For educators and students engaging in racial equity and social justice

Our features and content offerings support CRP. Collaborate Boards and Polls invite students to express themselves to their teachers and peers, elevating student voice and fostering connections. Our Racial Justice collection features free lessons that aid in antiracist teaching with rich historical content and social and emotional skill-building to ensure safe and productive discussions.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free to access standards-aligned resources from 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.

What resources do we have for you?

Our Racial Equity & Social Justice collection contains 100+ free lessons, activities, and videos to support antiracist teaching and learning from the Nearpod team and our trusted partners like Teaching Tolerance, iCivics, Common Sense Education, and Flocabulary.

In the folder, you’ll find lessons on:

Biographies on the lives and contributions of Black Americans

Media-based activities to build critical thinking and reflection skills

American history & civics topics to give context for today

SEL skills to help students engage in compassionate and productive conversations

Professional development workshops to empower teachers in this challenging work

5 Teaching tips and resources for racial equity and social justice

Teachers are dealing with a lot (as if they weren’t already!). And now, while many schools are prioritizing racial equity in education, there isn’t a designated time in the day to teach it. Here are some implementation guidelines that foster a safe learning environment, no matter your schedule.

1. Establish classroom norms and common vocabulary

For learning to occur, students must feel respected, included, and connected. To establish a welcoming environment, set norms with your students. These will help you approach sensitive and difficult topics together. Examples of norms might include: “First we seek to understand, and then to be understood,” and “We are learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.” Encourage student participation by using a Collaborate Board to crowdsource and vote on classroom norms. You can also use Nearpod’s Developing Empathy, Following Classroom Rules, and Building Class and School Community lessons to establish guidelines and build skills for engaging in discussions. 

A shared language is also important. Develop a common vocabulary and add to it over time. This might mean defining words like “accountability,” “allyship,” and “equity,” as well as acronyms like POC and BIPOC. Add a Matching Pairs activity to provide an opportunity for students to practice and review key vocabulary before engaging in class discussion.

2. Tie racial justice to core subject areas

Racial justice affects all of us. Below are some tips for incorporating racial equity topics and themes into your instruction across academic subjects.

English Langauge Arts (ELA)

As you read fiction and nonfiction, ask students to consider whose story is being told and whose is silenced. What is the historical context for the work, and how does that context play a role in the text? Who is the intended audience for the story, and how does that shape the telling of it? Center texts and voices from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Integrate Black authors into classroom instruction with Nearpod’s lessons on Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou. Lessons on James Weldon Johnson and Rosa Parks provide opportunities for students to practice reading comprehension skills while learning about Black historical figures.

Social Studies

In studying any event or period in history, consider whose perspective is being centered. Are there any racial or ethnic groups that are left out of the story? Use one of our Flocabulary Topic Spark lessons, like Katherine Johnson, to feature diverse perspectives, hidden figures, and leaders and activists in the ongoing fight for racial justice. Use iCivics lessons to help your students understand how political and social systems function and change, which is a key context for learning about Civil Rights struggles.

Science

Teach students about the contributions of Black inventors and scientists. Use our lesson on George Washington Carver as a starting point. Consider the ways in which science and technology have sometimes supported racism, such as the false belief that race is a real genetic difference among humans or facial recognition technology that tends to misidentify people of color. Then, discuss how advances in science, technology, and engineering can help when advancing racial equity. For example, in what ways have cell phones with video capabilities helped advance social causes? What new inventions can students imagine that would help further this progress? 

Math

As your students explore data and statistics, discuss the real-world applications that pertain to racial equity. What data exists or would be needed to quantify the problems that stem from racial inequality today? How can they analyze this data to better understand a situation, and how can they use mathematics to help represent these issues? Use our STEM by the Numbers lesson to analyze racial representation in STEM fields through the lens of data analysis. You can also bring your students’ lived experiences into the classroom. Look to the local news for charts, graphs, and other data and ask students to answer questions based on them.

Elementary

Elementary students are not too young to learn about topics like race, diversity, and respect. Research shows that when parents and teachers avoid these topics, children come to their own conclusions based on the world around them, which often promotes racist ideas in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. We have lessons specifically designed for elementary students, like Discovering My Identity and Different Types of Families, that use vocabulary and examples that are relevant and appropriate but do not oversimplify the central concepts. 

3. Use multimedia for culturally relevant teaching

We process new information by relating it to our own experiences and interests. By including diverse perspectives, cultures, and narratives in your instruction, you help ensure all students have access to the connections needed to process information effectively and meaningfully. You can use Nearpod’s multimedia, such as virtual reality, video, and web content, to integrate culturally relevant content into your classroom instruction.  

“Culture, it turns out, is the way that every brain makes sense of the world.”

Zaretta Hammond in Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain

In Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain, Hammond describes three levels of culture: surface culture, shallow culture, and deep culture. Surface culture is observable and includes elements of culture, such as food, art, and holidays. Using Virtual Reality (VR) Field Trips, you can transport students anywhere around the world to explore surface culture hands-on.

However, it is also important to discuss what aspects of culture are not visible in a VR image. Specifically, analyze whether the media includes shallow culture, which is unspoken rules, like types of non-verbal communication. Does the media include deep culture, which are the assumptions that control our worldview, including ethics and spirituality? To integrate deeper levels of culture, consider using primary source media, like video interviews and podcasts, and including SEL topics, like perspective-taking and appreciating diversity. We recommend exploring our Perspective Analysis lessons. These quick activities are centered around one piece of media designed to build critical thinking and reflection skills.

4. Build community with collaborative activities 

If you have dedicated time each week for homeroom, study hall, or advisory, you can integrate racial equity and social justice discussions and continue the conversation all year. Using Nearpod’s interactive features, you can provide all students with the opportunity to voice their thoughts and discuss difficult topics productively. Encourage participation by hiding student names and share out student responses to keep the conversation going outside of devices. Get creative and design activities that meet your classroom needs.

If you’re looking for inspiration, you can check out the examples below!

Use a poll for a quick temperature check of the room.

Launch a Collaborate Board for students to make their thinking visible.

Share out student responses from a Draw It to promote further discussion.

Add a Time to Climb into your lesson to bring the class together in a gamified learning experience.

Some prep work for teachers

Many teachers will be having difficult conversations about race, racism, and bias for the first time, right alongside their students. And it’s not going to be easy. Many resources are available at the intersection of race, culture, and education. Here are a few tools for self-learning from Nearpod and organizations, authors, and educators we trust as experts in the field. 

Nearpod and Flocabulary

• Access Flocabulary’s Racial Equity & Justice Education Resource Guide, where you’ll find more than 40 lessons and helpful implementation tips to support you in bringing racial equity and social justice themes into your instruction.

Additional teaching resources

• Reflect on your identity with this exercise from Teaching Tolerance and understand your identity and the identity of your students as the lens through which learning takes place. Consider the racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds that make up your classroom. Teaching Tolerance is a great resource for educators, and we recommend exploring the website. 

• Read Zaretta Hammond’s book Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain, an accessible dive into the science of how the brain learns best and how educators can support their students’ achievement.

• Read Chris Emdin’s book For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood… and the Rest of Y’all Too. Dr. Emdin is known for passionate, thoughtful presentations about his research areas, so check out recordings of his speaking engagements, too! 

• Watch the Teach Your Heart Out Town Hall — A Conversation on Racial Justice for an honest discussion among educators on their own experiences of racism in the classroom and concrete examples of how educators can work together to combat racism in their day-to-day work. 

• Use social media to connect with and learn from your peers. Follow the #EduColor hashtag, used to facilitate “intersectional discussions of race and education.”

Let’s learn from one another!

What have you learned on your antiracist teaching journey? What are you eager to learn more about? We want to hear from you. Do you have a new implementation suggestion or a different perspective to share about one of our recommendations? Please contact us at contentalert@nearpod.com and let us know! It’s important that we have dialogues to grow, consider new perspectives, and take action in support of racial equity and teaching social justice so we can ensure the best for students. We also encourage you to engage with peers on these important topics.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free to access standards-aligned resources from 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.

The post 5 Teaching tips and resources for racial equity & social justice appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

While these topics are teaching and influencing our generations to come, the conversations and lesson plans surrounding Black history education should be seamlessly integrated into our regular curriculum and highlighted all year long. There is no need to wait for a designated month to educate our youth on powerful African American figures because they are not just Black heroes; they’re American heroes.

