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 Our Racial Justice collection features free lessons that aid in antiracist teaching with rich historical content and social and emotional skill-building to ensure safe and productive discussions.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.

Nearpod Team

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

nearpod.com/

The post 5 Teaching tips and resources for racial equity & social justice 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.

Darri Stephens

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

The post 8 Steps to Implement School Climate Surveys Effectively 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.

Darri Stephens

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

The post How to 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.

Darri Stephens

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

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

Why is formative assessment important?

Formative assessment fosters active student participation and provides immediate insights into their understanding. Mastering formative assessment strategies will help your students showcase their knowledge of and reflect on the material taught while providing the teacher with insight into their understanding. When teachers ask students to demonstrate their understanding through formative assessment during a lesson regularly, students become active in the learning experience and are able to cement or apply their knowledge. Through this instant feedback, teachers can tailor their instruction on the spot to immediately meet the needs of their students based on these insights.

How to use technology for formative assessments

We know the instructional value of consistent formative assessment in the classroom, but it has become a demanding practice to implement regularly for teachers with competing priorities. That is… until smart devices came into the picture. In fact, Ian Beatty at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst was one of the first to illustrate how personal smart devices in the hands of teachers and students could dramatically transform the ability to deliver and analyze the results of formative assessment. The integration of technology in the classroom provides teachers with real-time feedback that can be used to inform instructional decisions. Teachers can create personalized learning experiences, get immediate feedback on student learning, and conduct data-driven instruction, which can result in an improvement in student outcomes and engagement. Nearpod provides real-time insights into student understanding through interactive lessons, interactive videos, gamification, and activities — all in a single platform.

The research and benefits of formative assessment in Nearpod

The original platform design of Nearpod was inspired by a growing body of research around the positive impacts of consistent formative assessment and best practices for implementing them (Engle & Conant, 2002). In the beginning, teachers could facilitate Nearpod lessons from their devices that synchronized informational slides and a few options for formative assessments (open-ended questions, multiple choice quizzes, or polls) on student devices. As the educational landscape evolves, Nearpod has consistently enriched its suite of formative assessment tools with evidence-based solutions, supporting educators in adapting to the changing classroom environment.

Nearpod allows teachers to monitor real-time formative assessment data and share individual responses with the rest of the class, making students more eager to demonstrate their understanding. Also, teachers can access formative assessment data after any session in their post-session reports or on their teacher dashboard during instruction to monitor student progress. Now, Nearpod offers nine types of formative assessments to check for understanding in any lesson!

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.

5 Evidence-based formative assessment strategies using tech tools

1. Provide diverse assessment options to keep students interested

No matter how beneficial a formative assessment may be, doing the same thing over and over can get repetitive and have a negative impact on classroom engagement. Truly effective formative assessments should deploy a variety of tasks to measure student understanding (Ames, 1992). Diverse delivery of assessment is associated with strong cognitive and emotional gains in students (McLaughlin & Yan, 2017). This research inspired the Nearpod team to build out a more comprehensive suite of interactive assessments that could be added to a Nearpod lesson. Nearpod added Fill-in-the-blanks and Matching Pairs to better scaffold student work and responses for identifying and define-level assessments. 

2. Provide opportunities for collaboration and creation

The introduction of the Collaborate Board allowed students to see and interact with peer-written responses, recreating the concept of a digital instructional “parking lot” and updating responses in real time on teacher dashboards. One study from 2010 showed that opportunities to “doodle” during a learning experience increased the likelihood of information retention (Andrade, 2010). The Draw It tool was created as a way to empower students who prefer expressing their understanding creatively. Students can submit drawings on a blank canvas or a background image uploaded by the teacher. The feature quickly became a teacher and student favorite!

3. Use reference media to support and scaffold student learning

For each interactive assessment, we try our best to remove any potential impediments from answering a question. One study found greater access to requisite background knowledge enhances online assessment outcomes (Fuchs et al., 2000). Accordingly, Nearpod developed the ability for teachers to add reference media, such as an image, a video, a website, or even an audio recording of a teacher’s voice, as an attachment to interactive assessments to give more background information.

4. Promote inclusivity and reduce biases during instruction

Not every student is willing to raise their hand publicly, and this popular method of questioning means many are left behind during formative assessments. Student-response systems increase participation and draw out reluctant participants. (Graham et al., 2007) Nearpod developed the optional feature to make student responses anonymous in order to promote increased participation and reduce feelings of vulnerability (Caldwell, 2007). In Nearpod lessons, the barriers to entry for participating are reduced compared to raising your hand in class.

One study found that teachers can maximize learning outcomes and promote inclusivity by allowing students to submit audio recordings in lieu of written responses (Dalton, Herbert, & Daysher, 2003). Nearpod has a feature whereby students can submit audio responses to an open-ended question. Cheryl Staats argues that every educator enters the classroom with some degree of implicit bias, manifesting itself in who gets called on, who is believed in, and general classroom attitudes (2016). It can be a hard thing to spot in oneself, let alone curb entirely, but technology can play a pivotal role in democratizing classroom participation and formative assessment strategies.

5. Incorporate educational games

Educational games create engaging, fun, and valuable learning experiences for students. These types of formative assessment tech tools help build 21st-century social skills and problem-solving skills and build community, all while learning and boosting student achievement. Games are most effective when well-planned and integrated into learning objectives. With Time to Climb, you can include an existing Nearpod lesson or use it as a quick stand-alone activity. Students compete to get to the top of a mountain by answering a series of questions correctly and quickly to become one of the top three winners of the game. Teachers can choose a setting, and students select a character. It’s a teacher and student favorite!

Start using Nearpod’s formative assessments

Formative assessment, especially with tools like Nearpod, has transformed traditional teaching methods. Teachers have attested to the fact that more students participate and participate consistently in Nearpod lessons compared to traditional lessons. Nearpod’s evolution showcases its commitment to supporting teachers with effective tools. Embracing technology-driven formative assessment not only enriches learning but also fosters an inclusive and adaptable educational environment where each student can thrive.

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

Works Cited in Research Base

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education: principles, policy & practice, 5(1), 7-74.

Engle, R. A., & Conant, F. R. (2002). Guiding principles for fostering productive disciplinary engagement: Explaining an emergent argument in a community of learners classroom. Cognition and instruction, 20(4), 399-483.

Ames, C. (1992). Classrooms: Goals, structures, and student motivation. Journal of educational psychology, 84(3), 261.

McLaughlin, T., & Yan, Z. (2017). Diverse delivery methods and strong psychological benefits: A review of online formative assessment. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 33(6), 562-574.

Andrade, J. (2010). What does doodling do?. Applied Cognitive Psychology: The Official Journal of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 24(1), 100-106.

Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., Karns, K., Hamlett, C. L., Dutka, S., & Katzaroff, M. (2000). The importance of providing background information on the structure and scoring of performance assessments. Applied Measurement in Education, 13(1), 1-34.

Graham, C. R., Tripp, T. R., Seawright, L., & Joeckel, G. (2007). Empowering or compelling reluctant participators using audience response systems. Active Learning in Higher Education, 8(3), 233-258.

Caldwell, J. E. (2007). Clickers in the large classroom: Current research and best-practice tips. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 6(1), 9-20.

Dalton, B. D., Herbert, M., & Deysher, S. (2003, December). Scaffolding students’ response to digital literature with embedded strategy supports: The role of audio-recording vs. writing student response options. Paper presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the National Reading Conference, Scottsdale, AZ.

Adam Franklin

Adam is a Learning Experience Designer at Nearpod. He previously taught High School History teacher in Houston, Texas where he also served as the Social Studies Department Chair. Adam is currently in charge of the quality control of Nearpod’s learning experiences. He is also the manager of the Digital Citizenship and Literacy program.

The post 5 Evidence-based formative assessment strategies using tech tools appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

New to Nearpod? Make sure you’re signed up to access these lessons and activities!

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

How has COVID impacted technology in the classroom?

While a March survey by the EdWeek Research Center reported that almost half of the 386 teacher respondents felt that their ability to use technology during the 2020-2021 school year had “improved a lot,” many laments noted that it was a bit of a firehose of “new” due to the dire situation. Teachers reported being tech-fatigued between personal and professional use. Whether referred to as screen fatigue, digital fatigue, or technostress, the burnout was real as teachers faced exhausting and stressful hours adjusting to the parameters of hybrid and remote learning. As a result, it’s important to prioritize supporting teachers’ well-being.

For too long, tech companies have focused on what was defined as “early adopters,” educators who traditionally were more likely to jump into “the new.” Now, ed-tech providers are becoming more cognizant of reaching all educators to provide a deeper, more meaningful experience with said tools and platforms as they look toward the future of technology in the classroom.

Peter LaCasse of Carnegie Learning recommends, “Teachers’ familiarity with technology has opened the door for better integration of these tools into their daily lesson-planning and instructional strategies. However, we, the tech developers, don’t want to make the mistake of immediately developing super-sophisticated tools because we will once again leap ahead of what our teachers truly want.” In addition, 78% of K-12 administrators are considering increasing their investments over the next five years to sustain existing technologies versus 55% investing in new ones, according to a survey by the EdWeek Research Center. With the rapid evolution, the learning curve will continue to be steep, so now is the time to consider how best to go deeper, not broader, in adopting technology in the classroom while also preventing tech fatigue.

Does technology get in the way of learning?

Sure, digital technologies can make a lot of “noise,” literally and figuratively, with the pings and beeps and ever-steady input of multimedia. However, like any diet, screen time is most impactful when quality is considered over quantity. As digital technologies are introduced, educators and families alike need to reiterate the skill sets around digital citizenship; how to be responsible, respectful, and safe when online. Too often, kids aren’t developmentally ready for the access that the Internet provides, so kids need “rules of the road” so that they are thoughtful and intentional when using technology for learning (and fun!) While no longer remote, classrooms can still embrace technology to complement the teacher, not substitute. Educators need continual training to ensure that technology is being used to make their pedagogy more efficient, more engaging, and more effective.

In this digital age, the benefits of technology in education are evident. Technological tools empower educators to personalize lessons and adapt to individual learning styles, creating a dynamic and effective learning environment. Therefore, the use of technology in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms continues to play a pivotal role in enhancing the educational experience.

5 Benefits of technology in education

What is less of a debate is the many benefits of technology in the classroom when used well — from increasing student engagement to adapting to multiple learning styles and needs to individualizing and personalizing learning, to developing future career and life skills, technology has found a permanent place in our learning infrastructure.

“Integration of technology in education simply refers to the use of technology to enhance the student learning experience. Utilizing different types of technology in the classroom, including a virtual classroom, creates learners who are actively engaged with learning objectives. The implementation of technology also creates pathways for differentiated instruction to meet the unique needs of students as individual learners within a broader classroom climate.”

Drexel University School of Education

1. Streamline workflows by keeping resources all in one place

Let’s start with the logistics. Technology in the classroom provides ample opportunity to streamline workflows for both you and your students. Nearpod offers multiple solutions in one streamlined platform. You can create slide-based lessons or videos with embedded interactive activities and assessments. Students can follow along on their own devices while the teacher has access to their responses in real-time.

Additionally, Nearpod has 22,000+ premade standards-aligned lessons, videos, and activities for all K-12 subjects, featuring trusted publishers. By digitizing worksheets, lessons, and assignments, you no longer have to depend on loose sheets of paper, grade everything manually, and use multiple websites at once. Teachers can organize and categorize content so that you and your students have quality connections “just in time” and “on the go.” Being such an inclusive platform means that you can house and manage activities, content, and resources with just a few clicks, all from your single account.

Bringing back an old favorite from virtual learning…@nearpod!! We got back into the groove during our math practice with Draw It, a “quiz,” and Time to Climb. You may have heard these mathematicians cheering from down the hall!! @lisa_minutoli @cveschargers #cvesbettertogether pic.twitter.com/Ri0EJkuC4p

— Jen Roney (Kreis) (@MrsRoneysRoom) March 16, 2022

2. Increase student engagement and participation

Then there is the teachers’ main goal – student engagement. Through the benefits of technology in the classroom, including those in the back of the classroom and the quieter students. With Nearpod, you can ensure all students are on task and participating. Students can feel comfortable responding to questions by answering digitally while the teacher encourages class discussion. Students have the option to submit responses by typing, selecting images, or submitting voice recordings. This helps promote inclusion and accessibility in your classroom. Using Nearpod’s interactive activities, formative assessments, and dynamic media, such as Draw It, Matching Pairs, Drag & Drop, VR, and more, students will be engaged and responsive throughout the instruction.

3. Access student feedback in real-time

As a teacher, Nearpod provides the benefit of real-time data so that you can swoop in and help redirect or support a student in the moment, which also means added opportunities for student-teacher connection. Many of Nearpod’s interactive learning activities can be used as formative assessments during a lesson or at the end of a lesson, allowing you to modify your instruction mid-lesson or for the next day, Plus, Nearpod’s individual and small-group data reporting saves you time and helps direct where more instruction time might be most needed. This ongoing differentiation again bolsters the idea that every child has their own learning journey. The benefits of technology in education allow teachers to understand which students need support and what topics to spend more time teaching.

4. Create fun learning moments with gamification

Similarly, when it comes to incentives, gamification has found an interesting niche in education. Gamification can aid in learning, whether it be in aiding physical and/or cognitive development or increasing engagement and accessibility. Based on video games, learners can engage in active learning by competing with one’s self or classmates with Nearpod’s Time to Climb, which provides a bit of friendly competition. Educational games help build community in the classroom, boost students’ social and emotional skills, and increase motivation.

