Nearpod: The What and The Why

Teaching in a hybrid mode challenges educators to think out of the box, balancing both online and offline modes of instruction. On this edition of Tech Tuesday, I'm spotlighting Nearpod, the powerhouse tool reshaping how students connect in my "Sociology Through Film" course.

Marie Huntsinger: A Dedicated Sociology Educator and Honors Program Lead

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Nearpod: The What and The Why

When COVID-19 disrupted the educational scene, I prioritized keeping students meaningfully connected with their studies, even in an asynchronous environment. That's when I stumbled upon Nearpod. At its core, Nearpod is a digital platform designed for instructors to craft captivating lessons enriched with multimedia integrations, on-the-spot evaluations, and team-driven tasks. It's an invaluable asset in hybrid classrooms, allowing students to interact with course material in real-time or at their own pace. For my detailed video walk-through of Nearpod's features, click here.

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How It Works in a Hybrid Classroom

Live Interaction: Kickstart a Nearpod session in class, and students can hop in using a unique code, diving into the lesson live, whether on campus or connecting from afar.

On-Demand Learning: For those preferring to work at their pace, Nearpod offers an asynchronous mode, apt for the hybrid learning approach.

Swift Feedback Loop: Nearpod offers instant insights into student participation and comprehension, facilitating live debates and shaping subsequent instruction strategies.

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Highlighting Its Use in
“Sociology Through Film” 
​With Nearpod, you can:

Draw It: The "Draw It" feature in Nearpod allows students to illustrate their understanding and responses, offering a dynamic and interactive way to engage with lesson content.

Embed Clips from the Film: Insert critical scenes directly into your presentation.

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Pose Reflective Questions: Ask students to respond to a prompt after a clip, fostering more profound engagement with the material.

Facilitate Collaborative Discussions: Use Collaborate Boards to allow students to post their thoughts and respond to peers, creating a rich, interactive dialogue that transcends the physical classroom.

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Polling: In Nearpod, polling allows instructors to create real-time, interactive questions within their presentations, enabling them to instantly gauge student understanding, gather opinions, and foster engaging class discussions.

Match It: The 'Match It' feature in Nearpod allows educators to create interactive pairing activities, enhancing student engagement and reinforcing learning through matching concepts.

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Benefits and Impact

• Heightened Participation: Nearpod’s toolkit ensures proactive student involvement.
• Even Playing Field: Guarantees inclusive participation for both on-site and remote learners.
• Informed Instruction: Real-time feedback informs and refines teaching approaches.
• With Nearpod's seamless integration with Canvas, educators can:
• Direct Inclusion: Infuse Nearpod lessons straight into Canvas, offering students a seamless learning curve.
• Unified Access: Dive into Nearpod directly from Canvas, obviating the need for distinct Nearpod credentials.

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Nearpod’s Chrome Extension for Google Slides
For premium subscribers, Nearpod’s Chrome Extension revolutionizes Google Slides:
Transformation: Elevate your slides into immersive lessons by including interactive components.
Live Tweaks: Modify Nearpod lessons live within Google Slides, consolidating the creation process.
Efficient Workflow: Juggling between apps becomes history, simplifying the educator's workflow.