Interactive activities and lessons for Black History Month

Nearpod has free lessons that spotlight Black heroes and historical figures. They’re perfect to use to celebrate Black History Month or year-round. Check out our hundreds of free lessons, and read on for more resources and how to use them!

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free to access standards-aligned Black History Month resources from 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.

Teaching Black History Month activities in February & year-round

While Black history should be integrated throughout the curriculum all year long, it is beneficial to use the month of February to emphasize Black history. We have a dedicated month to acknowledge it. Let’s use this month to build connections and dig deeper into historical events and significant people.

With each of the following points, Nearpod offers a wide variety of classroom resources to help you teach Black history in the most effective, engaging, and unique ways.

1. Teach about important historical figures

Black history is American history and should be taught as that. This history is not limited to the abolition of Slavery or the Civil Rights Movement – there is so much more. We should be teaching students about Black activists, musicians, scientists, and doctors who have shaped the course of history. For example, students should know about Katherine Johnson, a trailblazing NASA mathematician. Johnson was an African American woman who played a vital part in calculating orbital mechanics to launch the success of the first and subsequent U.S. spaceflight.

Here are some lessons we recommend checking out:

• Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, & 9-12: In this Social Studies VR lesson, students will explore the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and the impact that his life had on the world.

• Grades 5-12: In this 25-30 minute Nearpod featuring Flocabulary Topic Spark, students are introduced to Katherine Johnson through a hip-hop video and Nearpod’s signature interactive features. This lesson features the Flocabulary video Katherine Johnson & the Human Computers.

• Grades 6-8: In this ELA VR lesson, students will read Langston Hughes’ poem Dreams and explore how context can enrich the meaning of a poem.

• Grades 6-12: In this 25-30 minute Nearpod featuring Flocabulary Topic Spark, students are introduced to John Lewis through a hip-hop video and Nearpod’s signature interactive features. This lesson features the Flocabulary video John Lewis & Nonviolent Action.

• Grades 6-Higher Ed: In this current events lesson, students learn about Supreme Court confirmations and the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. (Sensitive)

2. Have meaningful conversations and discussions

In any lesson, it is important to sometimes avoid lectures or passage reading and provide students the chance to discuss related topics. This is especially important when we want to honor often underrepresented history when teaching Black history in school. Share stories that make room for student discussion, elevating all students’ voices. You can use Nearpod features like Collaborate Board to create a safe and open space for students to discuss. Take it a step further by reading our Racial Justice Resource Guide, which shares implementation strategies to build community and a safe space for students to discuss these topics.

3. Make connections to the present day

In order to make history resonate with students, there needs to be a valiant effort to make it relevant. Using history to learn, grow, and change perspective. We can make connections with great Black leaders and provide them with an outlet to explore historical challenges as they pertain to us today. Explore our Perspective Analysis Lessons to deepen students’ critical thinking skills by unpacking their own perspectives presented in text and other media.

4. Infuse social and emotional learning

Aside from educating our students about Black history, events, and people – what about molding culturally empathetic students through social and emotional learning (SEL) skills? As teachers, we know that our responsibilities span far beyond academics. We are shaping future generations. With that, we can teach empathy, compassion, tolerance, and respect. What better way to teach these characteristics than through historical events and perspectives using Black History Month classroom activities?

Here are some lessons we recommend checking out:

• Grades K-5: In this 25-30 minute Nearpod featuring Flocabulary Topic Spark, students are introduced to race through a hip-hop video and Nearpod’s signature interactive features. This lesson features the Flocabulary video “What is Race?”

• Grades 3-5: In this Teaching Tolerance lesson, students learn about empathy and identify ways to be more understanding toward others. Students explore how empathy can help them connect with other people and create a better community.

• Grades 3-5: Listening is more than just hearing! In this Just a Minute Nearpod video, students learn about active listening. A host explains what active listening looks like, and students consider the steps they can take to show speakers they are listening.

• Grades 3-5: In this Teaching Tolerance lesson, students consider identity and culture in stories and evaluate the diversity in characters in a book. Students consider ways to get their school to use books that represent a diversity in characters.

• Grades 9-12: In this Teaching Tolerance lesson, students read an article by Clarence Page discussing the changing demographics of the United States. They consider actions they can take to promote respect and strive for equality for all people living in the U.S.

5. Participate in Flocabulary’s rap contest

Amplify student voice with Flocabulary’s Black History Month Student Rap Contest! Flocabulary’s high-quality video-based lessons captivate students and create an impactful and memorable learning experience by harnessing the power of hip-hop music, visual art, storytelling, humor, drama, and poetry. In honor of Black History Month, they have an annual contest where students submit a rap about an unrecognized or famous Black historical figure, and the winner will have their work turned into a Flocabulary video! If you’re looking for a unique project or assignment to have your class complete, consider entering students in this contest.

Teachers can submit on behalf of students and don’t need a Flocabulary account to enter. The contest opens on February 1st, and submissions close on February 29th. Click below to learn more!

Start teaching Black history with Nearpod

As we enter February, highlight Black History Month activities. Use the resources provided, and have those conversations. My challenge for you is as February blows by, like any other month, continue the discussions, topics, and lessons. Don’t stop because it’s March 1st. We can bridge the gap between academics and humanity, and that will create a generation of great change.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free to access standards-aligned resources from 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.

The post Teaching Black History Month activities in February & year-round appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

What is school climate?

School climate refers to how the school’s stakeholders are feeling about the school. It represents the current temperature—quite literally, whether the staff, students, and families are feeling hot or cold about their personal experience. School climate surveys can take into consideration the campus and facilities, the curriculum and services, as well as the leadership, staff, and overall community of students and their families. There is always a myriad of factors and variables that can affect school climate—the school’s atmosphere or mood—each and every year, so it is important to get a regular pulse on such feedback to better understand the patterns or deviations.

What is the difference between school climate and culture?

Sometimes, we hear “school climate” and “school culture” being used interchangeably, or they are lumped together in one utterance. However, culture vs. climate in schools is quite different. School climate is the current temperature of a school, as rated by its primary stakeholders. The school climate can fluctuate yearly due to internal and external factors. The goal is to maintain a positive school climate.

School culture, on the other hand, is more aspirational. A school’s mission statement or philosophy usually sets the tone, and as the school administrator, you can create short- and long-term goals that ladder up to what you want your school’s culture to be. Sometimes, school culture is referred to as the personality of the school—what beliefs, values, and practices the community tries to uphold. And again, a school is inclusive of the campus, the curriculum, the certified and classified staff, the student body, and the families. It includes the tangibles like structures, resources, and services, as well as the intangibles like spirit, attitude, and behavior. The goal is to outline and develop a positive school culture.

How to create a school climate survey

Each spring, consider how to design a comprehensive survey that takes into account various stakeholders’ perspectives and opinions. As part of the design, you will want to plan on when and how to disseminate the survey and how best to crunch the data. You’ll want to land on a design that you can use year over year, to best compare apples to apples—otherwise, it can be difficult to ascertain true progress. Consider creating a task committee once you have the data so that you can begin to make data-informed decisions and create a plan of action that will increase buy-in.

How Nearpod can help improve school climate

Once you have administered the school climate survey by following the steps below and analyzing the data, Nearpod can help you take the next steps. First, use Nearpod to communicate the results with your stakeholders via a shared presentation. You may want to embed a video thanking participants for their feedback. You can add rich multimedia graphs and visuals to highlight areas where your school is doing well and those that need improvement. You can share your presentation via a code or QR code so that everyone can visit and revisit the information. Second, you may want to ask a few follow-up questions to gain even more clarity. Use a Poll to get a quick pulse on a new idea or to take a vote. You could also use Open-Ended Questions and Draw It to amass more qualitative responses.

You can also be responsive to teachers’ school climate needs by using Nearpod for interactive professional development to host in-person workshops or offer asynchronous learning or enrichment experiences. Similarly, you can address students’ identified needs by suggesting interactive Nearpod lessons or modifying existing activities. With spring marking the onset of state testing, you can create original content for test prep needs to fill learning gaps or address concerns shared in the school climate survey feedback.

New to Nearpod?Administrators can schedule a call to learn about the full instructional power of Nearpod for your schools and districts. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons.

