-regulation skills, which can help in such emotional management. SEL promotes a growth mindset and grit, too.

Nearpod offers over 400 SEL lessons, activities, and videos built on CASEL’s five core competencies in the 21st-Century Readiness Program. This program offers a simple method for incorporating SEL practices, such as fostering positive interactions, promoting gratitude, facilitating reflective moments into daily learning routines, and contributing to the establishment of safe, inclusive, and effective classroom environments.

Nearpod also offers free social and emotional learning (SEL) lessons and activities. Features such as Collaborate Board, Draw It, Drag & Drop, Time to Climb, and Interactive Video can be used for emotional check-ins and practices. Here are some examples of motivational activities for students:

• Time to Climb: Social Emotional Learning (Grades 3-5)
• Collaborate Board: Share Your Mood (Grades 6-12)
• Collaborate Board Check-In (Grades 2-12)
• Interactive Video: Mantras (Grades 3-8)
• Interactive Video: What Is Empathy? (Grades 6-8)

7. Show that you’re human, too

So much of what teachers do well is model. And modeling means showing the messy side of life, too. When motivating students to learn, share how you’ve failed forward and pushed through tough times or daunting tasks to inspire them. Talk about lofty goals you had and how you modified or broke them down into smaller goals that build upon one another. Illustrate how strong goals are reframed as SMART goals. Share future goals that you have and the power of “yet” – that you have yet to achieve it all.

Share some of Nearpod’s lessons and activities on goal setting to motivate them forward:

• Time to Climb: Goal Setting (Available for grades 3-6)
• Time to Climb: Time Management (Grades 6-8)
• Interactive Video: Growth Mindset (Grades 4-12)
• Lesson: Goal Planning (Grades 3-5)
• Lesson: Setting Goals (Grades 6-8)

Boost student motivation with Nearpod’s support

Staying motivated is a key goal not only for our students but for teachers, too. We are facing high teacher attrition rates due to factors that are overriding teachers’ intrinsic sense of pride and purpose in their careers. Teachers are lifelong learners who look to inspire the next generation. As Samuel Johnson wrote, “Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last.” Seek to motivate the curiosity in yourself and those around you! And just remember: “I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could!”

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Interactive technology tools like Nearpod can support educators in boosting student motivation.

Teachers can sign up for free below to access the lessons in this post and create their own interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post How to boost student motivation in the classroom for academic excellence appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

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

Why is classroom management important?

Effective classroom management is important for both students and teachers throughout the school year, significantly impacting student outcomes and their overall learning experience. A permissive or indulgent classroom management style can hinder the development of a positive relationship between students and educators, potentially disrupting the classroom culture. Conversely, good classroom management involves finding the right balance between levels of control and student involvement, keeping students engaged while accommodating diverse learning needs. It’s essential for teachers to adapt their teaching style to maintain an effective classroom learning environment where students feel supported, respected, and motivated to excel.

What are the 4 classroom management styles and their benefits?

Classroom management typically involves four main styles: authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and neglectful. The authoritarian classroom management style focuses on strict rules, high control, and clear expectations, but it might stifle creativity and discourage independent thinking. In contrast, the authoritative classroom management style approach combines firm guidelines with a supportive environment, fostering discipline while allowing for student autonomy and creativity. On the other hand, the permissive classroom management style offers flexibility and encourages self-expression, yet it may lead to challenges in maintaining order and structure. Finally, the neglectful style lacks involvement and direction, resulting in a chaotic learning atmosphere that hinders both discipline and academic progress. The various weaknesses and benefits of classroom management styles highlight to educators the importance of striking a balance tailored to their students’ needs and classroom dynamics.

8 Effective classroom management strategies using Nearpod

1. Visibility to on and off-task behavior

At any point during a Nearpod lesson, teachers have insight into which students are on-task. If a student navigates away from the lesson, the dot next to their name will turn red. Teachers are empowered to choose the classroom management strategy that works best for them to address this.

2. Ensure 100% student participation

In order to ensure 100% participation, every student needs to feel empowered to contribute. Often, some students are quick to participate while others need more time to generate ideas (or courage!) to share.

Nearpod’s formative assessment features, like Polls, Time to Climb, Matching Pairs, and so many more, empower educators to provide multiple ways for students to demonstrate what they know. Since students respond on their own devices, EVERY student can answer every question, and teachers can see in real-time which students have submitted answers and which need more time.

TIP: Don’t have a class with 1:1 devices? Need students to shift their attention to the front of the class? Nearpod’s Front of Class mode allows you to share your video on a screen so students can watch together and prompt discussions with formative assessments woven throughout the lesson. New to Nearpod? Our Interactive Videos are the best way to get started teaching in Front of Class mode!

3. Receive immediate feedback and post-session reports

Teachers can view student responses in real-time, which means they can respond quickly to misconceptions (or situations where students have already mastered the topic!) to create an environment of providing feedback and prevent common classroom management issues that arise from these situations. This empowers teachers to foster classrooms where students feel heard and know that their individual learning is important. Since the teacher can easily see which students are struggling with a certain concept, they can intervene with targeted coaching and small groups immediately.

Teachers can share individual student responses with the whole class anonymously. This allows for a safer space for error analysis or an easy way to celebrate exemplar responses!

After the lesson, student responses and performance data are found in the Nearpod reports section. 

4. Benefit from synchronous devices

Ensuring all students are on the same page can be time-consuming with many print or digital resources. With Nearpod’s device synchronization, you can feel certain that all of your students are on the same screen (remember: check for the red dot to know if a student has navigated away!).

5. Boost accountability for independent work 

Student-paced Nearpod lessons are as impactful as Live lessons, allowing for the same level of engagement when students are working independently. This is especially helpful when in distance learning environments. Just like Live lessons, these lessons collect session reports, so you can review student work during or after the session. Student-Paced mode can also be used to provide make-up work for students who are absent, making it easier to catch up after a day out.

