Plagiarism and Ethics Module: Part 2- 21st Century Tools

Nearpod is a great digital tool that allows educators to engage with their students online in a safe and efficient way.


One of the great things about Nearpod, is that it can be accessed by both teachers and students simultaneously. While in the classroom, students can use the following link: https://nearpod.com/student/ to access the online classroom. When students visit the link, they are prompted to enter their classroom code. Once students have entered, teachers are able to view all of the students' work and receive an alert when students exit the application. This allows teachers to ensure that all students are remaining focused on the assignment.


Nearpod also makes learning fun and interactive. Students can take part in virtual field trips and see models close up. Teachers can make slideshow presentations with links to videos as well as educational games that help gauge and support learning. This website allows teachers to create quizzes and polls to check their students' understanding of the material. Teachers can ensure the class is ready to move on to the next assignment by evaluating their scores on quizzes made through Nearpod.


Instead of a simple presentation on one screen, this application allows students to have the presentation on their own device as well. Once students are entered into the lesson, the teachers device will notify them of how many students are following the presentation. If a student decides to back out of the lesson and visit another website, the teacher's device will be notified.


Nearpod is a very basic website. Teachers will put the URL up on the board as well as the specific code for their presentation. Very limited knowledge is needed for this tool to be successful in a classroom making it perfect for students that are beginners to using technology. Once the students are entered into the presentation, the teacher will control the presentation from their device. This allows the teacher to go as fast or as slow as they desire. The teacher can also determine how extensive the presentation is. For example, if this is the first time using Nearpod in the classroom, the teacher will need to give instructions on how to click on links, explore models, etc.


Nearpod aligns with the Grade 5 Alabama Digital Literacy Standards number 20: Collaborate locally and globally using online digital tools under teacher supervision. Nearpod allows students and teachers to simultaneously use the same application to communicate information while also allowing teachers the opportunity to oversee student responses and interactions with the site.


I discovered this tool through a recommendation from a colleague.


For more information on how to use Nearpod, click the following link:
https://nearpod.com/how-it-works/