How can summer learning loss be prevented?

When preventing summer learning loss, building an effective summer learning program for both teachers and students is essential. This requires school leaders to provide teachers with a comprehensive instructional platform and an intentional focus on accelerating learning and supporting the whole child. Simply extending instruction into the summer months won’t be enough to recoup learning loss and get students back on track. Teacher burnout and staffing shortages make this summer’s school year a bigger challenge than ever. School leaders must anticipate having summer school teachers working in grades and subject areas outside of normal experience. Summer school teachers might also be less experienced than in previous years or even brand new to the profession.

No matter how you and your fellow educators decide to tackle summer learning for students, know that Nearpod is here to support you through planning, execution, and providing a space for educators to learn from one another. Teachers can make any lesson interactive within one platform that has real-time student insights through interactive lessons, interactive videos, and gamified learning. When exploring how to prevent summer learning loss, Nearpod’s interactive lessons can keep teachers ahead of the curve and ensure you return to school in the fall ready to take on the challenges of the new academic year.

Unlock the full instructional power of Nearpod with the unlimited access, collaboration, integrations, and support your teachers need.

Effective summer strategies to accelerate learning and prevent learning loss

As you and your colleagues are refining plans for summer programming and preparing to welcome students enrolled, here are a few strategies to consider to help drive student success:

1. Get a baseline of student understanding with formative assessments

Utilizing formative assessments tied to state standards at the start of your summer program gives the teacher insight into student comprehension, knowledge, and skill levels, without the intimidation of formal tests. Continued use throughout the program allows students to control their learning path by providing immediate feedback to the student and teacher. In turn, with information on how the student interprets the material, teachers can support the student with targeted and focused instruction.

Nearpod has nine formative assessment tools and interactive activities teachers can use to get real-time insight into student understanding to prevent learning loss over the summer:

• Time to Climb
• Drag and Drop
• Draw It
• Collaborate Board
• Matching Pairs
• Open-ended Questions
• Quiz
• Polls
• Fill-in-the-blanks

2. Engage students with interactive activities, lessons, and videos across core subject areas

Summer school teachers need broad support as they prepare their classes for instruction. Remember, many summer school teachers will be teaching out of the grade level and subject area and are unsure of the academic content they will be responsible for delivering, so it’s essential to equip them with the proper materials.

Data released by NWEA focused on students in grades three through eight and compared their progress in the 2020-2021 school year to similar students from before the pandemic. Education researchers reveal data that indicates students, on average, were between three and six percentile points behind in reading skills and eight to 12 percentile points in math compared to previous years. Younger students struggled more than older students, as remote/hybrid learning proved to be a more significant challenge for young scholars.

Administrators can help teachers accelerate learning by providing access to premade standards-aligned lessons across core content areas through Nearpod. These quality lessons made by content experts are turnkey, interactive, and engaging for students. This is especially important for essential content areas and standards in Math and English Language Arts (ELA), as students are often recommended for intervention based on assessment and test scores for these two content areas.

Prevent the summer slide and use the following lesson guides to teach science, social studies, reading, and math skills to students in middle and elementary school.

3. Support students’ social emotional learning and academic development

In addition to opportunities to accelerate learning and summer learning loss prevention, educators are still supporting students to adjust to the current environment following the social and educational barriers that were in place during and after the pandemic. A vital goal of any effective summer program is to continue addressing those needs and supporting students’ development. Summer school leaders must ensure that social and emotional learning (SEL) is essential to their summer program, as it will benefit both students and teachers.

By incorporating lessons on social emotional learning activities into core instruction, educators help students access their feelings and emotions, develop healthy identities, and build positive relationships while giving them the tools they need to succeed academically. Doing so can be a simple 5-minute activity where students practice self-management by sharing some of their most helpful habits. Using activities where students can self-identify their feelings anonymously to their teacher and engage with their peers will help them navigate their reality. Having brain breaks will also be a vital element in summer programs, as students will need time to disengage from academics and explore other avenues. Working on SEL initiatives is something all teachers can do regardless of their experience level to prevent summer learning loss.