6. Promote ownership of learning with Student Notes

The Student Notes feature on Nearpod empowers students to take ownership of their learning. They can take notes during class and receive their notes, along with all media and the answers they’ve submitted during class, by email, OneDrive, or Google Drive. This allows students to organize their notes and come prepared for assessments or projects.

7. Never sweat a sub day again 

It’s no secret that one of the most stressful classroom management moments is when you’re not there. That’s why Nearpod has made it easy to communicate substitute teacher plans and drive 100% student participation on sub days. Explore tips for using Nearpod’s Sub Plans by clicking below!

8. Weave SEL into every lesson 

Often, the best way to prevent common classroom management issues is by pre-teaching the social and emotional learning skills that support positive student behavior. Nearpod’s social and emotional learning (SEL) lessons make it easy for educators to incorporate SEL into their classroom routines and increase student investment in contributing to a positive, empowering learning environment.

Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness K-12 Program offers resources to embed 21st-century skills like SEL, digital citizenship, and college and career readiness into every classroom. The Social and Emotional Learning collection includes lessons and activities that teach students core competencies, critical thinking, lifelong learning strategies, and growth mindset practices.

Start using these classroom management skills

Mastering effective classroom management skills is imperative for educators to create an optimal learning environment that encourages student engagement and success. Classroom management plans examples with Nearpod’s interactive lessons and formative assessment tools offer educators practical ways to maintain control while promoting student involvement. Embracing these methodologies not only ensures better student outcomes but also fosters an atmosphere where students feel supported, respected, and motivated.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access the resources on this blog post and create their own 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/

The post 8 Effective classroom management strategies using Nearpod appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

3 Efficient ways to lesson plan for back to school with Nearpod

1. Revisit and revise previous Nearpod lessons

You’ve already created amazing Nearpod lessons, now is the time to revisit and revise these lesson plans for the new school year! Access your library and choose a lesson to view. Hover over the lesson tile and select “Edit” to update your lesson. From this screen, you can easily reorder or delete slides in your lesson to meet the needs of your learners.

Don’t forget to embed activities and content into your existing lessons to enhance your content! My students love the Virtual Reality, 3D images, Draw It, and Time to Climb activities on Nearpod. When students first experience Nearpod activities, they’re immediately happy to see the lesson on their individual screens and love that they don’t have to strain to see the board at the front of the classroom.

2. Find premade standards-aligned content

As teachers, we put our creative, innovative minds to work on a daily basis to provide our students with the best possible education. That’s just who we are! The existing lessons in Nearpod’s library provide teachers with amazing, premade activities that are sure to fit the needs of your students. To access Nearpod’s lesson library, log in to your account and select “Nearpod Library” on the left of your screen. On the next screen, you’ll be able to filter your search by activity type, content area, and grade level. Watch this tutorial to learn how to search and filter through lessons in the library.

As you look ahead at the standards you’ll address and begin lesson planning, be sure to take advantage of the standards search feature in the Nearpod library. After you’ve added the lesson to your library, you’ll be able to quickly rearrange activities and add content and resources to best fit the needs of your students. You can even adjust the lesson sequencing of your own existing lessons or pre-made Nearpod ones. Don’t forget to take advantage of the growing number of lessons from Nearpod’s dozens of well-known partners, including ABC Mouse, History, Khan Academy, PBS, TED-Ed, and more! Teachers can customize these lessons, too!

3. Launch a quick Nearpod activity

Have you tried launching a Nearpod activity without a lesson? If not, you’ll definitely want to add this to your back-to-school prep list!

From your lesson library, select the “Quick Launch” icon in the top right corner of your screen. Launch an activity timer, Open-Ended Question, or Collaborate Board that your students will join with a code, just as they would join a traditional Nearpod lesson. In addition to Quick Launch options, teachers can also launch a quick activity by selecting “Create” and selecting the “Activity” option from the dropdown menu. Also, don’t forget to use the search feature in the Nearpod library to find an activity to fit the standard you’re teaching. Explore our premade classroom culture-building activities that you can easily embed into your lesson plans.

Start using these tips to lesson plan for back to school

It’s time to get excited for the back-to-school season and lesson preparation that comes with it! By using Nearpod’s existing lessons, Nearpodizing content you’ve already created, and quickly launching fun and effective activities, back-to-school lesson preparation is sure to be a fun experience!

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Bethany Petty

Bethany Petty is a mommy, wife, award-winning Social Studies teacher, Educational Technology professor, blogger, published author, runner, & reader! She loves using educational technology to enhance the learning environment, increase student engagement, & make learning memorable for her students!

The post 3 Efficient ways to lesson plan for back to school with Nearpod appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Active learning is the process of having students regularly assess their own understanding and skill. This means students are attaining knowledge by participating and contributing. Learning involves the active construction of meaning by the learner. Learners construct meaning from their foundational prior knowledge and the new information they acquire. (Dewey)

Many teaching methods promote active learning in the classroom. These include: 

• collaborative learning
• cooperative learning
• problem-based learning
• discovery-based learning
• inquiry-based learning
• case-based learning
• project-based learning
• exploratory learning 
• experiential learning

You might see everyday classroom examples of this in teachers’ action verbs in their learning objectives or in a kinesthetic activity that has students in a science class figure out what molecules look like in a liquid or gas. Active learning strategies are tied to constructivist and constructionist learning theories in all these cases. The ultimate goal is for students to play a participatory role in—and take ownership of—their own learning.

What does active learning look like?

Active learning in the classroom transforms students’ educational experiences and improves academic outcomes.

In the classroom, active learning techniques require a student’s direct engagement, whether physically or mentally, but ideally both. Consider an analogous scenario: television. Watching TV is often a passive activity, with viewers literally sitting and consuming content silently. Yet some educational television shows like Dora the Explorer are designed to get kids to be active viewers. They move and jump, answer questions, talk, and sing with the characters on the screen. This is what makes these shows effective: viewers are doing more than just watching–they’re active.