8 Steps to implement school climate surveys effectively

1. Determine your demographic data set

In order to slice and dice survey results, you will want to ask a concrete set of demographic questions of your survey takers each year. You will want survey takers to choose their primary role: administration, certified staff, classified staff, student (you could bifurcate by grade), and parent/guardian. With such a designation, you can filter the data results by role to determine how a survey taker’s role affects their input.

You may want to ask how long they have held such a role and how long they have been at your campus. Often, newcomers have a steeper learning curve, which can affect their opinions and perspectives. Likewise, a long-time participant can have more fidelity or, conversely, be more complacent. 

Asking demographic questions upfront will help you design the survey with logical rules, meaning you can serve specific questions based on their identifying factors. For instance, you may want to know a bit about a new staff member’s prior recent teaching experience, which may help contextualize their feedback. Look at examples of other surveys online—they don’t have to be school-specific—to see what types of analogous demographic questions are required.

2. Add a personal note as a survey description

At the top of most surveys, you can add a description. Use this space to add a personalized note from you, the school leader, thanking your partakers for spending the time on the survey. Reiterate that you are looking for honest and candid feedback so that the school can take constructive steps to improve itself. Underscore that your school is built to serve and support all, so every opinion is valid and valued. 

You may even want to word it as a letter to better position the survey takers’ mindset before they begin. Make sure to give an estimate of time required to take the survey, so that they are prepared beforehand to finish the survey—incomplete survey results should not be counted. Be profuse in your gratitude and share how you plan to digest the feedback into an actionable improvement plan.

3. Make it optional to share personal identifying information

While you should make most of the school climate survey questions “required” in order to move on to the next question and complete the survey, make the sharing of a name, personal email, and phone number optional. Most will opt into sharing, and knowing where feedback came from can help you follow up and dig for more details. You also can address the most problematic feedback head-on if you know from whom it came. Don’t require names and emails, as it can color the feedback early on and make survey takers hesitant to be candid. You may be surprised at how many willingly share their contact information.

4. Ask for quantitative feedback followed up by qualitative

You will want a mix of question types in your school climate survey. Quantifiable questions are closed and have definitive answers—yes/no, true/false, rank: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. In most cases, you can tally the results and get quantifiable data in terms of percentages or numbers. Qualitative questions are open-ended, so their responses must be read and deciphered individually. 

A good rule of thumb is to ask a quantifiable question and give definitive answer choices. Then, use a logic rule to follow up on the good and the bad. For instance, if someone ranks a service the best at a 5, follow up by asking, “Why were you so pleased with this service?” If someone ranks a service the worst at a 1, follow up by asking, “Why did you feel that we failed you with this service?” Often, a ranking has clear causation, and you can pinpoint reasons for such good/bad feedback. Extreme respondents, those with opinions on opposite sides of a spectrum, often offer the most actionable feedback, and by addressing their needs, you can meet the needs of all those who fall in between.

5. Make an action plan

Before you send out a survey, you need to determine an action plan for what will happen after you get the school climate assessment results. Often, those who administer the survey end up drowning in survey data. They ask the questions, gather the data, and then sit on it. Don’t fall into the trap of data paralysis. Proactively form a task committee to review and try to make sense of the data. Form a cross-functional committee of volunteers, with all stakeholders represented. Their deliverable can be to create a list of recommendations to address the school climate feedback. Make sure to share their recommendations far and wide so that survey takers will know that their input has been heard and that the school is committed to improvements year over year.

6. Set a firm deadline

Now, with a survey designed and an action plan set, begin your communication plan about the annual school climate survey. Be very clear in your communications about when the survey will close. You can share such information in typical ways, such as newsletters and emails. You may also want to be innovative and post QR codes around the school hallways. 

Just as you would share a Nearpod lesson, you can share a Nearpod survey. Consider sharing the URL, the participation code, or the QR code. Send it in an email as a newsletter, or share it on the school website.

Set an internal goal of how many stakeholders you would like to have participate (X% of the staff, X% of the student body, X% of families) and tailor the messaging accordingly. You may even want to post and share about the level of participation. If needed, you can always extend the deadline at the last minute. Still, ideally, your communications should be straightforward and convincing enough that everyone will take the time to participate and engage.

7. Look for trends and patterns

Once the data has been gathered, look for patterns and outliers. The trends, patterns, and one-off perspectives may be new or tried and true, for better or worse. As you crunch the data, use visuals such as bar or pie charts to help you internalize the good, the bad, and the ugly. Don’t shy away from asking the hard questions or facing the candid facts. As you probably have heard from your mother’s advice, frame the feedback in a way that shares the most critical and constructive first, then ends with a high of all the positive and glowing comments. Definitely highlight examples of positive school climate as identified by your survey takers.

8. Act

Plain and simple: Make sure to act on the feedback. Once the data has been summarized, it is your job as a leader to incorporate it into an overall school improvement plan. Awareness needs to be followed by a commitment to action. And it helps to compartmentalize the steps—for example:

• What can you do before school ends? 
• What can you do before the next school year starts? 
• What can you do in a year’s time? 

Clearly communicate the reason behind any extended timeline (budget, training, board approvals, etc.) so that a delay doesn’t become misconstrued. But be clear in your communication of what you plan to address, how, and when. The worst sign of lack of progress is repeated poor survey remarks on the same issue year after year.

Explore the best practices for how to provide teachers with effective feedback in this blog post!

Improve school climate with Nearpod’s support

School climate is critical to a school’s success, whether you’re looking through a leadership lens or that of a student. A positive school climate can lead to increased student attendance and engagement, increased teacher retention, and improved community involvement. Your goal is to make sure everyone has a voice to provide feedback at the end of the year and that they feel they have been heard. Your first year or two using school climate surveys may feel like a trial, but the feedback (or holes in the feedback) will help you strengthen your survey design for the coming year, and if needed, you can always send out a short-format follow-up survey. Such dedicated annual efforts will help your whole school community learn how to create a positive school climate. Good luck!

New to Nearpod?Administrators can schedule a call to learn about the full instructional power of Nearpod for your schools and districts. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons.

The post 8 Steps to Implement School Climate Surveys Effectively appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

With Nearpod, you can explore premade Valentine’s Day activities and lessons fit for your classroom. Download SEL activities to teach strategies like mantras and growth mindset, plus other freebies to use with your students!

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account 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.

Fun Valentine’s Day activities for students in your classroom

1. Practice self-love and kindness through social and emotional learning

Nearpod’s social and emotional learning activities are easy to implement into your class routines all year, especially on Valentine’s Day. Integrate social and emotional learning activities to practice skills like positive interactions, gratitude, and reflective moments into daily learning to help create safe, inclusive, and effective classroom environments. When SEL practices are thoughtfully selected and used authentically, they have greater power to be effective. Download these Valentine’s Day activities for schools to use on February 14th or year-round.

Here are activities you can use:

• Use the How to Spread Kindness activity for grades K-2 to draw or write one way they can spread kindness.
• Watch the Mantras Just a Minute video for grades 3-8 to teach students how to be confident.
• Practice self-love with an Art Therapy Activity video for grades 6-8.
• Watch Abby Caddaby’s Sesame Street video for grades K-2 to learn how to self-hug.
• Use this virtual reality (VR) lesson for grades 6-8 to teach students self-assertion and practice techniques for advocating for themselves.

2. Write to someone special using Time to Climb Valentine’s Day cards

We’ve created printable Valentine’s cards with characters from students’ favorite educational game, Time to Climb! Share them with your students or your colleagues, or give them to students to share with each other (and they’re also cute in black and white!). You can print them out, share them digitally, or post them on social media!

3. Play educational games with the Time to Climb Valentine’s Day Theme

Use gamified assessment tools, like Time to Climb, for Valentine’s Day games and activities for students. Every February, we release a seasonal Valentine’s Day classroom game theme with a lovely new background, animation, and music. Students love choosing new themes and characters whenever they play! Build community, excitement, and healthy competition in your classroom by making Time to Climb a routine in your classroom for reviews, bell ringers, and exit tickets.

4. Teach about the history of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day has special traditions we practice every year to celebrate love. But why does this holiday exist, and what does Cupid have to do with it? Give students the background and history of this holiday with our lessons.

In this Valentine’s Day lesson, students learn about the origins of the holiday and how it is celebrated in the United States. They also learn about Valentine’s Day symbols. Click here to download the lesson for Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5.