4. Provide opportunities for extracurricular activities and summer enrichment

Students missed out on more than the instructional time during distance and hybrid learning. And as such, summer programming shouldn’t be limited to academics to accelerate learning. Ideally, your district can partner with local organizations and parks and recreation departments to provide students with various opportunities to get outside of the classroom and reconnect with their peers while learning a new hobby or skill. Though if that’s not possible, don’t discount virtual reality (VR) experiences. Providing equitable, virtual reality experiences allows students from all backgrounds to travel the world, try on various careers, and more!

5. Stay organized and prepared with multiple solutions in one streamlined platform

Remember teachers’ challenges and devise innovative solutions to support them and their students during summer break. Maximizing the edtech tools your school and district can access can help, but what’s most important is choosing the right tools to set teachers for success. Nearpod’s mission is to make teaching easier with the interactive tools, resources, and content teachers need, all in one place. Whether you’re experiencing staffing shortages, onboarding new teachers, or simply trying to support your teachers and students, having a core tech toolkit is crucial. It will save teachers time in training and planning and give them more time to do what they do best: teach, connect with students, and help accelerate learning. Teachers can have the ability to create slides, embed interactive assessments, get real-time student insight, and have a library of standard-aligned resources, all in one place.

Unlock the full instructional power of Nearpod with the unlimited access, collaboration, integrations, and support your teachers need.

Nearpod Team

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

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Learning gaps are pitfalls that affect students making progress toward achieving their goals. When you say the word gap in conjunction with the word education, most likely people will cringe with worry about who doesn’t know or have access to what. More formally, learning gaps are discrepancies between a child’s performance and grade-level expectations denoting a lack of mastery. Learning gaps can be narrow or wide; children can have learning gaps in one particular subject area or across many areas. Some liken learning gaps to building blocks; you can picture how, if one of the foundational blocks is missing, the whole structure might be at risk. Often, learning gaps are described as “the way things are” versus “the way things should be.”

What are the different types of learning gaps?

Learning gaps can be defined in the five following ways:

1. Knowledge gap: A student does not know or hasn’t been exposed to particular background information, which prevents a true understanding of new content. 
2. Skills gap: A student lacks practice or mastery in a particular skill or skill set. In short, they don’t know how to apply the knowledge that they have.
3. Motivation gap: A student does not have the desire or motivation to learn. This lack of engagement may not necessarily indicate indifference, but rather could be attributed to other external factors.
4. Environmental gap: A student does not have access to a suitable and supportive learning environment. We saw many instances of this gap during COVID remote learning. 
5. Communication gap: A student lacks clear communication about particular knowledge and/or expectations. This gap may be language or culturally based, but sometimes may be due to a learning difference such as an auditory processing disorder.

Why are there student learning gaps in education?

Learning gaps can occur due to many reasons: poor instruction, lack of resources, absenteeism, moving between schools, or learning disabilities, to name a few. And sadly, learning gaps can snowball if not addressed immediately or effectively.

Achievement gaps speak to the inequities in education opportunities, while learning gaps refer to individuals’ lack of progress.

Post pandemic, there was much in the press about learning loss or unfinished learning, with McKinsey finding that K-12 students were an average of five months behind in math and four months behind in reading, and students of color were disproportionately affected. Couple the pandemic effects with the all-too-common achievement gaps, throw in increasing class sizes and the qualified teacher shortages, and we as a country are still trying to climb out of our own gaping hole.

How does Nearpod help shrink learning gaps?

Nearpod is a comprehensive solution for schools—it not only assists in identifying learning gaps through formative assessment tools but also provides access to standards-aligned lessons, activities, and real-time assessment data to help close such learning gaps. The Nearpod platform provides a cyclical process for educators and students to pick high-interest and top-quality content, engage in active learning strategies, and then reflect on timely performance data and feedback; rinse and repeat. Many other edtech tools might provide pieces of the pie, but Nearpod promises a robust solution of centralized content, transformative instruction, active learning experiences instruction, and real-time insights.

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.

How to identify and address learning gaps in education

1. Embrace a rigorous curriculum

Too often, students lose interest and motivation to learn because there is a disconnect with the real world, a disinterest in the topic at hand, an undiagnosed learning disability, or a disparity in developmental appropriateness. Curiosity and passion for lifelong learning can be stoked with a rigorous curriculum that offers variety, intrigue, and challenge. Curricula that support students’ 21st-century learning skills of communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking will not only engage them but prepare them for future careers.