How can we encourage students to be enthusiastic and actively engaged learners in our classrooms? This is the ever-present challenge for educators! With tech tools like Nearpod, teachers can add interactivity to their instruction, spark collaboration, and engage students mentally and physically.

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.

5 Impactful active learning strategies for the classroom

1. Use various activity types throughout a lesson

Students learn by doing and engaging their minds and bodies in active learning in the classroom. Varying the activity types used throughout a lesson can prompt students to take on the onus of thinking, working, and doing. It promotes intrinsic motivation so students take agency over their learning journeys.

As teachers, we aim for students to take participatory roles, which commonly involve movement, whether that’s picking up a pencil, raising a hand, or constructing a model. With Nearpod, teachers can offer a mix of question-and-answer formats from Matching Pairs, Drag and Drop, Time to Climb, and Draw It, just to name a few.

One of John Dewey’s goals in education was to create involved democratic citizens. Various assessments and interactive activities often promote peer-to-peer learning, which bolsters communication and collaboration skills. Plus, students grow by teaching others—opportunities for students to explain their thinking become a powerful check for understanding. Getting kids out of their seats to engage in paired or small group discussions, putting their heads together for problem-solving, or moving about with role-playing are examples of active learning in the classroom.

2. Activate students’ prior knowledge

A common practice in instructional design is to start each lesson with an activity meant to activate prior knowledge. Such activities include bellwork, sponge activities, and anticipatory sets. Regardless of the activity name, the goal is to better understand what the child already knows about the topic at hand and to have the student connect what they are about to learn to what they’ve learned previously. Prior knowledge can be information developed and retained through earlier classroom course material or based on personal experience outside of the classroom. Prior knowledge can differ vastly, so it is important for teachers to have a pulse on their students’ range of understanding before diving into a new lesson.

One way to spark prior knowledge is to appeal to varied learning styles with the use of multimedia. When it comes to a new topic, how can you remind students to think of what they have seen, heard, or touched before? Nearpod makes it possible for teachers to not only weave multimedia throughout their lessons but to do so in a way that invites interactivity. Try using a media-rich Poll or a Collaborate Board at the start of a lesson. When exploring how to engage students in active learning, consider using such tools and techniques into a student’s prior knowledge, making connections between what they’ve learned and know already to what they are learning now.

3. Metacognitive reflections

Personal connections to learning don’t have to occur only at the start of lessons. At the end of any lesson, we want students to reflect on what they’ve learned. Learners construct meaning from their foundational prior knowledge and then scaffold the new information they acquire, connecting the old to the new. Many teachers use exit tickets as a quick metacognitive reflection opportunity. A simple yet effective construct for such metacognitive reflections is K-W-L: What did they already KNOW, what did they WANT to know more about, and what did they LEARN?

Add a K-W-L Chart to a Draw It activity or include a Poll for implementing active learning in the classroom around a new topic. Metacognitive reflections encourage students to identify and challenge their assumptions and perspectives and create a more dynamic (and often collaborative) learning experience. Students become agents in their learning process, summarizing their main takeaways, identifying their struggles, and questioning what they want to learn more about next.

4. Make traditionally passive learning moments active

As educators, we’re always challenging students to move from lower-order thinking skills to those denoted as higher-order thinking skills in Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy. Frameworks like the Padagogy Wheel suggest active verbs to strengthen learning objectives and align varied activities to reach such outcomes. With the influx of technologies and shift in philosophies, teachers’ roles have moved from the “sage on the stage” lecturing (passive learning) to more of a “guide on the side” that encourages students to engage in learning.

Nearpod’s ready-made lessons align with Mayer’s theory that effective active learning methods engage learners in at least one of three cognitive processes: selecting material to attend to, organizing material mentally into meaningful representations, and integrating those representations with prior knowledge. For instance, Nearpod lessons provide a “critical frame” to guide students as they read text or watch media. The media is followed up immediately with a prompt for them to reflect on and respond to. With ready-made Interactive Videos, interactive questions at key moments allow viewers to pause, think critically, and share their ideas.

“Ownership in the classroom matters. It’s not only how the brain learns best—by trying out new skills and wrestling with new knowledge and experiences ourselves, rather than just receiving information—but it’s also how students build the confidence to take on new challenges. When students are asked to try in school, when they are asked to push their thinking even when they’re stuck, to explain why they’ve arrived at an answer, to help a classmate, they also have the chance to stretch their sense of their own capabilities and see themselves grow.”

The New Teachers Project, The Opportunity Myth

 5. Spark connections through discussion

Classroom discussions also help students realize that their learning doesn’t occur in isolation. Such aha moments often happen through meaningful social interactions with teachers and peers alike. Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory emphasizes the role of society and culture in learning outcomes and how it occurs first through interaction with others.

Nearpod activities spark peer-to-peer conversations, think-pair-share opportunties, and small-group deliberation to leverage the social dynamics of learning. Collaborate Boards and Polls can promote class discussions, highlight anonymous answers/responses from peers for analysis, and encourage collaboration that can continue “offline.” With Nearpod, meaningful discussion underscores diverse perspectives, encourages opinion-taking, and encourages active listening and probing questioning. Today’s 21st-century skills center on the 4Cs: communication, collaboration, creation, and critical thinking (P21 (now part of Battelle for Kids)).

Create effective instructional experiences with Nearpod

No teacher wants passive, disengaged students in their classrooms. We aspire to tease out the curious learner and to show them how personally satisfying a learning experience can be. We’re the tapestry weavers making those cross-curricular connections and showing how what’s attained during instruction has real-world significance and application. In doing so, the key benefit of active learning in the classroom is that students become agents of their own learning pursuits.

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.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post 5 Impactful active learning strategies for the classroom appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

What is the great debate around the Science of Reading?