In Time to Climb, students choose a character and race together to the top of the mountain depending on how correctly and fast they respond to the questions. Teachers can create their own gamified quiz within just a few clicks, or use premade Time to Climb activities. If you haven’t watched already, take 8 minutes and watch James Paul Gee on Learning with Video Games or download his Principles of Good Learning for a cheat sheet on how gamification can play a role in your classroom.

5. Prepare students for future careers

Lastly, all of this digital literacy means that students are better prepared for future careers. They are building a growth mindset toward failing fast and forward, as tech is not always turnkey (“pleasantly frustrating” learning, as James Paul Gee puts it). While a balance is needed, we are preparing our children to be forward-thinking innovators. This can be done with 21st-century skills like P21’s 4Cs: critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication. The endless options in Nearpod and its interaction, like the VR field trips, help illustrate the possibilities of our rich, multimedia world.

So, can technology enhance learning?

Technology can enhance student learning through streamlining workflows, student engagement and participation, real-time feedback, gamification, and digital literacy skills. Teachers’ tool belts have always been impressive, stocked with manipulatives, supplies, prizes, and tools to help them pivot at the moment to reach a child through the benefits of technology in education. Although the learning curve can be steep at times, teachers are recognizing the short and long-term effects of having technology in the classroom. With the landscape evolving rapidly, it is a shift for teachers to stay up to date. By encouraging students to be part of the solution to troubleshoot or find new resources through initiatives like MOUSE Squads or pineapple charts, the effort can be a collective learning venture.

Start today with Nearpod today by creating a free account in just three steps:

• Start by signing up for a free account.
• Check out the many on-demand training resources available.
• And join a global educator community to learn more about best practices with tech alongside a supportive community.

New to Nearpod? Make sure you’re signed up to access these lessons and activities!

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

Darri Stephens

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

The post 5 Benefits of technology in the classroom appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Embed assessments into lectures with Nearpod

In this pursuit, technology offers us a valuable ally, and Nearpod is a prime example. With Nearpod’s interactive features, you can transform your traditional PowerPoint presentations into engaging, participatory learning experiences. Through its interactive activities and slides, you can seamlessly integrate open-ended questions, polls, quizzes, and collaborative activities, enabling students to actively engage with the content and with each other. This enables students to actively participate in the content and with peers while providing instructors with immediate, real-time insights into student comprehension. Collecting students’ performance data through these tools will support educators in their data driven approaches by making adjustments in the moment and using those insights to guide future instruction.

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

A better way to gather data insights in higher education

Throughout the history of higher education, evaluating our teaching methods has often been an exercise in trial and error. Whether the instructional method we choose is self-created or derived from a research-based best practice, we tend to use qualitative observational data to assess the success of each lesson. Unfortunately, this self-assessment doesn’t typically properly provide feedback on whether or not we’ve achieved our ultimate goal as instructors – positively influencing improved student performance outcomes. Feeling that students were engaged or liked a lesson doesn’t necessarily indicate that they learned and retained the information presented, just as students complaining about a learning activity doesn’t mean that they did not learn the material.

Only by evaluating student performance through exam data, normally toward the end of the term or semester when it may be too late to course correct, can we identify which teaching methods best influence improved student performance through data driven instruction. Additionally, data driven decision making in higher education has become increasingly important as institutions leverage data to enhance instruction and improve student outcomes.

Collect student performance data through active lectures

Let’s quickly address a couple of elephants in the room. First, if you have teaching experience, you likely have PowerPoint experience. It’s how many of us were taught and how many of us learned how to teach – no shame in that. Secondly, the easiest and most time-efficient way to get a lot of information to a large group of people in a live setting is a good old-fashioned lecture. As someone who promotes and teaches active learning instructional methods, that last one was pretty tough for me to admit publicly.

It’s okay to lecture (it really is!) but let’s follow the student performance data and engage our learners with course content by turning these typically passive learning sessions into active lectures. Active lectures are teaching sessions that still allow faculty and students to operate in their most familiar classroom setting, while also requiring students to think critically about course content, receive feedback on their performance, and provide students the opportunity to self-assess their performance in comparison with their peers. How have faculty in our program accomplished this, you ask? Here are three data driven approaches (that are easy to implement) that will help you achieve that ultimate teaching goal – influencing improved student outcomes.

3 Data driven approaches to improve student performance

1. Engage all students with interactive questions for improved learning and participation

Pausing and asking students questions while lecturing is fairly common, but what information do we really gather as faculty using this technique? And how do we ensure that we are hearing from every student, and not just the few brave souls that raise their hands to speak?  Let me elaborate with a personal example. When I was a student teacher, I was fortunate enough to have a GREAT cooperating teacher – Chuck Harlow, at Northmont High School. During some of my teaching sessions, Chuck would sit in the back of the room and make tallies on the seating chart each time I called on a student. I’ll never forget the first time Chuck asked me how I thought I did after a long day of teaching. I very proudly thought I did well and that the students learned what I was teaching. When asked to share how I knew the students learned, I said that students were following along, nodding, and answering the questions I asked during class. And that’s when Chuck hit me with a lesson that has clearly stuck with me for the last 15+ years. He showed me the tallies. For each class of 30ish students, I had called on maybe 5-6 per period. So, I knew what about 20% (at best) of my students knew about the content I was teaching that day. When pressed about what the other 80% of students learned that day, I had nothing. Extrapolating those numbers to large lecture classrooms we’re typically hearing from an incredibly small percentage of our students. So, it’s time to fix that.

Asking written open-ended questions engages all students with course content while holding them accountable for providing an answer. So, while you may only be able to call on a select number of students during class, all students can now engage with the course content and provide their thoughts. Professors can always see each students’ performance data on their screen. However, if you’d like to share responses with the class for peer collaboration, you can make students’ responses anonymous during these interactive slides to encourage even the most tentative students to submit answers.

The more reps students get critically applying content learned will encourage more long-term retention of course content while also providing opportunities for students to self-assess their knowledge of course content. If an open-ended question doesn’t make sense for your lesson, you also have other similar options in Nearpod to support this data driven approach, such as Polls, Quizzes, or Draw It’s that may serve the same purpose.

2. Gain insights through student collaboration and peer communication

Engagement is more than just students engaging with the content, they should also engage with their instructors and peers. Why? Well, first and foremost, formative assessments serve as a two-way communication tool. This is your opportunity as the teacher to create assessments that emphasize the key terms and concepts while students are communicating back to you their level of mastery of the course content. They learn from you which is the most important information to study/practice, while you can use their performance data to focus remediation efforts and upcoming lessons on where students are struggling the most.