All students deserve to be engaged in materials that are immersive and relevant. Nearpod rises to that challenge by providing standards-aligned lessons in ways that promote authentic connections and applications to the real world. The multimedia-rich design optimizes the best of technology with features like the Virtual Reality (VR) Field Trips. With Nearpod’s interactive learning experiences, you can make learning much more participatory and engaging by adding such dynamic activities as Draw It, Drag and Drop, Collaborate Board, Time to Climb, and more.

Additionally, Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program addresses vital topics such as digital citizenship, social and emotional learning, college and career readiness, and financial literacy, ensuring that students are equipped with the skills they need for success in today’s rapidly evolving world. 

2. Enhance your evidence-based instruction

To help close learning gaps, educators should lean on the lessons learned by their predecessors and rely on research-backed pedagogy. Often, decades’ worth of research with recommended methodology can help individualize and personalize instruction to best meet the needs of the individual. Schools can commit to providing quality professional development (PD) to reinforce those pedagogies that best support their mission and philosophical approach to education.

Nearpod was created for teachers by teachers. Back in 2012, the founders, Guido Kovalskys, Felipe Sommer, and Emiliano Abramzon, crafted the idea of Nearpod as part of a Stanford school design thinking fellowship. Steeped in the best educational practices and research, Nearpod promotes not only dissemination but also collaboration and active participation in learning. Nearpod has a suite of formative assessment strategies through its interactive features. As students interact, you can see the real-time data around usage and progress. These student reports are useful for identifying insights for the gap learning method. They can highlight not only students’ advances but also possible missteps and gaps in understanding.

3. Play your part in creating a data-driven school

You can be data rich yet insight poor. Teachers pull in a wealth of data on a daily basis through quantifiable assessments and qualitative observations. Teachers have their finger on the pulse of the classroom when it comes to progress monitoring, and they are consistently evaluating the group progress as well as the individual achievements.

Nearpod provides comprehensive student data reports for data-driven instruction. These real-time summaries provide snapshots of how well the students are or aren’t meeting expectations. You can take a quick glance at a group’s interaction within a lesson by activity type, as well as dive more into the depths of a single student’s every click. Marry these insights with what you’ve observed during the lesson, and schools can take a data-driven approach to extrapolating insights to guide their next steps in instruction, whether in the moment or when planning for the next day. You also can share these reports with the administrators to illustrate overall progress or share them with a student’s family to better underscore steps gained or traction lost.

4. Differentiate. Full stop.

Armed with such data, educators can then modify their instruction as needed to meet individual needs. On a daily basis, teachers often need to modify instruction by adding in extra supports or challenges. They personalize their instructional approach to promote student voice and choice to build a better sense of learner agency and purpose.

You can search by topic of interest and by state standard in Nearpod’s library of 22,000+ ready-to-teach lessons. You can pull students into small groups and share self-paced lessons for the collaborative group to tackle. These resources make learning engaging, challenging, and interactive to help deepen understanding. Differentiated instruction and personalization will help build lifelong learners.

Indeed, Nearpod’s impact on instruction is significant, with 75% of customers attesting to its effectiveness in differentiating instruction and 79% affirming its role in personalizing the learning experience.

5. Design your own lesson plans

Teachers are known for re-creating the wheel. They are renowned for being part scientists and part artists. Yet in a recent Gallup poll, only 47% of students reported being engaged in learning. Consider how your school’s approach to instructional design might address learning gaps and increase student engagement, and then work with your colleagues to weave in some best practices across the curriculum to meet your students’ needs: 

• How does the lesson connect to prior knowledge? 
• Is the instruction applicable to varied learning styles? 
• Are there multiple opportunities for group and individual practice? 
• What are the checks for understanding?
• What types of assessments do we require?