Let’s start with the basics: what is literacy? Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak, and listen. Over the decades, schools have shifted to adopt new theories and philosophies. Phonics, whole language, or balanced literacy are all monikers for how educators can teach students how to read. The Science of Reading (or SOR) is not a program. It’s the culmination of decades of research supporting a return to a highly structured set of approaches rooted in decoding skills and language comprehension. It is grounded in efficacy-based research, deconstructing how and why particular models of instruction work.

Balanced Literacy Vs. Science of Reading

For years, balanced literacy sought to find a middle ground between the pendulum extremes of phonics-first and whole-language advocates. Teachers shared their toolbox of strategies with students, from decoding to “three-cueing” to leveled readers. Yet such programs have been hard to evaluate in terms of efficacy. SOR education practices shies away from the popular guided-reading approach touted by Lucy Calkins and Jan Richardson in favor of an explicit focus on decoding and language comprehension.

Research shows that reading, unlike talking, is not a natural process for children. It takes more intentional instruction to achieve desired results and goals. Proponents of the Balanced Literacy vs Science of Reading point to the recent decline in reading scores as evidence that the prevalent methods of reading instruction over the past decade have failed. The Science of Reading emphasizes the importance of mastering foundational skills through a structured literacy approach to ensure effective strategies for learning to read.

Why is the Science of Reading important right now?

It’s hard to argue that we’re not in a reading crisis. Reading skills have declined in districts and states nationwide to historic lows. The learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic widened reading and math achievement gaps. It spotlighted the increasing discrepancy for Black, Hispanic, and other students impacted by educational inequalities. EdWeek reported that student results from the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showcased that a third of 4th and 8th graders can’t read at the “basic” achievement level, which is the lowest. 70% of teachers of those 4th-grade students reported using remedial measures a couple of times a week. According to the results, even top readers have made little progress over the past three years. This lack of growth and widening gaps have turned educators and parents’ attention to what can be done differently regarding the SOR.

This map shows students from grade 4 scoring below basic in reading, by state:

What is the Science of Reading?

Many states have now adopted a much more rigorous approach to reading. The SOR approach zeros in on developing five core skill sets for emergent and beginner readers: fluency, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, phonics, and comprehension. It harkens back to 1986’s The Simple View of Reading research by Philip Gough and William Tunmer, which underscores the importance of two components: decoding and language comprehension. Think of it as an equation—reading comprehension is a product of decoding and language comprehension: RC = D x LC.

The algorithm’s simplicity belies the intricate and sophisticated sensemaking of letter sounds, words, and sentences. Dr. Hollis Scarborough’s 2021 Scarborough’s Rope Reading further details how the two intertwine, scaffolding skills and building toward automaticity.

With the SOR, instruction involves dedicated time and a systematic and intentional method of seeking out teachable moments for literacy across the curriculum. This evidence-based approach encourages educators to lean on what matters and what works. Turning research into practice, however, is not without time, effort, and money.

Here are the 10 components of the SOR:

• Print concepts
• Phonological awareness
• Phonemic awareness
• Phonics
• Spelling
• Fluency
• Vocabulary
• Oral language skills
• Reading comprehension skills
•  Background knowledge

To better understand Science of Reading strategies, look at this downloadable to refresh your understanding of key concepts and terms. Remember, there is no specific curriculum or program, so you’ll want to work with your school community to determine how to fold in these demonstrated methods.

How are states implementing the SOR?

States are falling victim to the age-old problem of education stumbling over change management. Many are pushing this newer school of thought with little explanation. Such harried rollouts breed confusion, suspicion, and defensiveness. Teachers are told to change their “best” practices and beliefs without time to make connections to the new methodologies. Timelines, incentives, and compensation are not being offered equitably. This push-and-pull pits educators against one another, and against change in general.

Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, and Mississippi have passed laws requiring a SOR approach. Others are going in with intensive training and Science of Reading professional development, overwhelming an already taxed and deflated teacher population. North Carolina is spending $54 million on a two-year training (LETRS) for all K-5 teachers. A common refrain is, “When you know better, you do better.” Many other states, such as Utah and Virginia, are leveraging ESSER funds to adopt such practices via instruction and training. However, the integration and implementation nationwide are uneven at best.

What are the benefits of the Science of Reading?

Time will tell; the benefits are to be seen. On the positive side, such a common and structured approach based on research should be easier to track and see results. According to a study by Amplify, many students in 43 states are seeing an uptick in the number of students on track to read at grade level by the end of the year.

The Science of Reading curriculum takes a scaffolded approach, promotes reading across the curriculum, and supports English language learners. While school leaders need to think systematically around benchmark assessments, resource allocation, and professional development, they also need to remember that teaching is both a science and an art.

Edtech implementation

Nearpod

According to an ESSA Level II study, 5th and 8th-grade students who used Nearpod had higher ELA achievement compared to similar students in their grade level who did not use it. This makes it an ideal tool when implementing SOR strategies. To explore some related Nearpod Science of Reading activities and lessons, visit the Nearpod library and search by standard. You can zero in on the English Language Arts (ELA) strands of Conventions of Standard English, Vocabulary Acquisition and Use, Knowledge of Language, Phonics, Word Recognition, Fluency, Key Ideas and Details, Craft and Structure, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas, or Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity to start. Consider duplicating a lesson and making modifications to meet the reading needs of your students. 

You can also create your own lesson or activity to target any of the 10 components of SOR instruction. Interactive activities such as Drag and Drop, Matching Pairs, Draw It, Immersive Reader, and audio responses can be used to teach your students fluency, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, phonics, and comprehension.

Here are some examples of lessons teachers can use:

Early Elementary Lessons (K-2)

• CVC Words (K-1): In this lesson on CVC words, students will learn to idenifty the beginning, middle and ending sounds of CVC words.
• Nonfiction Text Features (1-2): In this lesson on nonfiction text features, students will learn about features that help readers make sense of what they are reading.
• Retelling Key Details (1-2): In this lesson on retelling key details, students learn to identify and retell key details in a fiction story.