When students exchange ideas with their peers, it broadens and deepens the class discussions. Students have the opportunity to play the role of instructor by offering new concepts or explanations to their classmates – and we all know that we learn best by teaching. Not to mention, peer collaboration allows students to self-assess their personal progress against their classmates. If they can’t contribute to or keep up with the conversation, they know they need to improve in that area. Students don’t always innately self-assess, so don’t forget to remind students that they should be self-assessing their progress! Reflection will help them better focus their study time outside of class.

Educators can accomplish this through Nearpod’s Collaborate Board! Collaborate Board is a virtual board of “post-it notes” that allows students to quickly share ideas and comments through text and multimedia with their classmates. All responses are visible to the class, and students can interact with each other’s responses by “hearting” or adding comments to them. For faculty, this engagement tool couldn’t be easier to create – add the board to your presentation, pose a question or thinking prompt, add a reference image if you like, and share the lesson with students to have them post their answers. These answers will quickly and organically drive your lesson forward through the student answers provided while also giving you the opportunity to reinforce positive performance and correct any learning concerns right there in the moment.

If you’re really looking to gain insights into your students’ ability to think critically about and apply concepts learned through a data driven approach, use Collaborate Board to ask students to provide what they would need to learn next to further their knowledge on the topic. Having students provide their personal learning objectives provides a unique window into how students are thinking about course content, giving you the information needed to either continue with your current unit plan or readjust to help students get back on track. These engagements are a BIG part of the year-over-year improved student performance we’ve seen in our program!

3. Provide targeted self-paced practice opportunities

After assessing students’ knowledge in class, providing them feedback, and encouraging them to self-assess their performance, it’s time to create self-paced practice materials that help them target where they need to improve. The best way to quantifiably identify where students are struggling the most is to use Quiz questions in your Nearpod presentations. The percent correct is provided for each question, so the information is easy to access and digest.

Pro-tip: Make a note of the general content area each Quiz or individual Quiz question addresses. After your presentation, review the student performance on these content areas as a whole. This will allow you to target the areas of greatest concern with self-paced modules.

These real-time remediation modules can help students focus their study time where they need it the most instead of spending their time practicing on areas of your course where they’re already proficient. The more opportunities students have to practice applying concepts, the more likely they are to turn these lessons learned into long-term retention of course content.

Self-paced practice isn’t just for struggling students! These modules are also great in helping students apply content in more practical scenarios. Throughout higher education, one of the more common concerns faculty voice is that students struggle with critical thinking and applying concepts to problem solve. These self-paced practice modules can be created with a focus on giving students more repetitions sharpening these skills. The more reps, the more likely students are to develop these critical thinking skills.

Previously, creating these types of targeted materials wasn’t possible because it took too much time, but with the advent of artificial intelligence, we can have these materials created for us. If you’d like to learn more about that, check out this webinar: Work Smarter, Not Harder: Streamlining and Enhancing Educational Content Creation with AI & Nearpod!

Following students’ completion of the modules, educators should bridge the gap between this stage and the receipt of exam results. During this critical timeframe, professors can conduct additional class assessments, specifically tailored to address the areas of concern identified through data analysis. By conducting targeted assessments and making data-driven decisions, instructors can create self-paced remediation modules, if needed, that help students pinpoint their weaknesses, thus optimizing their study time and overall learning experience.

The impactful results of active lectures through data driven approaches

Using Nearpod’s engaging formative assessment features, we’ve witnessed meaningful improvement in student performance on our summative exams (and we have the data to prove it!). By implementing these easy-to-create and powerful methods, you can see the same improvement with your students! And at the end of the day, that’s the most impactful thing we can do as teachers – positive influence improved student outcomes.

This table illustrates the year-over-year change in student exam performance after one faculty member switch from teaching solely with PowerPoint to using Nearpod for all of their lessons.

Bring Nearpod to your department or institution to implement these approaches

If you are still using PowerPoint and traditional lectures in your higher education courses, that’s okay. However, I challenge you to break the status quo and open up to data driven instruction, to take the leap and transform passive lectures into active ones. With these 3 data driven approaches using Open Ended Questions to hear every student’s voice, sparking inclusive discussion in Collaborate Board, and encouraging critical thinking and real-world application through self-paced practice, you will have a great starting point to improving overall student performance like the students from my institution. 

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

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

Dan Thompson

Currently the Assistant Director of Faculty Development and Instructional Design at Oklahoma State University (OSU) College of Veterinary Medicine, Dan transitioned from teaching high school to focusing on curriculum and educational technology in higher education. Throughout his career he has assisted faculty in course design and development, while also introducing new methods of utilizing educational technology in the curriculum to create a learner-centered environment. His background includes leading faculty development efforts at OSU Center for Health Sciences and Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine. He holds a Master of Science in Technology Enhanced Learning and a Bachelor of Science in Adolescent/Young Adult Education from the University of Dayton.

The post Higher education data driven approaches to boost student learning appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is bullying that leverages digital technology such as messaging, social media, gaming, and mobile devices to spread mean messages designed to anger, threaten, shame, embarrass, or scare a target. CommonSense.org defines cyberbullying as “repeated and unwanted hurtful words or behavior that occur online. It includes sharing negative or harmful content about someone on purpose. Often, this type of bullying happens over text messages, online chat, or social media.” 

When it comes to cyberbullying on social media and online in general, the intent is malicious, the frequency is repetitive, and the effects can be devastating. But how does bullying online differ from “typical” bullying? Consider it bullying wrapped in persistence, permanence, and subtleness. Some may say that “kids will be kids” and that teasing and joking are common aspects of child’s play – but whether it’s name-calling, rumors, hate speech, bullying, or online harassment, none is acceptable in any format.

Examples of cyberbullying

Cyberbullying takes multiple forms and thus can be hard to detect, monitor, or track. From trash-talking to griefing to ghosting to cyberflashing to catfishing, the terminology grows, as do the nuances of digital drama. It is pervasive. Due to its digital nature, online bullying can happen at all hours instead of “just” on the playground. It can be hard to escape, as the offender and the victim don’t have to be face to face. It can happen behind closed doors in 1-to-1 messaging. Conversely, cyberbullying can also occur in a more public space, like social media, where others can see it happening. And it can be seemingly permanent and hard for victims to erase from such public forums. It can be quite subtle, too. Imagine someone who engages in “aggressive liking” a victim’s posts as a way to show that they’re “watching” them at all times. Such debilitating interactions are hard to monitor.

More often than not, victims of cyberbullying know their bullies. However, aggressors can be wrapped in a cloak of anonymity, pretending to be someone else. Such deception can make it difficult to identify the true culprit at first and stop the cyberbullying. It can also be seemingly baseless or unprovoked, yet for a child still developing their own sense of identity, such undermining tactics can be detrimental.

