Grant Proposal

Staff Development for Nearpod VR

FRIT 7232 Visionary Leadership in Instructional Technology

Fall 2016
Gabrielle Slay
Alicia Porche
Sharon LaVigne
Latoya McKever

Abstract
This training will be used to train teachers and the library media specialist at Risley Middle
School, in the use of Nearpod and Nearpod VR (Virtual Reality) for classroom use and
instruction. The purpose for using Nearpod in the classroom is to support and promote 21st
century learning through the use of emerging, interactive technology.

Nearpod is a web-based tool that allows teachers to increase the engagement and participation of
students within the learning environment. There are numerous benefits to using Nearpod in the
classroom. Teachers can create interactive engaging lessons from scratch, or from their existing
teaching resources. Nearpod allows teachers to differentiate learning, combine interactive
activities and assign lessons to students. This makes flipping the classroom very easy to do.
Using multimedia content through Nearpod helps to capture students attention and keep them
focused, which also minimizes off task behavior. Nearpod allows for use on multiple platforms
and works well on any device, making BYOD, iPad carts and 1:1 computing easy to manage in
the classroom. The formative assessment elements in Nearpod allow teachers to collect useful
assessment data from students to measure progress toward learning goals.

The new Nearpod VR (Virtual Reality) is a way for teachers to support emerging technologies by
bringing real-world experiences from across the globe into their classrooms. Using ready-toteach Nearpod VR lessons, students can dive into virtual reality adventures and virtual field trips,
all without leaving the classroom.

The training objectives are to have attendees create Nearpod accounts, explore the extensive
Nearpod lesson library, and download a free lesson. Attendees will also learn how to use the
Virtual Reality component to increase student engagement, build empathy, and real-world
exposure to knowledge. Attendees will also create a Nearpod lesson and assessment.

Proposal Text
Demonstrated Needs
Needs Assessment for the School District based on information submitted with the Countys
Master Technology Plan 2015-2018:

Technology Dimension 1 Goals Learners and Their Environment:

Enable students to learn in relevant and real-world contexts.
Create environments that support the teaching and learning of 21st Century skills.

Technology plays a significant role in the Countys pursuit to ensure that every child receives a
high quality education and is prepared for the 21st Century workforce.

the Countys educators, parents, partners, and community members have made significant
progress in realizing the vision that the seamless integration of technology into all subject areas
will raise the academic achievement of all students.

OBJECTIVE: Students will use technology tools to develop and demonstrate the

21st century skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity through
learning experiences aligned with International Society for Technology in Education NET-S and
state curriculum standards.

EVALUATION: Effective technology integration will increase student engagement and

achievement as evidenced by data collected from teacher and student surveys, comparison of test
scores, and/or other sources.

Technology Dimension 2 Goal Professional Capacity:

The County will provide professional development to increase the competency of all its
educators so that research-proven strategies and the effective integration of educational
technology can be used to increase student engagement and achievement.

The Department of Educational Technology provides a variety of professional development that

is focused on best instructional practices for effective technology integration. Professional
development includes workshops, graduate and recertification courses and job embedded PD
through the support of a technology instructional coach. Courses and workshops focus on
training teachers on the use of the devices, software and web based applications at the
introductory levels and on instructional strategies, and planning and assessment at the higher
levels.

OBJECTIVE 2.3: The Countys will collaborate in providing professional development that is
aligned to the Countys Instructional Model to ensure teachers and the Countys staff use
technology, including assistive technology, to enhance learning.

STRATEGY B: Provide assistive technology professional development.

OBJECTIVE 2.4: CCSD will provide educators with resources and training in technology
integration so that research-based best practices are incorporated into planning, instruction and
assessment.
STRATEGY E: During the 4-year grant period (until June 2017), Personalized Learning Coaches
will work with all schools to support personalized learning demonstration classrooms. There are
3 funded Technology Instructional Coaches who also work with teachers in these 19 schools to
support technology integration.

EVALUATION: Periodic Teacher Technology Surveys on usage of various forms of Technology.

Past Data
Professional development evaluation results from 2013-2015 submitted by over 2,000 teachers
show that over 83% of the teachers believe that the completion of courses given has had a
positive impact on student achievement and over 85% reported an increase in teacher technology
proficiency.

Participants in the Digital Learning Cohort program reported 98% of them valued the monthly
face-to-face learning with educational technology specialist and fellow cohort members.

Exhibit A- Data from 2014 Teacher Technology Usage which proves that new technology
introduced into the school system is being used. This was conducted after the teachers received
professional development on using the SMART Board.