Grades 3-5

• Parts of Speech (3): In this lesson on parts of speech, students will identify nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives.
• Complex Sentences (3-4): In this lesson on complex sentences, the students will review simple and compound sentences and learn about complex sentences.
• Eight Parts of Speech (5-6): In this lesson on the eight parts of speech, students will define, identify, and use nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, and articles.

Grade 8-12

• Summarizing Texts (6-8): In this lesson on summarizing texts, students how to write a summary by identifying the main idea and key details.
• Annotation and Close Reading Strategies (11-12): In this English lesson, students learn annotation and close reading strategies. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to explain tips and tricks for effective close reading, and will practice annotating excerpts.
• The Paragraph: Concrete Details & Textual Evidence (9-10): In this lesson, students will explore the components of a good paragraph. They will learn to identify appropriate concrete details and practice using them with common transitions to strengthen an argument in a logical way.

Flocabulary

Flocabulary accelerates student learning by building academic vocabulary and comprehension through rigorous and authentically engaging instructional experiences. These K-12 standard-aligned video-based lessons and activities leverage the power of hip-hop, storytelling, and emotional connections to cultivate literacy across the curriculum.

Academic vocabulary is a leading indicator of student comprehension. Flocabulary strategically uses hip-hop as the foundational medium to teach vocabulary and provide the necessary in-context word exposure. While it starts in the video, Flocabulary infuses aspects of hip-hop throughout the lesson sequence. For example, students unlock components of a hip-hop beat while completing the Vocab Game and are tasked with writing a rhyme of their own in Lyric Lab.

The Art & Science of Reading

While we continue to research and seek improved methods for teaching SOR reading strategies — and all subjects—we also need to remember that educators are tasked with molding lifelong learners. In part, when it comes to literacy instruction, they need to promote a love of reading, extol the beauty of wordplay, and develop an appreciation for storytelling in children. We know that one size does not fit all in education. So we need to rely on quantitative and qualitative data and make time for continuous feedback and reflection inside and outside the classrooms to create skilled readers and masterful literacy educators.

Nearpod believes teaching is the most important job in the world. That’s why we’ve created a platform to help teachers engage every student. Nearpod offers 22,000+ rigorous lessons, videos, and activities used by 75% of school districts in the United States alone. If you’re ready to unlock the full instructional power of Nearpod at your school or district, we’re ready to talk!

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post How to decode the Science of Reading appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

In June, we celebrate Pride Month. The month was chosen to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. While Stonewall was not the beginning of the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, the event is often considered a tipping point that helped raise awareness and galvanize people and groups to the cause. 

For Pride Month and LGBTQ+ History Month, teachers play a pivotal role in fostering inclusive schools where all students feel safe and supported. With a commitment to LGBTQ-inclusive education, educators can help increase representation and create environments where every student can thrive. Below, we’ve curated resources you can use to celebrate LGBTQ+ history in the classroom during Pride Month and all year long.

Pride Month and LGBTQ+ history resources for teachers

Nearpod has curated free resources and Pride Month activities for students to help teachers celebrate Pride Month and LGBTQ+ history in the classroom.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

LGBTQ+ and Pride history lessons

All of these Nearpod lessons can be found in our Pride Month resources lesson folder. We recommend teachers preview these resources, as some of the topics covered may be emotional or sensitive for some students.

Families and identities

• Different Types of Families (Grades K-2): In this lesson adapted from Learning for Justice, students explore how families all over the world have similarities and differences. They discover how diversity can help their communities and ways to celebrate diversity.

• Pronouns and Gender Identity (Grades 4-12): People use pronouns to identify themselves to others. This Nearpod Original Video provides an overview of gender identity and gender-neutral pronouns. Students will consider why it is important to recognize people’s personal pronouns.

• My Aunties: Father Figures (Grades 9-12): In this Windows & Mirrors mini-lesson, students watch a StoryCorps video about Stefan Lynch, who was raised by gay parents in the 1980s during the AIDS epidemic. Students consider how Lynch’s story can serve as a window, a mirror, or both for them. (Sensitive content)

Historical figures

• Marsha P. Johnson lessons (Grades 9-12): This Flocabulary video and the corresponding Nearpod mini-lesson introduce students to the life and activism of gay and trans rights activist Marsha P. Johnson. Students learn about Johnson’s childhood, her life in New York City, and her involvement in the gay rights movement of the 1960s and ’70s. They explore her legacy and the lack of recognition she received while she was still alive.
• In the accompanying Windows & Mirrors mini-lesson on Nearpod, students will watch the video and explore how Johnson’s story serves as a window, a mirror, or both.

• James Baldwin lessons (Grades 9-12): This Flocabulary video and the corresponding Nearpod mini-lesson introduce students to the life and work of American writer James Baldwin. Students explore Baldwin’s frank discussions of racism and discrimination in the United States and abroad and learn how Baldwin’s refusal to pigeonhole his writing, national identity, and sexual orientation made him a true iconoclast.
• In the accompanying Windows & Mirrors mini-lesson on Nearpod, students can watch the video and consider how Baldwin’s story serves as a window, a mirror, or both.  

• Harvey Milk (Grades 9-12): In this Nearpod Original one-minute video, students learn about Harvey Milk. A host describes Milk’s life and work as one of the first out gay public officials in the US, and students consider his lasting legacy.

• An Unsung Hero of the Civil Rights Movement (Grades 9-12): In this video from TED-Ed, students learn about the life of Bayard Rustin, a leader in the Civil Rights Movement, a gay rights activist, and one of Martin Luther King’s closest advisors.

Pride history

• Stonewall Riots (Grades 9-12): In this video from History, students learn how the Stonewall Inn Uprising sparked the beginning of the gay rights movement in America. They also learn how the LGBTQ community came together to protest exploitation and police harassment.  