Not helping the situation is the fact that cyberbullying is sticky, meaning that it can be hard for the victim not to look at that most recent email, message, or post. It is human nature that we seek others’ opinions and approval, so this sense of belonging can be counterproductive in online bullying situations. Such cyclical abuse can be catastrophic.

The effects of cyberbullying on students

Cyberbullying can affect kids’ (and adults’) physical, emotional, and mental health. Kids’ sense of self-worth and self-esteem can suffer, and they can become overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness and powerlessness.

Targets of cyberbullying can display signs such as decreased or increased use of devices, high stress levels, changes in eating and sleeping patterns, social withdrawal, a drop in grades, abstaining from school or activities, or signs of depression (just to name a few).

In a 2022 Pew Research Center’s Report Center survey, 46% of teens ages 13 to 17 reported experiencing at least one of six cyberbullying behaviors, while 28% say that they experienced multiple types; those stats become more dire when you look at the data by sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Cyberbullying is related to low self-esteem, suicidal ideation, anger, frustration, and a variety of other emotional and psychological problems (Brighi et al., 2012; Hinduja & Patchin, 2010; Hinduja & Patchin, 2019; Kowalski & Limber, 2013; Patchin & Hinduja, 2010; Wang, Nansel, & Iannotti, 2011)

Cyberbullying.org

The role of school administrators in preventing and dealing with cyberbullying incidents

As an administrator, addressing cyberbullying as part of your overall school ethos, whether articulated in a mission statement or a code of conduct, is key. Cyberbullying and digital drama, in general, can negatively impact a school’s culture and climate. Therefore, to be proactive versus reactive, many schools have developed explicit anti-cyberbullying policies around responsible device use. In addition to sharing policies, it is important to adopt a program to teach digital citizenship. Also, partner with parents to help them stay informed about cyberbullying and understand the warning signs. Lastly, ensure that cyberbullying is being addressed appropriately and efficiently by establishing a shared language and process across the school. Keep reading to explore these tips in depth with actionable examples administrators and educators can use.

New to Nearpod? Make sure you’re signed up to access these lessons and activities!

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

8 Effective ways to prevent cyberbullying in schools

1. Establish clear policies

Developing anti-cyberbullying policies helps schools prevent cyberbullying by setting clear expectations and consequences for acceptable and responsible device usage on and off campus, during and outside of school hours, and between students at different locations. These policies proactively establish a school culture of respect and responsible digital behavior.

When creating policies, here are some questions to consider:

• What does/doesn’t happen if incidents occur on school devices versus personal devices?
• What does/doesn’t happen if incidents take place on or off of the school’s campus?
• What does/doesn’t happen if incidents occur during or outside of the school day hours?
• What does/doesn’t happen if incidents occur between students at the same or different campuses or districts?

Implement Responsible Use Agreements (RUA) along with Acceptable Use Agreements (AUA), which students and their guardians sign at the beginning of the school year. One best practice is to involve students and parents in the drafting of such policies so that all stakeholders have a voice, ownership, and onus. Clearly outline the expectations and consequences around device handling, maintenance, and respectful use.

2. Adopt a digital citizenship program

Regarding cyberbullying, awareness and education are key. No one is immune to the threat of cyberbullying, so awareness begets prevention.

First, some norms need to be taught about the implementation and importance of digital citizenship. There are safety and security measures that all who use digital devices need to recognize. From resetting passwords to turning off location sharing, each student needs to understand the “why” behind the “what” when it comes to maintaining their account settings and protecting their privacy and personal information.

Plus, online communication can be more complex and dynamic than what we are used to in person. There are nuances, innuendos, and non-verbal communication that can be lost. Many feel a disassociation effect when they are behind a screen and not seeing the person on the other side. We need to set expectations for what kinds of online interactions are not only safe but also respectful and responsible. From the words they use to the images they share, users need to pause before they post. 

This is why it’s crucial to ensure digital citizenship is a core mindset by teaching lessons early and often. Adopting a digital citizenship program will help educators prepare and make time for teaching this type of material. The Nearpod Library and 21st Century Readiness Program include interactive digital citizenship lessons, activities, and videos about digital literacy topics such as cyberbullying, media balance, news and media literacy, communication, digital footprints, and online privacy.

We’ve unlocked some lessons for you to preview the program! Preview the unlocked program resources and digital citizenship lessons from the Nearpod Library for free.

3. Name the roles

When it comes to cyberbullying, educate everyone on the roles we play, from offender to victim to upstander. We want to empower all ages not to be bystanders who simply watch the digital drama unfold; instead, we want to encourage all to say something when they see something.

When it comes to cyberbullying, there are key roles for everyone to understand:

• A bully (offender or perpetrator): the person responsible for the attacks
• A victim: the person who is targeted in such attacks
• A bystander: a person who sees what’s happening but does not partake
• An upstander: a person who reports the incident(s) or addresses the bully

4. Form partnerships with parents

Consider hosting information sessions for parents and caregivers so that they are informed about the threat of cyberbullying and know the warning signs to watch for. Remember, not all caregivers grew up in a digital world, so they may not have prior experiences to lean on. Arm them with common language and proactive tips so that they are echoing the same valuable life lessons. Find tips, articles, and resources for every age and stage to share throughout the year. Explain school-based politics, encourage them to set family-based guidelines when at home, and underscore the shared responsibility in preventing cyberbullying.

Check out Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program to equip students with the skills they need for success in today’s schools and in tomorrow’s society.

in the honor of the #onlinesafety and #cyberbullying #BullyingPreventionMonth @nearpod has a great great interactive lesson, our ss took it to a whole different level @mrsjeagon @mjvitaleqp @DeborahRLucas2 @lindsayrothfeld pic.twitter.com/BwG3xxoNpS

— Aggie Salter (@AggieSalterITS) October 19, 2022

5. Emphasize the first step to dealing with cyberbullying: Shut it down

We also want to emphasize to all, before they are victims, what to do if they feel targeted. These are crucial ways to prevent cyberbullying. To start, as sticky as the messages can be, tell young people that when they get that “ick” feeling in their stomachs, to shut down all technology: Close the laptop, log out of the social media platform, and turn off the phone. Developmentally, this decision can actually be quite hard for kids, so underscore that this is the first step to dealing with cyberbullying. While shutting down technology or blocking a harasser doesn’t stop the hurt or prevent further harm, it is an action-oriented step the victim can take to hold onto a bit of power. Shutting down the tech can thwart any impulses to respond or react, and sometimes (albeit not always), ignoring a bully can stop the abuse.

The rest of the tips are steps that schools can take to address and respond to cyberbullying properly.

