Experimental Technology #1

ISTC 731
Julia Wright
What is it?
“Nearpod helps educators make any lesson
interactive, whether in the classroom or virtual. The
concept is simple. A teacher can create interactive
presentations that can contain Quizzes, Polls,
Videos, Collaborate Boards, and more.”

-Nearpod.com
Features

Create lessons for: Teach 3 ways:

- Interactive slides Find content aligned with - Live participation
- Interactive video standards - Student-paced
- Gamification and activities - Front of class

Upload premade lessons from

Google Slides, PowerPoint,
YouTube, and more Review student work with
-or- post-session reports
Use Nearpod’s premade
lessons, videos, and activities
 The integration model I used
to guide my review of
Nearpod is the SAMR Model.

“The SAMR Model is a framework created by Dr. Ruben Puentedura that categorizes four different
degrees of classroom technology integration. The letters “SAMR” stand for Substitution, Augmentation,
Modification, and Redefinition. The SAMR model was created to share a common language across
disciplines as teachers strive to personalize learning and help students visualize complex concepts.”

[Click here for source]

 Redefinition

TRANSFORMATION
Technology allows for the creation of new tasks, previously inconceivable
With Nearpod, students have access to the lessons from anywhere and any time. Students who were unable to
participate live have the entire lesson, with all of its interactive features, available to them at a later time. Students
can provide feedback to the teacher, and the teacher can provide feedback to the students.

Modification
Technology allows for significant task redesign
With Nearpod, traditional lessons are completely replaced with digital lessons. These digital lessons allow live
participation, student-paced lessons, and front-of-class lessons.

Augmentation
Technology acts as a direct tool substitute, with functional improvement
ENHANCEMENT

With Nearpod, traditional PowerPoints, YouTube videos, and PDFs can be enhanced with interactive aspects.
Students have the ability to annotate directly on the lessons. Assessments are more interactive and also allow for
instant feedback.

Substitution
Technology acts as a direct tool substitute, with no functional change

With Nearpod, lessons are digital, replacing the need for books to read from as well as paper and pencil
assessments.
Personal Uses –
How I’ll Use Nearpod with My Students

Polling students’
feelings about a
Gathering prior
subject before, Test review Assigning homework
knowledge
during and/or after a
lesson

Asking students to
Catching up a Formative and
label or annotate
student who missed summative
images, texts, and
a lesson or class assessments
videos
Critique with Limitations
• Students must have 1-to-1 devices.
• Students must have internet access.
• Students will need some guidance on how to navigate the
platform at first.
• Creating lessons can be time-consuming for the teacher.
• The gamification aspect may influence students not to take the
learning as seriously as they would with a non-digital format.