• The history of the word “gay” (Grades 9-12): In this video from Origin of Everything, students learn about the history of the word “gay,” including the evolving meaning of the word “gay” and how it entered the mainstream vocabulary.  

• The Gay Rights Movement (Grades 9-12): In this video from Origin of Everything, students learn about the history of the word “gay,” including the evolving meaning of the word “gay” and how it entered the mainstream vocabulary.  

LGBTQ+ resources for teachers

Looking for more? Below, we’ve included additional teacher-recommended resources to celebrate Pride and honor LGBTQ identities in the classroom. Be sure to preview these materials to be sure they meet the needs of your learners, and some of the topics may be emotional or sensitive for some students.  

• Learning for Justice’s Best Practices for Serving LGBTQ Students: On this page, you’ll find a range of valuable resources for fostering LGBTQ+ inclusion in schools and classrooms. The free Teacher Resources contains an LGBTQ library of books and films, a list of historical figures, a glossary of terms, and a school checklist. 

• Queer Icons FREE Bulletin Board Set from Visionary Classroom Decor and The Superhero Teacher: The free bullet board setup comes with portraits of queer icons. Each has a QR code, which students can scan to read biographies. 

• Lindz Amer’s LGBTQ+ resources on Teachers Pay Teachers: Lindz is a GLAAD Rising Star and host of the series Queer Kid Stuff. On this page, you’ll find resources for educators, including a social justice songbook, LGBTQ+ vocab posters, and more.

Start teaching with Nearpod

From implementing Pride Month activities to incorporating LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum, there are numerous resources available to help educators champion diversity and celebrate LGBTQ pride month. By equipping themselves with these tools, teachers can better serve LGBTQ youth and ensure that all students feel respected and valued in their classrooms.

The learning doesn’t end in June! You can use any of these resources at any point in the school year. And remember, a more inclusive classroom benefits all learners, creating more room for empathy and understanding and helping all students feel engaged, valued, and heard.

Happy Pride Month!

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging 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/

The post Teacher resources for LGBTQ+ and Pride history lessons appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

According to an ESSA Level II study, CAASPP scores for math achievement demonstrated significant improvements among students who utilized Nearpod compared to those who did not, across various grade levels:

• 8th graders exhibited higher scores: 2516 compared to 2486.
• 6th graders also showed improved scores: 2501 compared to 2483.
• Additionally, 6th graders with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) displayed enhanced scores: 2424 compared to 2393.

These findings highlight Nearpod’s positive impact on math academic outcomes across different student demographics, making it an ideal platform for a powerful supplemental math curriculum program.

Find the right supplemental resource for your instructional need

Full lesson experience

We know that half the battle in schools right now is finding top-quality resources for teaching and evaluating supplemental programs effectively. Resources need to be flexible enough for teachers to make their own, while still remaining rigorous, engaging, and differentiated to meet the needs of all students in their class. Nearpod Math allows teachers to support their instruction with a standards-based lesson, digitized in a ready-to-teach, problem-based format that keeps students at the forefront of instruction. These lessons provide warm-ups to get students thinking about the standard and topic of the day, then lead to exploration and practice through interactive activities and collaboration with classmates.

Always on the hunt for more

We also know that core instruction may not always be enough to meet the needs of all learners. Teachers likely need more for any given topic, and we’ve got them covered. Find opportunities to practice, reteach, and extend lessons, as well as videos and activities specifically aligned to the standard or topic within you’re working on. These supporting resources allow teachers to highlight a key concept by using a mini-lesson for small groups, showing a short video, or assigning additional practice opportunities in the form of a Time to Climb, Matching Pairs, Drag & Drop, Draw It, or one of our new virtual math manipulatives activities. All of these resources are conveniently organized in one place to help teachers maximize their limited time available to plan instruction.

Confidence-boosting math experiences engage every learner

The role model approach: Math is for me!

Too often, we find students unable to relate to the math classroom. Nearpod Math provides access to role models throughout the offering that look and think like typical math students across the nation. We built a character crew that grows and learns with the students across their K-8 math instruction journey. Through our Oh Now I Get It video series, these relatable characters demonstrate common misconceptions that may occur in the math classroom to clarify their understanding. These characters also walk students through relevant and authentic real-world connections through our Math in Action video series. We are excited for Sammy, Jaden, Willow, and all of their classmates to boost math experiences and engage every learner.

Building conceptual understanding

Our new virtual math manipulatives provide students with a scaffold to solve problems using Color Tiles, Base 10 Blocks, Algebra Tiles, and Fraction Tiles. Teachers are able to use our pre-made activities or make one on the spot to address a specific problem and drive conceptual understanding for students who may need additional support. Teachers can see the student solving in real-time, share student work in real-time, and allow individuals to model their thinking with the whole class. This helps peers become math role models for one another and demonstrate their understanding.

Reducing pressure and anxiety amplifies student voice

With the power of Nearpod, teachers truly have the ability to amplify student voice and hear from every student on every question. This reduces anxiety and allows students to practice without fear or judgment of being wrong. We intentionally integrated opportunities for student collaboration through interactive activities and discussions. With our Live to Student-Paced feature, teachers can release students to complete math activities at their own pace and monitor their progress in real-time. This removes the pressure that the class is waiting for “me” to finish while supporting the students who are able to move swiftly through more practice problems. Teachers decide what’s next because they know their students best.

Teachers drive the path

Flexibility is key when using supplemental resources. With Nearpod Math, teachers get access to high-quality resources that can be customized to meet their unique classroom needs. Not only can teachers edit, remove, or add to the existing Nearpod resources, but they also can create or upload their own to further support small groups, whole-class, reteaching, or enrichment opportunities!

Confident next steps after every turn 

Teaching math is complicated. Nearpod assists teachers in managing classroom behavior by facilitating engaging lessons while supporting teachers in addressing misconceptions before they start. Nearpod Math experiences are rich with real-time student insights, a live teacher dashboard, exclusive content, and on-the-fly instructional tools such as live annotation so teachers can intervene at the moment. Forget the days of teachers reviewing 150+ exit slips a day to adapt tomorrow’s instruction and start seeing where kids are so you can make adjustments in the moment.