6. Encourage students to tell an adult

Next, always tell a trusted adult. This tip is probably the most important. Many young poeple don’t want to “tattle,” yet the effects of cyberbullying are too great to shoulder on one’s own (no matter the age!). Encourage kids to think of at least two trusted adults – parents, caregivers, teachers, or coaches – whom they can turn to in tough times. Let them know that no one should ever carry the burden of cyberbullying alone, and a trustworthy adult can listen and help them problem-solve the situation.

7. Gather evidence

There is no eraser button online. Therefore, it’s important to teach students and staff how to leverage functions like print, copy, and screenshot to gather evidence of hurtful words and statements. Lean on timestamps to show the repetitive nature of cyberbullying. And reassure kids that there is always a digital footprint left when it comes to digital communication; most cyberbullies don’t realize that it is a matter of time before their actions are revealed.

8. Underscore the permanence of digital footprints

There is no eraser button online. Therefore, it’s important to teach students and staff how to leverage functions like print, copy, and screenshot to gather evidence of hurtful words and statements. Lean on timestamps to show the repetitive nature of cyberbullying. And reassure students that there is always a digital footprint left when it comes to digital communication; most cyberbullies don’t realize that it is a matter of time before their actions are revealed.

Part of your digital citizenship program should address how all of our online interactions leave a digital footprint, no matter what we share or where we post it. By highlighting the permanence of our digital footprints, you may deter would-be bullies and educate victims about the breadcrumbs bullies leave behind. Most children grow wide-eyed when they hear that although disappearing messages on Snapchat may be inaccessible after a time, they still reside on the company’s servers somewhere in the world.

Here are some lessons to teach about digital footprints:

• DCL: Who’s Looking at Your Digital Footprint?: This Common Sense Education lesson on digital footprints and responsible online behavior can impact students because it equips them with essential knowledge about the long-term consequences of their online actions. It promotes responsible and ethical technology use and encourages students to take ownership of their digital footprints, enabling them to navigate the digital world more thoughtfully and safely. (Free on Nearpod’s Library)
• Digital Trails: This Common Sense Education lesson teaches students what a digital footprint is, instilling a critical awareness of their online actions and how they contribute to their own digital footprint, and emphasizing the lasting implications it can have on their lives. (Only available on The 21st Century Readiness Program)
• The Power of Digital Footprints: This Common Sense Education lesson provides students with a foundational understanding of the concept of a digital footprint, helping them recognize how their online actions can have a lasting impact. It helps encourage students to make responsible choices online and contribute positively to their digital communities. (Only available on The 21st Century Readiness Program)

Help prevent and address cyberbullying with Nearpod’s support

The issues around cyberbullying change as quickly as the digital landscape itself. It affects the online reputation and digital footprints of everyone involved while also crushing school culture. All educators, administrators, and classroom teachers need to stay on top of the ways to stop bullying online and share out to make sure the rest of the stakeholders – such as parents, caregivers, and students themselves – are similarly educated. Children will misstep, so staying proactive versus reactive is essential to mitigating the impact. Community-wide, schools can weave tips and resources for preventing cyberbullying into their instruction, training, and regular communications. Staying alert and avoiding the assumption that “it won’t happen here” will be an important step in keeping your community free from cyberbullying.

New to Nearpod? Make sure you’re signed up to access these lessons and activities!
Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to explore the 21st Century Readiness Program and unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

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

The post 8 Effective ways to prevent cyberbullying in schools appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

What is Response to Intervention (RTI)?

As a formal educational process, Response to Intervention (RTI) was introduced as part of the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) in 2004. RTI was designed to help educators more clearly determine whether a child is in need of special education services, by examining how a child responds to scientific research-based intervention instead of relying on a discrepancy model (King, 2019). While RTI initially focused on children with special needs, it should no longer be limited to that population. RTI has evolved to encompass the use of multiple tiers to support all students in general education classrooms.

What is the difference between Response to Intervention (RTI) and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)?

In conjunction with RTI, you likely have encountered the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). RTI and PBIS are included under the MTSS umbrella framework. Each of these, in its own way, is designed to provide a structure for increasing the intensity of support for students. RTI is more heavily focused on supporting students with their academic learning, whereas PBIS leans more toward preventing unwanted or off-task behaviors. MTSS works to bring all the pieces of both frameworks – plus the family engagement component – into the educational picture, creating the most complete support structure possible.

What are the three Response to Intervention tiers?

There are three RTI tiers:

• Tier 1 includes all learners (80-90%) and is driven by core instruction. Tier 1 is the foundation, the core of all learning that happens academically, and the starting place for procedures and expectations of behavior.
• Tier 2 includes some learners (5-10%) and is driven by targeted instruction. In Tier 2, more explicit instruction is needed for some students.
• Tier 3 includes few learners (1-5%) and is driven by intensive instruction. In Tier 3, more explicit instruction is needed for a few students.

Whether thinking about instruction and academic achievement or behavior and social well-being, intervention can happen in three levels or tiers. In the simplest terms, those three tiers are “all, some, and few.” Some models will include a percentage for more precise categories; those are typically 80-90%, 5-10%, and 1-5%. Occasionally, you might encounter strong adjectives such as core, targeted, and intensive. Regardless of what label you prefer, each tier represents the group of students and the level of support needed, including unique opportunities and challenges.

How to implement effective RTI

Let’s explore valuable insights and practical examples of how to navigate the world of RTI to support students’ academic and behavioral needs. Whether you’re a seasoned educator or a newcomer to the RTI process, you’ll find actionable strategies that can make a meaningful difference in your classroom.

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

1. Empowering student agency for self-advocacy

Teach students to recognize, understand, and advocate for their own academic and behavioral needs. This moves students to become authentically invested in their own progress. Conferencing with students is one way you can implement this. Having short one-on-one conversations about their latest writing task or the math problem they solved can encourage students to reflect on their learning successes and failures. Quietly inquiring about a change in behavior to determine the root cause can give students the language they need to express themselves before behaviors escalate. This can be implemented to the whole class and across all RTI tiers.

Use Nearpod to encourage students to explore and share how they learn best. This can be done through open discussions with a Collaborate Board or by presenting suggestions for them to consider with a Poll or a Matching Pairs activity.

If you’re focusing more on PBIS, set or review the expectations for the learning environment for your class at any point in the school year. Gather student input about what behaviors help them to learn and what can slow the learning for them or for others. On Nearpod, set up a Collaborate Board and ask students to post two behaviors they have seen or experienced – one that helps their learning and one that slows their learning. Use the posts to establish acceptable behaviors for the class.

Here’s a Nearpod lesson teachers can use:

• Learning to Learn (Grades 3rd – 8th): In this Life Skills lesson in partnership with Classroom Complete Press, students will discover effective tools for effective learning. Your students will be able to explain the different methods for learning and different learning styles and identify their own personal preferred learning style.