Nearpod not only provides a library of standards-based lessons from its internal team and well-respected partners like Common Sense, iCivics, Smithsonian, and many more, but it also provides authoring tools so that you can create your own lessons. Alternatively, you can start with one of Nearpod’s many lessons and then modify it based on your students’ needs. You can achieve 100% student participation and promote meaningful discussion by leveraging Nearpod’s interactive slide design, gamified activities like Time to Climb, high-order thinking features like Collaborate Board, and dynamic media like Nearpod 3D.

6. Connect home and school

Education is a team effort. It takes coordination across the district and school leadership with classroom teachers and staff and the students’ homes. No longer is learning limited to  8 a.m.-3 p.m. Advances in technology blur the lines between formal and informal learning, enabling learning to occur “on the go” and “just in time” with access to the right tools and internet connectivity. Supplemental learning tools are essential complementary elements of a robust learning program.

Nearpod promotes home-to-school connections in several ways. Teachers can share student reports with parents to better illustrate student needs on an ongoing basis instead of just at the end of a semester. Teachers can address learning gaps by providing feedback to students about their work through the Live Teacher Feedback feature. Also, you can assign Nearpod lessons to small groups or individual students via Student-Paced mode to encourage them to dive deeper and explore further topics of interest.

7. Take a MTSS approach

In addressing the whole child, most schools nowadays consider the student’s academic, social, and emotional needs. Many schools take a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) approach to proactively leverage data and instruction to optimize a student’s strengths. MTSS promotes three tiers of instruction to best support individuals.

Nearpod supports a MTSS approach in several ways, specifically for Tier 1 instruction. From universal instruction to targeted instruction to customized instruction, Nearpod’s vast library of content and robust feature set empowers educators and students alike to take control of the learning and make it as meaningful as possible. With such resources, Nearpod can promote inclusiveness, engagement, and effectiveness for all.

Additionally, Star Assessments now has a Nearpod connection that enables educators to seamlessly access a vast array of interactive and standards-aligned lessons that tailor instruction to students’ needs. This helps save time on planning, maintains student engagement, and provides real-time insights into student understanding.

Take the necessary steps to close students’ learning gaps

Whether you teach elementary, middle, or high school, teachers are masters of evaluation and maestros of instruction. Their hour-to-hour strategies help paint that comprehensive picture of individual and group progress toward state standards. When it comes to learning gaps, the key is to identify them early and put a plan of action into effect immediately. Collaboration will be your best tactic when trying to tackle the learning gap from all angles. All students deserve learning experiences that celebrate their growth, so that we talk about learning leaps instead of education gaps.

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.

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 identify and address learning gaps in education appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

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.

What is the great debate around the Science of Reading?

Let’s start with the basics: what is literacy? Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak, and listen. Over the decades, schools have shifted to adopt new theories and philosophies. Phonics, whole language, or balanced literacy are all monikers for how educators can teach students how to read. The Science of Reading (or SOR) is not a program. It’s the culmination of decades of research supporting a return to a highly structured set of approaches rooted in decoding skills and language comprehension. It is grounded in efficacy-based research, deconstructing how and why particular models of instruction work.

Balanced Literacy Vs. Science of Reading

For years, balanced literacy sought to find a middle ground between the pendulum extremes of phonics-first and whole-language advocates. Teachers shared their toolbox of strategies with students, from decoding to “three-cueing” to leveled readers. Yet such programs have been hard to evaluate in terms of efficacy. SOR education practices shies away from the popular guided-reading approach touted by Lucy Calkins and Jan Richardson in favor of an explicit focus on decoding and language comprehension.

Research shows that reading, unlike talking, is not a natural process for children. It takes more intentional instruction to achieve desired results and goals. Proponents of the Balanced Literacy vs Science of Reading point to the recent decline in reading scores as evidence that the prevalent methods of reading instruction over the past decade have failed. The Science of Reading emphasizes the importance of mastering foundational skills through a structured literacy approach to ensure effective strategies for learning to read.

Why is the Science of Reading important right now?

It’s hard to argue that we’re not in a reading crisis. Reading skills have declined in districts and states nationwide to historic lows. The learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic widened reading and math achievement gaps. It spotlighted the increasing discrepancy for Black, Hispanic, and other students impacted by educational inequalities. EdWeek reported that student results from the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showcased that a third of 4th and 8th graders can’t read at the “basic” achievement level, which is the lowest. 70% of teachers of those 4th-grade students reported using remedial measures a couple of times a week. According to the results, even top readers have made little progress over the past three years. This lack of growth and widening gaps have turned educators and parents’ attention to what can be done differently regarding the SOR.