5. Teach core subjects with a Valentine’s Day twist

Using Valentine’s Day lessons shouldn’t limit you from your day-to-day instruction. With Nearpod’s lessons, you can still teach about your common core subjects such as math, science, English language arts, and social studies.

Use these lessons:

• Multiplication – Valentine’s Edition: In this lesson for grade 3, students will use arrays, repeated addition, skip counting, and equal groups to solve multiplication word problems with a heart-shaped theme for celebrating Valentine’s Day.
• Romeo and Juliet: In this Crash Course Literature video for grades 8-12, students learn about Romeo and Juliet, including the Aristotelian definition of tragedy and Shakespeare’s decision to set the play in Italy. They also learn and identify iambic pentameter. (Mature references)
• How Do I Love Thee?: In this lesson for grades 9-10, students learn about Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem “How Do I Love Thee?” They make connections with the text in order to identify key details and understand the text more deeply.
• The Ladybug Love-In: In this video from Deep Look for grades 4-8, students learn about the huge gatherings of ladybugs where they do more than hibernate, and it’s their best chance to find a mate.
• An Introduction to Valentine’s Day: In this EL Content Companion lesson for grades 3-5, students use scaffolds to learn about Valentine’s Day. The lesson contains language, social-emotional learning, and content objectives, along with targeted vocabulary instruction.

Start using these Valentine’s Day activities for school

We hope you found these Valentine’s Day ideas for schools helpful! We’re so excited to see you use these activities and resources in your classroom to celebrate with your students. You can access these activities and lessons through a Nearpod account.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account 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.

The post Fun Valentine’s Day activities for students in your classroom appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account 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.

How can I make test prep review fun for students?

Utilizing technology in the classroom can support fun ways to prepare students for state testing to create a sense of excitement in any classroom. We must remember that our students are digital natives, and technology is second nature to them and their educational experiences. For many of our students, technology is expected, not an addition to their work at school. Children regularly use technology to communicate, share pictures and videos, and look up information that is pertinent to them. We must use this connection with technology, not fight it.

While it is vital that test prep activities are designed to engage all students, it is equally important that they also address and target standards for individual state testing assessments such as PARCC and CAASPP. Broad summative assessments only inform educators about one point in time. Students need to engage in a multitude of ongoing formative test prep assessments to ensure progress toward content mastery and confidence. Assessment variety should include gamification, categorizing, real-world connections, collaboration, multiple response type quizzes, and opportunities for students to engage in Social Emotional Learning (SEL) activities and brain breaks. 

5 Fun ways to review for test prep in the classroom

1. Spark excitement with educational games

Gamification in assessments can bring about an increase in student engagement. Friendly competition sparks excitement as well as engages students in an interactive setting. Time to Climb is an educational game appropriate for all ages of students. It can be used for targeted test prep linked to state testing requirements. Create your own review games and questions linked to a specific standard, or use an activity bank tied to specific learning targets.

Time to Climb allows students to receive immediate feedback on their progress through the activity. At the end of each timed question, students see if they got the correct answers or not. This immediate feedback will give them the information they need to be successful when answering the subsequent questions in the activity. Additionally, teachers can instantly see which students are being successful and which students need more support. You can even pause the activity in order to engage in a teachable moment if many students are struggling. Time To Climb is a great exit ticket or culminating checking for understanding activity during test prep season in order for you to be able to link progress or regression on a specific standard to an individual student.

2. Make learning interactive with Drag and Drop activities

Having students categorize information is a high-yield learning strategy. Key terms and vocabulary can be used in these activities to support test prep and content mastery. This type of activity supports learning by having students identify similarities and differences through categorizing, labeling, and matching.

Drag and Drop allows students to move either words and phrases or pictures into categories. One of the most powerful aspects of Drag and Drop is the ability to upload backgrounds. This helps to personalize the activity in order for teachers to target specific standards and learning goals. In using customized or downloaded backgrounds, students can drag and drop the names of capitals into states or countries, odd and even numbers into corresponding buckets, and vowel or consonant blends into words. Drag and Drop is a truly universal tool that can be used in all subject areas.

Matching Pairs activities give students the opportunity to connect vocabulary words with definitions, link together cause and effect properties, and practice math facts for faster memory recall. Take these test review activities for high school, elementary, and middle school students by having them submit their own vocabulary terms and content ideas for their peers to engage with. This creates a greater sense of learning ownership and inclusion.

3. Combine VR and simulations with interactive lessons

By using Nearpod in a test prep environment, students can annotate their thinking through interactive features such as the Virtual Reality (VR) Field Trip and PhET Simulations. By doing this, students are making their thinking visible to teachers and engaging in fun ways to review for a test. Combining these types of elements allows students to utilize higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy and reach the upper levels of Webb’s Depth of Knowledge.

For example, having students explore the tomb of Ramses III using VR Field Trips, noting the hieroglyphics on the walls. The teacher or individual students can take a screenshot of the hieroglyphics from the activity and post the picture on a Draw It slide. Students can then annotate their thinking on the picture by drawing on the slide or using a text box.

You can also take students on a nature walk using Virtual Reality (VR). On their exploration, students can identify certain types of foliage, ground coverings, and tree lines. By using a screenshot of the VR experience, students can then annotate on a Draw It to expand on their thoughts. By conducting this type of activity, students have more control and choice when it comes to their answers. 

The same notion can be applied to PhET Interactive math and science simulations. Students can complete the simulation and then take a screenshot of their work. For example, one of the simulations has students creating a shape with tiles of different areas and perimeters. Once students create these shapes, they can take a screenshot of their work, upload it to a Draw It, and then explain how each shape meets the required criteria.

4. Get real-time insights using multi-format quizzes

Multi-format quizzes are a more standard method of test prep. However, ensuring that data is tracked will help both teachers and students ensure that progress is being made. On Nearpod, Quiz content can be created to align with state testing standards and mirror testing formats of state assessments. Teachers can also monitor student performance data in real time from these formative assessments and address misconceptions at the moment.

Quizzes can be used in multiple ways to stimulate excitement and engagement in the classroom. Use quizzes for bell work as a way to both pre-assess as well as create an exit ticket to ensure that students leave for the day understanding the concepts covered during the instructional day.

One of the most powerful ways to support students while using quizzes is to insert reference media at the moment to give students a way to research the answer. Insert videos, websites, audio clips, pictures, and more alongside quiz questions to stimulate higher-level thinking. Mirror testing protocols from state and national assessments, getting students used to using different types of questions and answers format.

5. Temperature check the room with polls

Polls can be utilized to check the temperature of the room during test prep season. Create a Likert scale poll asking students how they are feeling about their level of knowledge of a certain content standard. This activity will help tests decide if they want to move forward with content delivery or pause to reteach certain elements. By having students self-assess their level of understanding, it helps to put them in the driver’s seat of their own learning journey. Leverage data-driven instruction and use the insights from students’ answers to create small groups for the next classroom review.

6. Make time for brain breaks!

Empirical research indicates that regular brain breaks from seat work help to increase knowledge retention and engagement during an activity. This is especially true in the younger grades, where teachers need to break instruction into small, digestible chunks in order to encourage retention at high levels.

Work in VR Field Trips into lessons that have students explore a beach, gardens, or other calming images to help relieve stress and to allow them to take a brain break. Students can then express their feelings in a Draw It or a Collaborate Board in order to support one another. Time To Climb can be another fun test prep idea to break up the stress of test prep by providing students with an entertaining, competitive outlet.

Another great way to give students a brain break is to bring movement into the classroom. Create a slide that takes students through a physical or breathing exercise, allowing them to disengage from academic work for a short period of time.

It’s time to make test prep review fun for you and your students

Test prep is often thought of as a necessary evil in education. However, Nearpod can make test prep interactive, engaging, and fun for all students, regardless of age or current ability. Access informative data to help inform the next steps with an instructional review or selecting individual students for reteach opportunities or intervention. By increasing engagement, teachers can get 100% of their students involved in test prep activities, leading to more successful learning outcomes for all students.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account 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.

The post 6 Ways to make test prep review fun for students appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Formative assessments collect student data that provide insights teachers can use to inform the next set of instructional strategies, often making adjustments in real-time. Student assessment outcomes may indicate that teachers need to modify or even scrap their instructional plans in order to revisit or reteach concepts. There are many different types of assessments, from diagnostic assessments to summative assessments to authentic assessments. However, formative assessments are a common method teachers use for monitoring student progress daily.