Current Data
Participants in one of the 12 Digital Learning Cohort programs (20) were surveyed and a
response of 100% was received on the need for professional development for all new technology
acquired by the School District. After looking at the website for Nearpod,
https://nearpod.com/resources and participating in the Self-Paced Webinar-Getting Started with
Nearpod, https://app.nearpod.com/presentation?pin=AUJOV

and also the Self-Paced Webinar-Create a Nearpod Lesson,

https://app.nearpod.com/presentation?pin=FBUMC,

the response was as follows Appendix Exhibit B: As far as the type of professional development
requested 32% agreed that the on-line training provided by Nearpod would be sufficient, while
52% requested in person, face-to-face learning along with the on-line training and 16% felt the
need to only have face-to-face training. The comments pertaining to only face-to-face training
were in order to ask questions from the beginning as to not have those questions lost as time
went by without them understanding how Nearpod works and how to develop the lesson plans.
The Cohort was very happy that there is an already established set of lesson plans on-line that
they can peruse through and potentially modify to their own current lessons instead of having to
create from nothing. When asked if they felt Nearpod would assist them in presenting valuable
lessons to their students they responded at 90% Yes and 10% No-undecided. The No-undecided
responses were because they wanted to review the information on the website a little further
before giving their responses.

Goals and Objectives

By January 1, 2017 all certified staff at Risley Middle School will be trained on the use of
Nearpod and on the virtual reality, interactive learning tool, Nearpod VR so that teachers in all
content areas can effectively utilize Nearpod and Nearpod VR as a 21st century learning tool in
and outside of the classroom.

By March 1, 2017, integrate Nearpod and Nearpod VR into the instructional curriculum at Risley
Middle School so that students can bring real-world experiences into the classroom that support
and enhance the interactive lessons from Nearpod.
Evaluation Plan
We will evaluate our project to improve instruction throughout our school and to assess its
success in achieving our educational objectives. The intended audience for this evaluation is
teachers partaking in a three-day workshop and our students partaking in instruction through the
use Nearpod VR. At the end of the workshop and twice throughout the school year, the teachers
and students will complete a formative, process and outcome evaluations, in order to trace
changes in the learning process and students knowledge and skill level.

Before the workshop, the teachers will complete an online pre-workshop survey and they will
complete an online post-workshop survey at the end of the workshop. The surveys will contain
qualitative and quantitative questions in order for us to obtain data, which will allow us to
compare the responses on the pre-workshop survey and post-workshop survey. This information
will help us determine the effectiveness of the workshop in the learning process of the students.

During the semester the teachers will provide their students with a pre-assessment of the content
being taught and they will provide the students the same assessment as their post assessment at
the end of the semester. This will provide the data to determine how effective NearPod is in the
classroom.

Before the semester, the students and teachers will complete an online pre-semester survey and
they will submit an online post-semester survey. This information will help us determine the
school-wide implementation process of Nearpod VR. During the semester, This information will
help us determine the effectiveness of the using Nearpod VR in the learning process of the
students.

At the end of the grant we will report the summative evaluation of this project based on our
participants. The data will tell us if the students are grasping a better understanding of the content
they are being taught using Nearpod VR compared to conventional teaching methods and if
instruction delivery is more effective.

The questions the evaluation is focusing on are:

Which aspects of the workshop worked well? Which didnt work? What changes would improve
the workshop?
Does the workshop change how to teachers catechize content, and in what ways?
Do the teachers utilize what they matriculated during the workshop? Whats the impact of the
program on students?

The Outcome Goal is for students engagement to increase and for students to acquire exposure
to real-word knowledge throughout the curriculum.

Teacher Pre- and Post-Workshop Survey

What grade do you teach? ________
What subject(s) do you teach?
____ Math
____ Science

I am interested in learning how to

incorporate Nearpod VR in my
instruction.
I believe that Nearpod VR will
ease the grading process.

____ ELA
____ Social Studies
Strongly
Agree

Agree

Neutral/ Not
Applicable

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

I believe the implementation of

Nearpod VR will increase
students engagement.
I believe Nearpod VR will bring
real-world experiences into the
classroom that support and
enhance the interactive lessons.
I believe that all content areas can
effectively utilize Nearpod VR as
a 21st century learning tool in and
outside of the classroom.

Students Pre- and Post-Workshop Survey

What grade are you in? ________
What subject(s) are you taking this semester?
_____ Math
_____ ELA
_____ Science
_____ Social Studies

I am interested in using Nearpod

VR in my class(es).
I believe Nearpod VR will
increase my participation in my
class(es).
I believe Nearpod VR will
provide real-world experiences
that will help me understand the
content that I am being taught.
I believe that I will use Nearpod
VR in and outside of the
classroom.

Strongly
Agree

Agree

Neutral/ Not
Applicable

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

Appendix
Exhibit A