This map shows students from grade 4 scoring below basic in reading, by state:

What is the Science of Reading?

Many states have now adopted a much more rigorous approach to reading. The SOR approach zeros in on developing five core skill sets for emergent and beginner readers: fluency, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, phonics, and comprehension. It harkens back to 1986’s The Simple View of Reading research by Philip Gough and William Tunmer, which underscores the importance of two components: decoding and language comprehension. Think of it as an equation—reading comprehension is a product of decoding and language comprehension:

The algorithm’s simplicity belies the intricate and sophisticated sensemaking of letter sounds, words, and sentences. Dr. Hollis Scarborough’s 2021 Scarborough’s Rope Reading further details how the two intertwine, scaffolding skills and building toward automaticity.

With the SOR, instruction involves dedicated time and a systematic and intentional method of seeking out teachable moments for literacy across the curriculum. This evidence-based approach encourages educators to lean on what matters and what works. Turning research into practice, however, is not without time, effort, and money.

Here are the 10 components of the SOR:

• Print concepts
• Phonological awareness
• Phonemic awareness
• Phonics
• Spelling
• Fluency
• Vocabulary
• Oral language skills
• Reading comprehension skills
•  Background knowledge

To better understand Science of Reading strategies, look at this downloadable to refresh your understanding of key concepts and terms. Remember, there is no specific curriculum or program, so you’ll want to work with your school community to determine how to fold in these demonstrated methods.

How are states implementing the SOR?

States are falling victim to the age-old problem of education stumbling over change management. Many are pushing this newer school of thought with little explanation. Such harried rollouts breed confusion, suspicion, and defensiveness. Teachers are told to change their “best” practices and beliefs without time to make connections to the new methodologies. Timelines, incentives, and compensation are not being offered equitably. This push-and-pull pits educators against one another, and against change in general.

Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, and Mississippi have passed laws requiring a SOR approach. Others are going in with intensive training and Science of Reading professional development, overwhelming an already taxed and deflated teacher population. North Carolina is spending $54 million on a two-year training (LETRS) for all K-5 teachers. A common refrain is, “When you know better, you do better.” Many other states, such as Utah and Virginia, are leveraging ESSER funds to adopt such practices via instruction and training. However, the integration and implementation nationwide are uneven at best.

What are the benefits of the Science of Reading?

Time will tell; the benefits are to be seen. On the positive side, such a common and structured approach based on research should be easier to track and see results. According to a study by Amplify, many students in 43 states are seeing an uptick in the number of students on track to read at grade level by the end of the year.

The Science of Reading curriculum takes a scaffolded approach, promotes reading across the curriculum, and supports English language learners. While school leaders need to think systematically around benchmark assessments, resource allocation, and professional development, they also need to remember that teaching is both a science and an art.

Edtech implementation

Nearpod

According to an ESSA Level II study, 5th and 8th-grade students who used Nearpod had higher ELA achievement compared to similar students in their grade level who did not use it. This makes it an ideal tool when implementing SOR strategies. To explore some related Nearpod Science of Reading activities and lessons, visit the Nearpod library and search by standard. You can zero in on the English Language Arts (ELA) strands of Conventions of Standard English, Vocabulary Acquisition and Use, Knowledge of Language, Phonics, Word Recognition, Fluency, Key Ideas and Details, Craft and Structure, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas, or Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity to start. Consider duplicating a lesson and making modifications to meet the reading needs of your students. 

You can also create your own lesson or activity to target any of the 10 components of SOR instruction. Interactive activities such as Drag and Drop, Matching Pairs, Draw It, Immersive Reader, and audio responses can be used to teach your students fluency, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, phonics, and comprehension.

Here are some examples of lessons teachers can use:

Early Elementary Lessons (K-2)

• CVC Words (K-1): In this lesson on CVC words, students will learn to idenifty the beginning, middle and ending sounds of CVC words.
• Nonfiction Text Features (1-2): In this lesson on nonfiction text features, students will learn about features that help readers make sense of what they are reading.
• Retelling Key Details (1-2): In this lesson on retelling key details, students learn to identify and retell key details in a fiction story.