Formative assessments provide teachers with real-time indicators of progress (or lack thereof) to make data-informed decisions when it comes to individualizing and personalizing instruction. These assessments can be active learning strategies—thumbs up or thumbs down, polls, quizzes, and the ever-popular “exit tickets.” But formative assessments are not just for teachers! They can also empower students using formative assessment to track progress themselves. Based on the frequency of formative assessments, students have more intel to drive their own learning journeys; they can seek out supplemental resources or practice materials depending on whether they are looking for more challenges or further support.

How to monitor student progress during a lesson

Teachers are ever observant and vigilant in monitoring student progress during a lesson. They can make observations about a student’s level and type of participation. They may use strategic questioning to gain evidence of student thinking and when tracking student progress. Many use active learning strategies such as think-pair-share to encourage collaborative learning and allow for peer-to-peer learning and feedback. Through such continuous analysis, teachers also can provide actionable feedback to students on an ongoing basis.

One of the hallmarks of Nearpod is that the comprehensive platform provides educators with real-time formative assessment data to monitor and modify instruction throughout the day. Allowing them to make “in the moment” instructional decisions to support student needs. Nearpod offers nine types of formative assessment:

• Drag & Drop
• Draw It
• Open-Ended Question 
• Quiz
• Poll
• Collaborate Board
• Fill in the Blanks
• Matching Pairs
• Time to Climb

The formative assessment data from these interactive features can be tracked whether a teacher is delivering a Live or Student-Paced Lesson lessons. When launching Live lessons, the content is synced across all student devices, allowing teachers to see every student and identify misconceptions. With Student-Paced lessons, students work at their own pace while teachers keep a finger on the pulse of individual students’ performance on activities, quizzes, and homework assignments. With both delivery methods, teachers can find comprehensive post-session reports via the Teacher Dashboard or downloadable CSV or PDF files.

During a Live lesson, click on Teacher View in the top right corner to see student responses to activities and assessments. You can share answers (anonymously, if you prefer) to highlight exemplars or address misconceptions. During a Student-Paced lesson, you can “View Progress” via a lesson code for any student in real-time.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account 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.

7 Tips for monitoring student progress with real-time formative assessment data

1. Choose the formative assessments that will provide the right insights

As mentioned above, formative assessments vary in format from strategic questioning and observations to engaging activities and assessments. Teachers employ multiple techniques and strategies depending on the format, content, and cadence of their lesson plans. The key is to pepper formative assessments throughout instruction so that students are actively participating and you are receiving feedback about individuals and the whole group.

Nearpod offers a variety of features that can help teachers use formative assessments when monitoring student progress throughout lessons. Consider how you might use Polls during an anticipatory activity to gauge prior knowledge of a new concept. Then, weave in an activity learning strategy like Collaborate Board throughout a lesson for quick checks of understanding. As an exit ticket, create a short multiple-choice Quiz or ask an Open-Ended Question to evaluate whether student learning objectives were achieved (and by whom!). These insights can help with data-driven instruction methods.

2. Embed formative assessments into lessons or stand-alone activities

Formative assessments can be bite-sized as well as more comprehensive. The trick is to immerse yourself in the many formative assessment strategies (see these active learning best practices to start) so that they become natural touchpoints for you to depend on throughout your daily instruction. Many say that teachers have eyes in the back of their heads, and while this sixth sense can help with classroom management, it can also help progress students toward reaching their goals.

Within a single Nearpod lesson, you can add a slide featuring a quick interactive check for understanding, like Fill in the Blank, or you can use Time to Climb to conclude a lesson with a bit of fun competition. Or, you might design a learning experience around a single activity. For instance, you could use Draw It to kick off a K-W-L chart or a Collaborate Board to capture small group work on a particular concept or problem. On Draw It, teachers can view students’ responses and data in real-time and share responses on students’ screens for discussions.

3. Provide feedback to individual students

Formative assessments provide teachers with rich data; then, the question can be, “Now what?” In addition to leveraging formative assessment data to design the next steps in instruction or even for planning a reteach, you can also intervene in the moment with targeted feedback. A continuous feedback cycle ensures that students stay engaged as you support them and boost motivation to strive toward their goals.

Nearpod’s feedback feature, Live Teacher Feedback, helps you provide such a continuous feedback cycle so that students don’t have to wait for support, encouragement, and praise. You can expand the toolbar on Draw It to add stickers or annotations to students’ work and responses within Nearpod. Screenshots of your feedback will appear in the associated student reports and notes as well. Students will be able to see your feedback in real-time, which helps them learn from errors and misconceptions, ask questions, and try different strategies.

4. Share student work

Many teachers appreciate the notion of “show what you know” when it comes to asking students to demonstrate their understanding, proficiency, and mastery of a new concept or skill by sharing their work. Teachers can use examples of student work to highlight where common missteps can occur. They also can share examples to showcase exemplary work or to applaud innovative thinking or self-expression.

Students can submit their work using the variety of interactive activities found in Nearpod. Tools like Draw It provide students a choice in how they demonstrate their learning based on their ability or preference, through drawing, writing, typing, or images. Teachers can share student work on the devices to encourage them to demonstrate their skills while developing mastery. Collaborate Board encourages peer-to-peer learning as well as peer-to-peer feedback. This feature is used as a digital discussion board where students share responses using text or images while commented on with their peers’ posts. Both tools provide evidence of student thinking that the teacher can monitor and share with other students.

5. Monitor class performance to check understanding

Teachers strive for student engagement, but the reality is that students’ attention can wax and wane throughout a lesson for many reasons—from the commotion outside a school window to the lack of personal interest in a topic. Therefore, teachers are masterful at weaving checks for understanding throughout even an hour of instruction. They may incorporate subtle personalized learning strategies to gauge understanding while also giving students voice and choice about what to pursue so they can take ownership in furthering their learning, whether that be asking for more support or seeking out a new challenge.

Nearpod’s Teacher Dashboard provides a turnkey way for educators to check whether or not students have started an activity or lesson and how they are progressing. Having formative assessment data analysis for progress monitoring student growth means that you can make informed decisions in the moment about how to challenge or modify instruction for a student, a group of students, or the entire class. You may choose to pull one or many together for a quick mini-conference to individualize the learning a bit more.

6. Adjust learning in the moment

In a popular Friends episode, Ross yells out, “Pivot!” at the top of his lungs. Teachers are nimble and applauded for their flexibility in response to classroom needs. By continually weaving formative assessment strategies into monthly, weekly, and daily lesson plans, teachers can rely on real-time data analytics to make informed decisions about what to teach next and how to do so. Additionally, integrating tailored standardized test prep into these strategies empowers educators to effectively address and reinforce key concepts necessary for student success.

Remember, you can duplicate and modify any existing Nearpod lesson. You may choose to add more interactive activities on the fly to boost your formative assessment strategies within a particular lesson. During Live lessons, you can also launch the Whiteboard for a more collaborative and visual discussion. Also, you could use the Live Annotation feature to highlight, draw, or type on content slides in real time to encourage more interactivity and model for students.

7. Use lesson data to differentiate

Teachers know they have a diverse classroom when it comes to varying personalities, ages and stages of development, and ranges of abilities. The first day of school is filled with anticipation as teachers meet their learners often for the very first time. With such a group of individuals in mind, teachers nowadays avoid “teaching to the middle” regarding skills or being a “sage on the stage” preaching to the crowd. Instead, they try to personalize and individualize learning plans, so much of their lesson preparation is thinking of ways to differentiate instruction based on anticipated needs. 

The real-time data collection that Nearpod provides means that teachers can differentiate instruction, targeting support and challenges accordingly. Many teachers plan for such differentiation, yet the data means that they can employ such strategies as needed in the moment, preemptively avoiding frustration or disengagement. Nearpod empowers teachers to recognize and address differentiation and thereby provide a more tailored and targeted approach to instruction. Nearpod supports needs-based decision making in classrooms and schools, and aligns with intervention approaches such as response to intervention (RTI) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS).

Start using Nearpod for monitoring student progress

Periodically reassessing goals is essential for both teachers and students, as goal setting can evolve or expand over time. Teachers’ and students’ goals can shift or stretch at any time, but it is best to take this moment to reflect on what the data says in order to make informed decisions for the last half of the year. Formative assessment examples can be a teacher’s best friend when it comes to encouraging student participation, connections, and confidence building. Student engagement grows when they make progress and their curiosity is sparked. Explore new ways to use Nearpod’s nine formative assessment tools during the rest of this school year to help you monitor progress and enhance instruction.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account 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.