Boost student confidence with Nearpod Math

Powered by Nearpod Premium Plus, Nearpod Math is available to schools and districts seeking to solve the “experience gap” found in other supplemental math programs. The program helps your teachers bring 21st-century skills to impact student learning each and every day.  Want to take a deeper look into the features that support boosting student confidence in math?

Pamela Villalba

Pamela Villalba is a Senior Curriculum Manager at Nearpod. She previously served as the Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction at a large urban school district in Central Florida where she led a team of content experts to support over 60 middle and high schools in the areas of professional development, school support, and curriculum within all core subjects. Pamela is currently in charge of supporting Nearpod in creating an innovative offering to support Math teachers across the nation.

The post 6 reasons your school’s math instruction needs Nearpod Math appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

How can technology be used to support ELL instruction?

Technology in the classroom offers a multitude of innovative strategies for teaching English language learners. By integrating digital tools and resources, educators can create a more inclusive and engaging learning environment. Technology for ELL students can help provide personalized instruction and immediate feedback through real-time insights into student learning. Nearpod can enhance language acquisition for ELL students, making the learning process more interactive, flexible, and effective. You can establish engaging classroom routines for repetition, making it easier for students to follow structured activities and boost their comfort and confidence. It also simplifies the process of showing parents their child’s progress with user-friendly reports, even across language barriers. You can also use interactive lessons that include embedded assessments and dynamic media such as Virtual Reality (VR) Field Trip experiences.

Using Nearpod makes technology for ELL teaching a bit less daunting. For instance, Nearpod became integral to Compton Unified School District’s (CUSD) efforts to support English Language Learners (ELLs). Nearpod’s adaptability enabled effective scaffolding of instruction, providing multiple points of entry and immediate feedback crucial for language development. Jennifer Graziano, Senior Director of English Learner Services, emphasized the importance of innovative approaches to teaching language development, advocating for methods that resonate with students’ interests and promote relevance through Nearpod’s tools.

Keep reading to explore 5 impactful strategies for supporting English language learners.

New to Nearpod? Make sure you’re signed up to access these lessons and activities!
Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to explore the English Language Learners K-12 Program and unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

5 Impactful strategies for teaching English language learners (ELL)

1. Make newcomers feel at home with VR field trips

Virtual Reality Field Trips offer an innovative and immersive approach to enhance English language instruction and help newcomers feel at home. These virtual experiences can transport ELL students to various countries and culturally significant locations, providing them with a unique opportunity to explore different environments, practice language skills, and gain a deeper understanding of English in real-world contexts. VR field trips can engage students in interactive and visually stimulating language immersion, allowing them to observe and imagine what it would be like to listen and communicate within authentic scenarios. This not only builds their language proficiency but also fosters cultural awareness and broadens their knowledge base.

Nearpod helps me celebrate newcomers’ diverse life experiences. When a student first joins your classroom, go on a Virtual Reality Field Trip to their home country and virtually tour the world as a class. It helps build classroom community and valuable and diverse background knowledge.

2. Create engaging routines for repetition

Many newcomers spend much of their day just trying to keep their heads above water. What did the teacher say? Why is everyone in my class standing up all of a sudden? Where are we going?

Having routines helps students who struggle with verbal directions. They see familiar content and get started immediately, thanks to the structure and routine.

There are various ways you can implement this as one of your ELL strategies. For example, you can write three consonants on the board daily. Add them to a Collaborate Board and have students list as many English words that begin with each letter sound. Students enjoy getting to “heart,” or like their peers’ posts and respond with comments. Early finishers complete review questions at the end. Using Nearpod to build this routine helps any newcomer feel comfortable and builds confidence. Explore more ways to build easy classroom procedures and routines to engage students.

3. Utilize student data for instruction and parent-teacher conferences

Utilizing student data to inform and implement effective strategies for teaching English language learners is crucial for targeting language development. It helps educators create personalized learning experiences by assessing individual language proficiency levels and tracking progress in specific language skills. This data-driven instructional approach ensures targeted ELL support and effective language development. Nearpod has data reports for the whole class and each student that teachers can use to differentiate instruction and track learning. Additionally, in Nearpod’s teacher dashboard, teachers can see student responses to assessments and activities in real-time.

As an ESL teacher, there are times when I am pulled into last-minute parent-teacher conferences. You should always be able to access students’ performance reports and work in an organized, in-the-moment, and manageable way. Nearpod helps me walk into that meeting confident and prepared. With limited time given to prepare, Nearpod allows me to quickly print out reports. I take them as evidence to show the student’s progress. Even across home language barriers, the user-friendly student reports help parents see how their student’s language skills are growing. These strategies for teaching English language learners will impact students’ language development by analysing their prior knowledge and their learning outcomes over time.

4. Use educational resources you can trust

As an ESL teacher, I work with newcomers across grade levels. This means that when exploring how to support English language learners, we need resources to support many different lessons. Nearpod makes that easier. The Nearpod Lesson Library has an extensive collection of high-quality, ready-to-use lessons. I can use them as-is or edit a few slides to suit specific small-group needs. This is helpful for those times when I receive an update from a homeroom teacher and need to adapt the lesson quickly. You can use the filters to narrow lessons down by grade level, subjects, standards, and activity type.

Additionally, Nearpod’s EL Program includes thousands of lessons, videos, and activities available for schools and districts. In this program, ESL or ELL teachers can use premade content with these supports already built into their favorite Nearpod lessons. Additionally, they can find newcomer-specific content and vocabulary lessons. Explore sample lessons from the program here.

5. Amplify, don’t simplify, with vocabulary support

Teaching academic vocabulary to newcomer students is essential for their academic success, effective communication, and cognitive development. Proficiency in academic language enables ELL students in the classroom to comprehend lessons, excel in assignments and assessments, and engage in critical thinking and discussions. These strategies for ELL students empower them to navigate educational challenges and fully realize their academic potential.