2. Evaluate students fairly

In Tier 1 of Response to Intervention, it is important to clearly see every student academically and behaviorally. Often, the student with the biggest academic challenge or the worst behavior is overlooked, with the assumption that they will get intervention later. However, exposing every student to grade-level content and holding high expectations for behavior can be an initial intervention in and of itself. Treat all students as if they can and will be successful; you might just be the only person who does.

Nearpod can help create opportunities for students to share their responses to all questions while building confidence in themselves and connecting with others. Use Nearpod’s interactive activities and formative assessments, which include well-designed questions that enable every student to easily share their learning and ask questions to deepen their understanding.

By giving students the opportunity to answer questions anonymously, you can support the shy students as they build the confidence to participate, and provide subtle guardrails for the more impulsive students in the class.

3. Use evidence-based monitoring for early interventions

Use evidence of learning to intervene early and often when academic or behavioral challenges arise in the classroom – before they escalate and require more structured support. Notice a student who is struggling to understand a scientific phenomenon? Pause for a moment and watch them work. Gather evidence to determine if this is a “productive struggle” and if they will be successful on their own, or if there is something more. Could a simple hint or guiding question help them get back on track for learning? To help keep track of multiple students concurrently, use sticky notes on the calendar indicating which students put in a special effort each day.

Deliver a live Nearpod lesson to view student responses in real time and make the most of the data available for each student. Often, being able to see and correct a small misconception or pattern of misunderstanding quickly is enough to help move a student forward toward proficiency. When answers are incorrect, use immediate data from the Nearpod lesson to determine the next step. When behavior is off task, address and redirect without stopping the learning for all other students.

When progress monitoring the live responses available in Nearpod, lack of response or a delayed response can be addressed individually and quickly by a teacher who is not tied to the device at the front of the room. Nearpod can be delivered from any device while the teacher moves about the classroom making the most of proximity to efficiently redirect off-track behaviors before they escalate.

4. Small group instruction

Instruction at the Tier 2 level could be as simple as including additional scaffolding to get to the original content while learning with the whole group. Adding vocabulary to a word wall to reinforce those words when they appear in the content can support a smaller group of students without pulling them to the table. But it can also mean spending time in smaller instructional groups. Use 5-10 minutes of class time to bring specific students together in a huddle to review a concept or reteach a skill, targeting the skill(s) that will close an immediate learning gap.

Any Nearpod lesson can have additional support built into the lesson that everyone receives, or a lesson can be duplicated and modified for a specific group of students. Reinforce learning in the instructions with a one-sentence review. Consider adding reference media (images, PDFs, web links, audio) to the instructions for each question or activity. This supports the student you know needs help, and perhaps even the student you are not yet aware is struggling.

Off-task behavior can be born out of frustration. To help avoid this, use the variety of options Nearpod offers students to demonstrate their learning. For some students, changing how they demonstrate learning can provide additional evidence. Offer them the option to respond orally in an Open-Ended Question or on a Collaborate Board. Give students the opportunity to use their creative drawing skills to demonstrate learning in a Draw It or Drag and Drop activity.

5. Motivate students with gamified practice

Students in Tier 3 will often be frustrated or discouraged and could be averse to spending extra time learning. Between chunks of new learning, have these students practice a skill that has been mastered recently through gamified activities. Response to Intervention examples for Tier 3 can include using gamified activities as a quick reward for on-task behaviors without completely moving away from the learning frame of mind.

For the few students who need this intensive level of support, Nearpod may be just one of several resources you will use. Use Nearpod for the lighter side of the intensive one-on-one learning: 

• Use Time to Climb to go head-to-head in a review game of speed and accuracy.
• Try Matching Pairs or Memory Game for a bit of a challenge.
• Use Brain Breaks to include creativity in the learning and the break.

Start using Nearpod to implement RTI

Response to Intervention, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, and all the other frameworks we employ to support our students can be daunting to consider all at once. To help manage the intense workload that is currently the norm in education, let’s focus on the part that will make the biggest impact for most students: Let’s focus on Tier 1, the 80-90%, the core! Consider today what you can do to positively impact those students and how Nearpod and Flocabulary could be part of that process. And perhaps, over time, we can reduce the number of learners who need Tier 2 and Tier 3 support to truly just 5-10%.

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

Julie Cobb

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

The post How to implement response to intervention (RTI) with examples appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Oh, how quickly I realized the ever-dynamic aspect of classroom teaching. A couple of decades later, I’m still not convinced that any stellar teacher prep program can do the field of education justice. The sheer amount of variables that a classroom of unique individuals brings with them makes for an awe-inspiring journey, year over year. Explore essential tips and invaluable advice for new teachers embarking on their exciting journey in education!

Nearpod can support you in creating interactive lessons, accessing standards-aligned lessons, keeping students engaged, and tracking real-time insights into student learning. Sign up for Nearpod below for free!

However, I think true educators embrace this challenge. They revel in the variety. That’s when their artistry truly shines within the classroom’s four walls. But I do wish I had had a “cheat sheet” of tips for first year teachers — just a list of gentle reminders and teacher-inspired hacks to help the days go a bit more smoothly and to help me maintain my own sanity. As a first year teacher, I found myself the neediest student in my classroom! Boy, was I eager to learn.

I had come armed with lofty goals of asking for help, watching others teach, and aspiring to over plan… but I never had the time as a new teacher. From when the door first opened on that initial day of school until the end of the school year, I was in go-mode. What I wish I had known were all those more practical advice for new teachers that I did amass over time with experience.

Advice for new teachers: 22 First year teacher tips

I’ve listed twenty such tips of my own to get this valuable cheat sheet started for first year teachers:

1. Set clear expectations with students

Set clear expectations first thing and reinforce them often during the first month of school. Emphasize processes and routines, and follow through on expectations and consequences consistently. Remember, it’s easier to pull back and be less strict than it is to become more strict when it comes to classroom management.

What’s your signal to get your students’ attention? I use the doorbell. Practice the routines and procedures all year long, not just at the beginning of the year. Teach your students ways to find a solution to their problems… I teach the students that there are kid problems and kid solutions and grownup problems and grownup solutions.

Elizabeth Torres Maldonado, PioNear

2. Write and create your planbook digitally

So many unexpected hiccups can derail your best-laid plans, so design with flexibility top of your mind and an eraser in hand. Writing plans on mini sticky notes is also helpful.

Consider making your planbook digital as well, so it’s always easy to organize, edit, sort, and search for the resources you need.

3. Make #besties

Establish strong relationships early on with the front office assistants and the custodians, as you will need them in your court countless times week in and week out (if not daily). They have eyes and ears on all aspects of the school community, and they will be your go-to ally in many instances, promise.

Give yourself the gift of not having to know everything. Don’t be afraid ask ask ask questions of veteran teachers you trust. PLUS, the office manager and the custodian can save you, make friends with them!