The post How to monitor student progress with real-time formative assessment data appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account 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 history of standardized testing?

Regardless of one’s age, most of us can remember the careful bubbling in of bubbles with standard #2 yellow pencils on standardized tests. There were various techniques — outside in, inside out, but with stern warnings to make sure the lead-filled bubble shape would be able to be read by a scantron machine. While testing protocols have changed with age, many educators and students still shudder at the thought of spring state standardized tests. So, how best to fortify and prepare school communities for state standardized testing?

During the early 1800s, standardized testing became the norm (no pun intended) as teachers shifted from oral exams to writing, and students were entering college, the military, or the workforce. Horace Mann theorized that standardized tests could help identify and replicate the best teaching methods. Yet after about a century of testing in schools, critics in the 1930s began to question how the efficiency of standardized tests was overshadowing the quality of instruction.

Early tests such as the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test, the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED; now known as the Iowa Assessments), and the American College Testing (ACT) led up to national legislation called the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1965. ESEA was designed to fund primary and secondary education while emphasizing high standards and school accountability. Over the decades, it has been amended and reauthorized. With No Child Left Behind in 2001, standardized state testing had grown to be high stakes for reading and math. With testing in grades 3-8 and once in high school, educators deplored what now felt like they were “teaching to the test.” Then in 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was passed, and there was an emphasis on lessening testing but still focusing on academic outcomes (read more about key provisions).

Why does standardized testing matter?

While opinions can differ regarding the pros and cons of standardized testing, they are designed to provide a universal baseline and benchmarks for comparison, whether amongst individuals, grades, schools, or districts. The tests provide common standards for everyone to aspire to. Standardized tests can also demonstrate progress definitively, promoting more confidence in facing obstacles like learning loss due to the pandemic.

When there is a lack of progress, the data can support a change in programming or increased professional development. Furthermore, states allocate targeted funding, which schools can take advantage of through title grant opportunities to help address gaps, provide intervention, or fortify available resources. Consider sharing how you analyze the data each year to assess and address your school’s needs. You may want to involve your educators in analyzing the scores and drawing conclusions as you look forward to the next school year.

Test Prep with Nearpod: A Process, Not an Event

Watch Nearpod’s pre-recoded webinar for administrators focusing on supporting and building teacher confidence as they prepare students for success during state standardized tests.

During this video, learn how principals can support teachers Nearpod with:

• Identify common standard deficiencies through formative assessments and robust lesson reporting
• Access standards-aligned quality lessons, videos, and activities to improve student outcomes and close learning gaps
• Incorporate regular instructional experiences to better prepare students for the technology they will experience on the test

8 Ways administrators can support teachers’ test prep strategies

Regardless of your opinion of standardized testing, all stakeholders in a child’s education can feel the stress. To ease the anxiety — from student to parent to teacher alike — we have compiled a list of suggested test prep strategies that you, as an administrator, can adopt to support teachers. There are some definitive steps your school community can take in preparation for the April/May testing time frame. And do remember, testing is a process, not an event. How can principals support teachers when prepping for standardized tests? Keep reading to explore 8 test prep strategies you can utilize schoolwide.

1. Reframe the conversation to build confidence

Begin working test prep strategies into daily discussions to avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed at the onset. Testing is not for the faint of heart, so share ways to model how to develop one’s own sense of resilience or hardiness. Remind everyone that these tests should illustrate how much a student has progressed over the school year due to their teacher’s stellar instruction. To build teacher and student confidence, share these three C’s from Dr. Salvatore Maddi of the Hardness Institute:

1. Challenge refers to seeing problems as challenges as opposed to overwhelming threats.
2. Control describes handling tough situations by feeling powerful and taking action.
3. Commitment means staying motivated and committed even through difficult times, pushing through obstacles with intention.

– PsychAlive

2. Understand the design of the tests

Make sure that all of your stakeholders understand the design of these tests, the schedule for testing, and how to interpret the results. Have candid conversations about the current learning gaps and expectations for student performance, especially with new teachers:

• Norm-referenced testing (NRT) compares a tester’s knowledge and skills to the norm group, a.k.a their peers, by referencing the scores. When it comes to student standardized tests, these norm groups are usually a nationally representative sample of thousands of kids in that same grade; sometimes, the groups are narrowed down by socioeconomic status, ELL status, or race/ethnicity. 
• Criterion-referenced testing (CRT) measures a student’s knowledge or skills against a predetermined score, goal, standard, or another criterion. They are not measured against one another, nor does their performance affect another’s results. Most commonly, students’ scores are categorized as “basic,” “proficient,” or “advanced.”
• Both types of testing, NRT and CRT, can be standardized. ​​Standardization means that there are uniform procedures for both administration and scoring to ensure that results are comparable between different test takers.

Technology doesn’t have to be a barrier during testing. Through edtech tools, teachers can customize formative assessments to create sample tests that get students familiarized with questions they’ll see on a test. Nearpod can be used to prepare students for the standardized testing experience. Teachers can recreate test prep questions for familiarity using digital formative assessment tools such as Open-Ended Questions, Multiple Choice Questions, adding Reference media, and Draw It for annotating. You can customize the look and format of the questions to match what students will see on their exams. Additionally, principals can support educators in incorporating Nearpod into their daily instructional to boost students’ test-taking strategies.

3. Socialize best practices

Remember that you may have new teachers in your ranks who could learn more about how they can best support their students during testing. State testing protocols have changed, and taking tests on digital devices requires a new level of computer literacy so that the tools don’t hinder the students’ focus.

Using Nearpod in a targeted way will help familiarize students with using technology as part of their learning journey. Plus, the standards-aligned lesson plans and built-in assessment tools can help teachers identify gaps to address before testing begins. Your teachers can use Nearpod to experiment with mimicking test question and answer formats so that students are more prepared with the types of questions they will be asked.

Share the following article with your new teachers and veterans in a weekly newsletter or during an upcoming staff meeting. Ask them what else they would add to this list of tips to ensure a smooth and productive testing period.

4. Create rotation stations

First, consider which of Nearpod’s formative assessment techniques will help to identify any “gaps.”

• Conduct Polls to assess students’ readiness to learn
• Mix in Drag & Drop or Matching Pairs instead of multiple-answer choice questions
• Use Quizzes as exit tickets at the end of a lesson or school day

Nearpod’s ability to provide insight with real-time data will help teachers take discrete yet progressive steps in staying ever-vigilant and nimble in their daily instruction.

Next, remember that you can search for Nearpod lessons by standard, which is helpful when trying to target key skill sets. Discuss which instructional materials might be most helpful, and figure out ways to share these resources between the classrooms. Consider how adaptive technologies might be able to support small group or individual instruction with practice tests and activities. With test prep strategies in mind, you may also consider collaboration with after-school programs for their support.

Lastly, brainstorm how your grade levels can collaborate during instructional time to refresh concepts with students. Create rotation stations in classrooms centered around mini-lessons to provide a bit of extra practice. Explore how classrooms could dedicate time to rotation stations that leverage small group work, peer-to-peer instruction, and parent volunteers.

5. Fortify inspirational learning environments

Most teachers know they need to cover or remove instructional aides that adorn classroom walls during testing for test prep strategies. Instead, work with your educators to have students create meaningful messages and personal mantras that will motivate them and give them that extra boost of encouragement. Use a Collaborate Board to encourage mindful discussion, and then have students use Draw It to create their own signs. Help classrooms find exemplary quotes from role models. Classrooms can display these new posters or construction paper chains with each student’s personal messages.

6. Encourage healthy habits at home

Remind your students’ families how they can best support their kids during the testing period, and share some of the tips and strategies in Nearpod’s Take-Home Folder. Encourage your teachers to share the My Sleep Log, where the kids can mark their bedtimes and when they wake to assess better how many hours of sleep they are getting (remember, awareness is half the battle!). By getting enough hours of sleep, kids can have the energy and stamina to power through a long day of testing. Remind your school community’s families to limit screen time and maximize outdoor time so that kids are refreshed and alert to face hours of testing.

