Last week a had a lecture in my Professional Practice module and my teacher used a tool that I found so practical and useful that I thought I could share with you: Nearpod.
It is a virtual classroom type of website that offers functionalities that try to replicate – and optimize – a physical classroom, so conceptually it is similar to other tools of the like. It allows you to teach virtually both synchronously and asynchronously, with sessions, resources, and activities sections, and at the end of every session you can download the report - which I found pedagogically rich because it gives you students’ performance data.
As common as it looks, some aspects of the platform caught my attention and made me decide to try it in my teaching.
The first thing I loved about the tool is that it requires no signing up from the student: just a link and a joining code. This is
particularly useful because I have been to sessions where a considerable amount
of time is spent in participants trying to join, especially when it is a new
tool. In addition, at least to me, there is something tiresome about having to create accounts for every online tool you use.
Another very important feature to me is that you can share
slides in real time, where students have access and follow through from their
own devices (you can also make them available for students to scroll down at
their own pace). This means that with Nearpod you can go without a projector, a
life saver in contexts like mine where classrooms do not have projectors and you
have share one with other 40 teachers!
The free version of this tool would be particularly useful for more adult and advanced learners
although I believe that in other contexts where students, even if at a younger
age, are familiar with technology and where resources are available it could
also be used. Personally, I would use it as a teaching aid in a speaking task
integrated with writing to elicit discussions by sharing maybe a picture or a quote,
where after group discussions students would feed back with their answers in
the open-ended question fields. This is just an example and I believe other ways
are possible.
Under ‘activities’ the teachers can add slides, pictures and
questions and students’ answers can be shared in real time, with the option of
hiding names of students which preserves their privacy.
The site also lets you add and share files and links at a
click and it has some features that allow for collaboration. In fact, the tool may be used not only for
lessons, but also for presentations in staff meetings and in professional development activities and meetings with colleagues,
as it replaces projectors.
Overall, the website is interesting, and I will definitely use it when I go back to Mozambique. I wonder if it would work in other contexts. Below I share some aspects that I think you should consider if you decide to try it out.
Needed resources:
- Internet
- Computer, tablet, or smart phone
Age and level for English lessons
- Adult learners
- Advanced learners
Useful for:
- Virtual classrooms;
- Collaborative sessions;
- Meetings Presentations
Be aware of the following:
- The website looks to me more of a teaching aid and not necessarily a teaching material per se;
- The website seems very heavy, and uploading content might take some time and I guess, data costly;
- When adding activities, you cannot automatically preview how your material will look to the student, only after sharing will you be able to switch to student view;
- I tried the silver (free) plan, I believe that more functions are available in the paid plans.
In this post I have highlighted the aspects that I found particularly interesting as an English teacher and also having my individual teaching context in mind - one with limited financial and technological resources. But there is a lot more about this tool that would be useful in other contexts too. See this short video on what you can do with Nearpod (you can also find the video by scrolling down through the homepage) and learn how it actually works here.
Have a try and let us know in the comments what other ways you think Nearpod could be useful, and maybe why it would not. You are free to comment on the post too.😊
Thank you for reading and see you next week,