Nearpod helps break down academic vocabulary words and vocabulary instruction in general. From virtual field trips to engaging visual slides, Nearpod allows me to amplify, not simplify, grade-level texts. Instead of giving fifth-grade newcomers a kindergarten passage on the same topic, I will use the same grade-level passage from their teacher. I chunk the text on slides and support each piece with extra visual supports.

Additionally, tools like Microsoft’s Immersive Reader on Nearpod offer valuable support for teaching vocabulary to English language learners. Through features like text-to-speech, translation, and word highlighting, Immersive Reader provides a multisensory experience that aids in comprehension and retention. ELL technologies for learning a new language can help students hear, see, and understand new words, making vocabulary learning more accessible and engaging. One way of teaching English language learners through technology that’s impactful is through the translation feature on this tool. It bridges language gaps, facilitating a deeper understanding of word meanings, and word highlighting reinforces correct pronunciation and context.

Start using Nearpod for teaching English language learners

Implementing dual language instruction in lesson planning encourages students, particularly ELL students, to engage actively in both speaking and writing. By intertwining speaking and writing exercises within dual language frameworks, educators create holistic approaches that cater to diverse learning styles and linguistic backgrounds, maximizing the effectiveness of teaching strategies for ELLs.

As an ESL and ELL teacher, supporting newcomers with effective teaching is an immensely rewarding experience. By leveraging technology, educators can create a more inclusive and engaging learning environment for ELL students. Tools like Nearpod can support the instruction of language acquisition and honor students’ native languages through interactive lessons and activities.

New to Nearpod? Make sure you’re signed up to access these lessons and activities!
Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to explore the English Language Learners K-12 Program and unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Melissa Sienko

Melissa is an ESL teacher in a large, urban district in the Southeast. She enjoys using effective Ed Tech to address the needs of a diverse ELL population. Before becoming a resource teacher, Melissa was an upper elementary literacy teacher for several years and taught EFL in Japan.

The post 5 Impactful strategies for teaching English Language Learners (ELL) appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account below to access quality, standards-aligned lessons and create your own interactive lessons and activities. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

5 Ideas for creating virtual field day activities and games using edtech

1. Kick-off field day with Interactive Videos

Videos are a great tool for any virtual field day. Create an Interactive Video for each event or activity where the rules or instructions are given. These videos can also include demonstrations of how to do field day events. Let’s be honest; most people are visual learners, right? If you aren’t feeling too creative or you don’t have the ability to create your own videos, that’s okay because Nearpod also allows you to embed videos from YouTube. You can make videos interactive on Nearpod by embedding formative assessment activities or questions for students to answer before, after, or during the video as they watch. if you’re teaching an online course, use Interactive Videos to double-check students understand the rules for field day games, report scores and successful completions, or help them follow along!

2. Have students share about their day with Draw It

Using the drawing assessment: Draw It on Nearpod can be fun for students and useful for teachers. Images can be used to help students track their scores or times (if that’s relevant to the activity). The Draw It tool also allows students to upload pictures of themselves completing the activities and can be a fun way to share their day with those who are field day planning.

3. Stay connected with Flip

Nearpod has integrated with Flip, so while students can’t embed videos of themselves playing right into the Nearpod, virtual field day activities, and games can still be collaborative events. Prompts for the Flipgrid can range anywhere from “Tell us about your favorite event” to “Show us your favorite event,” where students can demonstrate an especially successful attempt. Using Flip gives students the opportunity to feel like they are a part of something bigger than their backyard and allows them to see how other students did in the events.

4. Wrap up field day with Polls, Quizzes, and Post-Session Reports

Formative assessment sounds like something that shouldn’t be associated with a virtual field day because it should be a day with less content and more fun! That may be true, but there are still benefits to using these tools. Don’t test students or expect a grade but use them to gauge how successful the day was for your students. Which events did they enjoy? Which were hard to understand? How did they change the field day activities to be more challenging or easier? Share the data you collect with your community via social media with Nearpod’s easy-to-understand graphs. These options also allow you to gain feedback from students, teachers, and parents about what worked, what didn’t work, and if they have any ideas for future virtual field day games.

5. Have students use Student-Paced mode at home

Nearpod gives users the opportunity to have a lesson be used Live or Student-Paced. Parents of your students may work different hours, and not all be available at the same time to complete a synchronous event. Making the virtual field day, Nearpod Student-Paced means that families can access the fun anytime when they can be together. The students won’t feel like they “missed” field day games if there was a specific time or date they had to access it.

Here are a couple more ideas on what to keep in mind when planning a virtual field day:

• Plan events that use household items that most homes would have to avoid students skipping events. You can also suggest a variety of objects to use.
• Set a “Field Day” date but make it flexible for when the student can participate.
• Make a hashtag to share with the community, and it will be one more place where families can share their day.
• It takes a village. Between creating videos, setting up and planning the Nearpod, and monitoring, you will need some backup.
• Participate! You did all this work, and now you’re just going to watch others enjoy it? No way! Families love to see teachers and administrators playing along with them.
• Need ideas for field day games or events? Check out OPEN National Field Day!

Create virtual field day activities with Nearpod

Virtual field day. Although it may seem like an oxymoron, it is completely possible to create and execute. You can do it. Using the tips given above will give you a good starting point. Nearpod has all the tools you need to keep everyone organized and make it a successful day that students will remember forever.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account below to access quality, standards-aligned lessons and create your own interactive lessons and activities. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Brittany Deas

Brittany is an elementary physical education teacher who has become a master at incorporating technology into her classroom. She has used Nearpod since her first year of teaching and is a Nearpod PioNear.

www.brittanydeas.com

The post 5 Ideas for creating virtual field day activities using edtech appeared first on Nearpod Blog.