7. Model de-stressing techniques

As always, teachers are great role models to show how best to recenter one’s emotions at the moment. As a test prep strategy, model and practice some of the following techniques in staff meetings so that teachers can do so in their classrooms:

1. Elephant breathing — While this technique is quite elementary … it is quite effective! Stand with feet apart and dangle your arms in front of you like an elephant’s trunk. Breathe deeply through your nose as you raise your arms above your head. Breathe out through your mouth as you swing your arms back down. Repeat!
2. The Thinker — Cross your wrists to grasp your hands, then twist your clasped hands under so that you can pin between your chin and chest, hugging your elbows tight.
3. Pressure points — Simply press both thumbs to your middle fingers simultaneously, or use your dominant hand to grasp your other and press your thumb into the center of your palm.

8. Prioritize self-care

We know prioritizing self-care has been echoed over the last couple of years. Still, we need to equip our student and teacher bodies with myriad strategies so that each individual can find what works best for them. Build teacher confidence and develop student well-being by encouraging moments of mindfulness, practicing breathing techniques, and identifying favorite “ME TIME” activities.

And don’t forget to normalize the conversation around mental health and mental well-being. For all stakeholders, work to build a school culture where such wellness conversations occur openly and often. Share ways to support these types of dialog so that the other person can feel safe and supported.

“The mental health and well-being of teachers can have a really important impact on the mental health and well-being of the children who they’re spending most of their days with,” Green explains. “Having teachers feel safe and supported in their school environments is essential to students learning and being successful.”

– NPR.org

Start using these test prep strategies as support for teachers

There is no doubt that testing is a stressful time for students and teachers. However, there are forward-thinking strategies that school leaders can employ to ease the anxiety. The challenge is having a plan in advance that supports student and teacher understanding and mental health well ahead of all the details that go into administering the actual tests! As a school community, discuss which test prep strategies will provide support for your new teachers, your veteran teachers, your families, and your students.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account 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.

The post How administrators can support teachers’ test prep strategies appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Digital Learning Day is the last Thursday of every February. This year, it will be on Thursday, February 15, 2024.

Digital learning is the practice of using technology to enhance learning experiences. Teachers regularly employ technology to transform learning in their classrooms. Digital Learning Day is an excellent opportunity to share how you utilize tech in your classroom, encourage colleagues to explore your favorite educational technology tools, or even try something new!

We want to acknowledge the incredible dedication of teachers who continually strive to master digital instruction, empowering their students across various settings. Digital instruction has evolved significantly in the past three years. Our mindsets and tools have undergone substantial changes. Teachers swiftly adapted to virtual instruction, engaging with students in new and meaningful ways despite numerous challenges. This year and beyond, let’s celebrate our teachers above all else!

Keep reading to explore digital learning materials and educational resources teachers and students can access.

Digital Learning Day free resources and activities

Nearpod is the perfect edtech platform to use with your students. Get real-time insights into student understanding through interactive lessons and formative assessment activities.

We’ve compiled a list of Digital Learning Day activities and ideas you can use in your classroom with Nearpod to celebrate. Click here to download our one-pager to explore tech tools such as interactive activities, formative assessments, digital citizenship lessons, and more.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account below to access the resources and activities shared in this article! Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Engaging Digital Learning Day activities and resources

1. Start simple with a digital interactive activity

Even one activity can bring excitement. Nearpod’s tools and resources help teachers access and create high-quality lessons. If you’re looking for a simple way to participate in Digital Learning Day, here are some ideas:

• Place a Matching Pairs activity at the very beginning of your lesson. It’ll be the first thing your students see when they join the lesson, giving them something to work on immediately. This way, you can focus on getting all your students where they need to be, and the rest of the class gets a little game-based reward for punctuality.
• Create a classroom discussion with a Collaborate Board activity. Students can share ideas with a larger audience as they discover selected topics.
• Have students show their creativity with Draw It. Let them express their thoughts using text, images, annotation, and highlighting.

2. Share your digital learning experience!

We want to hear about how digital learning has impacted you! Use one of our social media templates to share with your community and empower other teachers by sharing what you wish you had known before, what you know now, and a tip to help a fellow teacher related to digital instruction. Whether you teach in-person, hybrid, or online learning, this template is for you.

Tag @nearpod and use the hashtag #DLDay to share your experience with other educators and us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

3. Practice good digital citizenship

Nearpod opens the door for digital instruction beyond the walls of the classroom. Nearpod allows students to practice future-ready 21st-century skills. Teachers can empower students to reflect on their digital learning environment using our digital citizenship lessons. Teaching digital citizenship and literacy enables students to think critically and participate safely, appropriately, and responsibly in the digital world.

4. Try Nearpod’s Whiteboard during a live lesson

Nearpod’s Whiteboard can be used during a live lesson to launch a virtual whiteboard at any time in a lesson. This is one simple way to make your digital lessons and activities more interactive! Teachers can model for students or address a misconception on-the-fly, while students follow along. Anything you draw, write, or type on the whiteboard will show up on a student’s device in real-time. For Digital Learning Day activities, consider using the Whiteboard to model math problems or create a Venn Diagram live during a lesson.

5. Try a gamified quiz with Time to Climb

Ready to get your game on? Time to Climb is Nearpod’s gamified quiz that takes student engagement to the next level. With Time to Climb, students’ characters race to the top of a mountain, and teachers surface formative assessment data at the same time. You can up the competition and engagement while you access and measure student understanding. Try a premade Time to Climb quiz from our standards-aligned content library, or create one of your own within minutes! Use Nearpod’s digital tools to create engaging lessons to help students reach their learning goals.

Continue to use Nearpod in your classroom

Technology is becoming an essential resource for classroom learning. There are many benefits to using digital technology in the classroom, such as streamlining workflows, elevating student engagement and participation, and more. With Nearpod, the possibilities are endless. You can create your own interactive lessons and activities while getting insight into student learning in real-time. To continue to use Nearpod beyond Digital Learning Day, sign up below for a free account.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account below to access the resources and activities shared in this article! Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

The post Celebrate Digital Learning Day with edtech activities and ideas 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 style focuses on strict rules, high control, and clear expectations, but it might stifle creativity and discourage independent thinking. In contrast, the authoritative approach combines firm guidelines with a supportive environment, fostering discipline while allowing for student autonomy and creativity. On the other hand, the permissive 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. Each style has its strengths and weaknesses, highlighting the importance for educators to strike a balance tailored to their students’ needs and the 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, exemplified by 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.

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

What is personalized learning?

The definition of personalized learning can vary. However, the U.S. Department of Education (2016) describes personalized learning as “instruction in which the pace of learning and the instructional approach are optimized for the needs of each learner. Learning objectives, instructional approaches, and instructional content (and its sequencing) all may vary based on learner needs.” The shift is in making instruction less teacher-centered and more student-driven. Barbara Bray and Kathleen McClaskey outline in their Stages of Personalized Learning Environments (PLE), Version 5 how agency is developed through seven elements: voice, choice, engagement, motivation, ownership, purpose, and self-efficacy.

This notion of agency goes hand in hand with personalized learning. Agency speaks to someone feeling they have control of and influence over their behaviors and actions; they feel they have the capacity or the ability to “get there” on their own. Personalized learning is often indiscriminately exchanged with individualized learning or independent learning, yet the terms vary just a bit in terms of intention. With personalized learning, the goal of instilling a sense of agency is foremost in educators’ minds. Personalized learning starts with the learner.

What are the benefits of personalized learning for students?

Due to the varying approaches to and definitions of personalized learning instruction, the body of research is slowly growing yet promising. However, it is commonly believed that the benefits include improved student outcomes and changes in attitudes, motivations, and behaviors. Early research by RAND Corporation and the Gates Foundation found positive indicators of student achievement. By the end of the 2014-15 school year, students who participated in personalized learning experienced a 3% improvement in both mathematics and reading. Particularly, those who began below the national average made substantial progress, nearing and eventually surpassing the national norms within two years. Regardless of achievement level, all students passed their comparison students in reading and math performance.

The role of technology in personalized learning

Technology plays a key role in personalized learning. One of the benefits of today’s modern technologies is the platforms, products, and tools that remove barriers so teachers can reach each and every individual student. With technological advancement, instruction can follow the learner’s lead and support with more individualized materials. Plus, with a much broader access to content, learning becomes more personalized to address the learner’s interests and curiosities. Technology allows for continuous monitoring and modifications, empowering educators to make more data-informed decisions.