James Staton, PioNear

4. Google (image) it

Search online for “teacher hacks” when it comes to classroom organization and advice for new teachers and then click on the Images tab. You’ll be surprised at the ingenious ways teachers use shoe bags for craft supplies and dish racks to organize technology.

5. Keep your space clean

A dustbuster, a Mr. Clean Eraser, and a fragrant plug-in will keep your classroom in tip-top shape on a day-to-day basis. However, please keep allergens in mind when it comes to fragrances! Remember to check school policies before introducing any scented products.

6. Ask questions!

Best PD might be right down the hallway. Don’t be afraid to ask your fellow teachers for feedback or help when you need it or when you feel overwhelmed. They won’t think less of you! And, all the teachers I’ve worked with have always bent over backward to help if I asked for it.

Brittanie Payne, PioNear

There are no stupid questions, only answers. No matter who asks, the teacher or the student.

Martina Matejas, PioNear

7. Get organized digitally and traditionally

Organize one master copy of your printed materials — lessons, worksheets, and resources — in plastic sleeves. Put those sleeves in sequential order, pair them with lesson plans and notes, and group them thematically in labeled binders that can be on a shelf within reach.

Better yet, get digitally organized, and get rid of the paper clutter by compiling you files into folders. That way you can always easily edit your resources and search where to find them. You can also organize your digital Nearpod lessons by creating lesson folders and organizing them by name and color codes.

8. Paper, please!

Consider ways to cut back on paper use and save that tree by using digital alternatives on Nearpod such as Draw It, Drag and Drop, and more to support classroom activities and collaboration.

You can also seek out local companies to donate, put in requests with DonorsChoose.org, or ask your classroom families to contribute, but you will go through a lot of paper in any given school year, and the worst is having plans but then running out of paper for copies.

9. Color counts

Regardless of your students’ ages, go all out in decorating and covering classroom walls with colorful learning resources and rotating student work. You all spend hours in your room, so treat it like a second home that you all want to take care of.

10. Don’t pick at it

A staple remover will save your fingers and fingernails! This handy dandy little plastic contraption will be your new best friend. Invest in more than one sense those little guys can easily be misplaced or lost.

11. Remember to hang tough

Invest in several rolls of blue or green painter’s tape instead of masking tape to adhere student work to the walls. Regularly change out so kids can see their hard work appreciated. However, when true staying power is needed, especially on those concrete classroom walls, turn to ever-impressive duct tape.

12. Don’t go red

Vary the colors of the pens you use when reviewing work so that kids don’t associate being wrong with color. Create a robust feedback loop by considering other ways to provide feedback besides with a pen, like video feedback or a face-to-face conference. Cultivate the mindset of “failing forward,” and remember that a sticker (for all ages) goes a long way when it comes to recognition!

13. Try out different ways to channel students’ attention

Research ways to help channel children’s attention — put a strip of velcro under desks for some tactile stimulation, add a red card to the corner of desks for focus, use exercise balls instead of chairs, and practice group breathing exercises to help kids embrace mindfulness.

14. Play music

Discover what kinds of music your students like as background noise, which can help drown out other distracting classroom noises while everyone works. Look for playlists on Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Prime Music, or other streaming sources, or simply make your own and play from any digital device. Music can help calm anxiety, soothe feelings, and lift moods. Consider using Flocabulary videos as well between transitioning to different activities and units.

15. Build meaningful relationships with students

Sounds simple enough, but do find the time to get to know your students on a personal level. Have them fill out a questionnaire, conduct mini-conferences, and reach out to their families continuously throughout the year to establish an authentic relationship. You can use Nearpod’s Polls or Collaborate Board to conduct questionnaires and collect feedback. Weave in social and emotional learning (SEL) moments with your students in your daily instruction to reinforce relationship building. 

Relationships matter! Get to know the ins and outs of your students and their families! Making those connections from the start will make for a successful school year and carry you through the thick and thin! It’s as simple as knowing your student’s favorite sports team or what they enjoy doing on the weekend. Those little things go a long way!

Caitlin Arakawa, PioNear

16. Stick to a routine

Your students will thrive with it, your families will appreciate it, your administration will expect it, and don’t worry — there’s enough good daily drama within classrooms that your day will never be boring!

17. Plan for the unexpected

Have a sub folder ready to go with the practical notes about your students and their schedules, plus a host of turnkey activities that a substitute teacher can use in your absence; especially for those unplanned ones.

We’ve compiled a list of tips to make sub teacher plans a smoother experience for classroom teachers, substitute teachers, and students.

18. Leave it behind

Don’t bring (too much) work home with you. Teachers’ prep and grading work is never done, so do try to set strict limits so that you have a balanced work-home life.

19. Design your own PD

In this day and age, seek out recommended ways to hone your craft. Consider reading the Wong’s tried-and-true handbook, The First Days of School: How to Be An Effective Teacher. Discover the many free options such as listening to educator podcasts, subscribing to blogs, registering for webinars, or taking an online course.

Friendly reminder to register for Camp Engage, Nearpod’s free virtual professional development for educators! Camp Engage happens several times a year – around February, July, and November.

20. Provide alternative ways to communicate

Giving out your phone number may be a controversial tip, but I relied on my phone both as a way for students to reach me so that they were never left with unanswered questions and so that I could simply connect with their caregivers to share a good story.

You can also use a parent communication app like Remind or ClassDojo. You can also create a Google Phone number that you can discontinue at any time.

I would suggest seeing if there’s one that is commonly used in your building that the parents are used to, in addition to seeing which platform offers the best options that you’d like it to do.

Jennifer Wentworth, PioNear

21. Give yourself bathroom breaks

Another good tip would be “never give up an opportunity to go to the bathroom!” I can’t tell you how helpful that has been.

Jennifer Wentworth, PioNear

22. Don’t reinvent the wheel

Share your great ideas so your colleagues will be willing to too, but remember what a treasure trove Pinterest is — so much inspiration can be found for creative activities in a single photo. You can also explore Nearpod tips and ideas from teachers all over the world by joining our Educator Facebook Group and following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

And breathe!

Accept that you will make mistakes, veteran teachers do too. Learn from them and move on.

Anne Ruifrok Walker, PioNear

Start using Nearpod in your classroom

Take care of yourself and have patience as you learn and grow as a professional. I learned as much, if not more, in Year 2 than in Year 1, so stay open to being that lifelong learner that we’re all trying to inspire in our students. Now, we’re looking to you all to help this school year’s cadre of first year teachers maintain their optimism, face challenges head-on, and rise to the ranks of “veteran teacher” (not sure I’ve made it yet!).

Nearpod can support you in creating interactive lessons, accessing standards-aligned lessons, keeping students engaged, and tracking real-time insights into student learning. Sign up for Nearpod below for free!

Darri Stephens

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

The post 22 Tips I wish I’d known as a first year teacher appeared first on Nearpod Blog.