Nearpod, a comprehensive K-12 platform, gives teachers personalized learning technology through its tools to actively engage students across the curriculum through its vast library of lessons and activities and its interactive features.

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.

How to create a personalized learning plan using student agency examples

1. Voice

Often, teachers may talk about giving students “voice and choice” in the classroom when it comes to personalizing learning. The voice aspect speaks (literally!) to allowing students to share opinions and perspectives on what they want to learn about. What do they want to dig into? What do they have questions about? How do they want to learn more? By tapping into a child’s passions and curiosities, educators take an interest-driven approach to education. A turnkey example is found in many elementary classrooms when teachers give their students time for “Free Choice Friday,” a block of time during which students can engage in one of several learning centers or activity options. Students become contributing participants in their own learning journey.

Nearpod is a comprehensive learning platform in part because of the wealth of lessons and activities it provides. You can use Nearpod’s interactive assessment features to gain insight into what students want to learn more about. Use tools like Collaborate Board, Polls, or Open-Ended Questions to ask this question and see student responses in real time.

Next, search the lesson library to find a lesson that aligns with students’ interests. Across the subject areas and grade levels, Nearpod has a robust library of content to support diverse interests. You can use these lessons as they are or use them as inspiration to create your own. Teachers can search by keyword or filter by standard or publisher, making it simple to find content on a particular topic to feed a child’s hunger for more knowledge. This high-interest, quality content can lead to further engagement and a sense of ownership, responsibility, and increased self-efficacy. This can also lead to improved self-regulation behaviors and practices.

2. Choice

Hand in hand with voice comes choice. By positioning students in the driver’s seat of their own academic success, you can further students’ sense of accountability. They become more invested when they can follow their passions and make and determine what they want to consume and when. Such “voice and choice” increases a student’s commitment to and investment in learning. They begin to employ higher-thinking skills to set higher expectations for themselves. With this deeper engagement, students are more likely to face and work through challenges and setbacks more successfully.

In personalized learning, the learner often chooses or even creates the customized learning activity. Through Nearpod, you can share lesson codes on a choice board and encourage the learner to pick one to pursue at a learning center. Through Collaborate Board, you can present open-ended assignments, focus on project-based learning strategies, or weave in authentic assessment strategies for students. Personalized learning can achieve the same learning objectives but in a variety of different ways.

3. Engagement

Ask any teacher, and they will say that student engagement is a daily goal for their instruction. Without it, teachers have an uphill battle to convince, cajole, and persuade students to be interested and involved. Active learning is a key ingredient to a successful recipe for classroom engagement. With student engagement comes intrinsic motivation to commit to becoming a lifelong learner. Such engagement increases when educators embrace the benefits of personalized learning.

Nearpod has features to create engaging quizzes to check for understanding, exit quizzes, or summative tests. These formative assessment techniques can help you take a more personalized approach to providing support and more challenges to those who need it. With Nearpod’s real-time data, you have insights into which concepts and skills students are grasping or still struggling with.

4. Motivation

While we as educators can provide gold stars and other forms of extrinsic motivation, we all aspire to build students’ intrinsic motivation. Personalized learning plans seek to discover and encourage individuals’ personal passions and interests. We try to find ways to let the student lead their own learning by delving into what they are curious about, seeking out answers to their own questions, and finding personal satisfaction by having that “aha” moment on their own. According to Ryan & Deci, 2020, a child who is more intrinsically motivated tends to be more participatory, more attentive, and more engaged. Such involvement can then lead to more enthusiasm as well as better performance.

Not only can teachers find a wide breadth of content, but the interactive content addresses multiple learning styles, encouraging students to consume, connect, and create in a way that speaks to their strengths. Nearpod offers gamification to help motivate students to do their very best. Interactive activities like the Time to Climb quiz game help increase engagement and friendly competition while assessing student understanding. Such interactivity can bolster intrinsic and extrinsic motivation by providing feedback, encouragement, or reinforcement for completing a task well. You can find premade Time to Climb quizzes in the Lesson Library or create your own.

5. Ownership

Student ownership is just as it sounds—it is when students believe that they are in control of their learning and have a say in their own education. A sense of ownership comes from an established relationship between teachers and students that is based on mutual respect and trust. Teachers work diligently to create such a safe and positive classroom culture. According to the American Psychological Association: “When students feel a sense of ownership, they want to engage in academic tasks and persist in learning.” Many teachers build such a culture by having regular check-ins and mini-conferences with the students. This helps them understand where students are in the learning process, what they need to work on, and how best to achieve success. This pride of ownership translates into a sense of autonomy and independence that has benefits far beyond the classroom’s walls.

Nearpod encourages ownership by helping students reflect on their own learning needs at their own pace with the Student-Paced mode. During any Student-Paced lesson, students can take their time completing formative assessments and exploring informational slides, videos, VR Field Trips, or PhET simulations to cement their learning. This flexibility celebrates students’ achievements as they reach them, unencumbered by time constraints or peer pressures. A student’s sense of ownership complements and plays into the other elements of a personalized learning plan.

6. Purpose

All individuals, young and old, aspire to have a sense of purpose. As kids grow developmentally, they want to make sense of the world and find their place in it. Purpose in the classroom can come through understanding how learned skills have applicability to the real world, today’s society, and tomorrow’s professional dreams. Every teacher has probably heard the resounding refrain, “Why do I need to learn this?” By showcasing how activities and projects can build one’s readiness for life outside of school, students will develop a more sound sense of purpose when it comes to learning.

To support students in defining a sense of purpose, Nearpod can support teachers in providing a continuous feedback loop. Nearpod eases the friction of providing diverse content and adaptive interactivity by offering many different assessment tools. Using tools like Polls and Multiple-Choice Questions, students can self-check their understanding of a topic and gauge their progress toward goals. Couple quantitative data with live teacher input, and students receive continuous feedback to help personalize their instruction. Timely feedback means a student can practice and implement the feedback as immediate next steps, with no gap. The new teacher-to-student feedback feature on Draw It permits teachers to intervene immediately, identify misconceptions, or provide additional support to boost student engagement and achievement. Students will begin to develop their own sense of purpose when it comes to learning.

7. Self-efficacy

Name that movie: “If you build it, he will come.” In Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner’s character exhibited great self-efficacy. At its core, self-efficacy is an individual’s belief in or perception of their ability to reach goals based on their own competencies and behaviors. Therefore, self-efficacy is closely tied to one’s sense of aspirations. However, there are many influencing factors such as past experiences, modeling by and feedback from others, and one’s own emotional state. Students need to develop a strong sense of self-efficacy for academic success and personal well-being. Such self-confidence will help them find success not only in the classroom but in life.

Nearpod offers a suite of resources called the 21st Century Readiness Program. Within this program, teachers can take advantage of social and emotional learning (SEL) materials from trusted organizations like Common Sense Education and more. Over 400 SEL lessons, activities, and videos underscore CASEL’s five core competencies. These SEL lessons and activities will encourage students to set lofty goals, build their confidence, and persevere through setbacks.

8. Targeted instruction

When it comes to targeted instruction, teachers align goals to students’ needs and vice versa. It is a continuous process in which educators must rely on data (in conjunction with a teacher’s intuition) through observations and assessments. Such intel then informs shifts and revisions to one’s learning plans. Targeted instruction is nuanced and requires a hefty dose of flexibility.

Nearpod supports targeted instruction because a wide range of content can be delivered to a whole class or individuals, all within the same instructional period. Nearpod’s real-time data and post-session reports give teachers a tangible dashboard of progress—or lack thereof—with a lesson and provide them with options for addressing the most diverse needs. As targeted instruction is a core pillar of personalized learning, do remember to celebrate even the small wins to develop that intrinsic motivation.

Start using Nearpod to create a personalized learning plan

As with most teaching endeavors, a hallmark of good personalized learning is getting to know your students, both academically and personally. Remember to ask a lot of questions and keep copious notes. This will help you hone your approach to reaching each and every child. Share personalized learning examples with your staff regarding voice and choice, engagement, motivation, ownership, purpose, and self-efficacy. Encourage students to become agents in their own learning pursuits. Showcase how such an investment in time and effort can yield exponential results regarding progress and enthusiasm for learning overall.

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.

The post How to create a personalized learning plan using student agency examples appeared first on Nearpod Blog.