Grades 3-5

• Parts of Speech (3): In this lesson on parts of speech, students will identify nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives.
• Complex Sentences (3-4): In this lesson on complex sentences, the students will review simple and compound sentences and learn about complex sentences.
• Eight Parts of Speech (5-6): In this lesson on the eight parts of speech, students will define, identify, and use nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, and articles.

Grade 8-12

• Summarizing Texts (6-8): In this lesson on summarizing texts, students how to write a summary by identifying the main idea and key details.
• Annotation and Close Reading Strategies (11-12): In this English lesson, students learn annotation and close reading strategies. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to explain tips and tricks for effective close reading, and will practice annotating excerpts.
• The Paragraph: Concrete Details & Textual Evidence (9-10): In this lesson, students will explore the components of a good paragraph. They will learn to identify appropriate concrete details and practice using them with common transitions to strengthen an argument in a logical way.

Flocabulary

Flocabulary accelerates student learning by building academic vocabulary and comprehension through rigorous and authentically engaging instructional experiences. These K-12 standard-aligned video-based lessons and activities leverage the power of hip-hop, storytelling, and emotional connections to cultivate literacy across the curriculum.

Academic vocabulary is a leading indicator of student comprehension. Flocabulary strategically uses hip-hop as the foundational medium to teach vocabulary and provide the necessary in-context word exposure. While it starts in the video, Flocabulary infuses aspects of hip-hop throughout the lesson sequence. For example, students unlock components of a hip-hop beat while completing the Vocab Game and are tasked with writing a rhyme of their own in Lyric Lab.

The Art & Science of Reading

While we continue to research and seek improved methods for teaching SOR reading strategies — and all subjects—we also need to remember that educators are tasked with molding lifelong learners. In part, when it comes to literacy instruction, they need to promote a love of reading, extol the beauty of wordplay, and develop an appreciation for storytelling in children. We know that one size does not fit all in education. So we need to rely on quantitative and qualitative data and make time for continuous feedback and reflection inside and outside the classrooms to create skilled readers and masterful literacy educators.

Nearpod believes teaching is the most important job in the world. That’s why we’ve created a platform to help teachers engage every student. Nearpod offers 22,000+ rigorous lessons, videos, and activities used by 75% of school districts in the United States alone. If you’re ready to unlock the full instructional power of Nearpod at your school or district, we’re ready to talk!

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.

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 decode the Science of Reading appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

In the United States, we will be celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week this year from Monday, May 6 to Friday, May 10. There is still time to plan ahead for some ways to surprise and recognize your child’s teachers. Use these Teacher Appreciation Week ideas and thoughts gifts to show gratitude to your educators!

While teachers deserve a spotlight and standing ovation throughout the entire school year, we at Nearpod and Flocabulary make sure to applaud our dedicated educators each and every year during Teacher Appreciation Week.

What is the origin of Teacher Appreciation Week?

Did you know that it was First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt who, in 1953, convinced the 81st Congress to declare a National Teachers Day? Some say the idea stemmed from a Wisconsin or Arkansas educator who wrote letters to the First Lady asking for this day of celebration.

The teachers are, of course, among the most important people in our nation. Day in and day out they are at work preparing the future citizens of the U.S. … I have always felt that we did not give an honorable enough place in our communities to the teachers. Next to parents they are the most important people in our communities. It is quite impossible to give teachers monetary compensation alone that will repay for their devotion to the job and the love that must go to each and every child. But I think we could compensate a little more adequately the teachers in our communities if we were conscious of their importance.

Eleanor Roosevelt, 1/14/53

It wasn’t until 1980, however, that Congress appointed March 7th as Teacher Day. Five years later, the holiday expanded to a Teacher Appreciation Week, the first full week of May, with the Tuesday of that week earmarked as Teacher Day. To find out whether and how your school recognizes the week, reach out to your school or district leaders. Regardless of the collective effort, there are many ways for your family to give an extra nod of thanks to your child’s teacher this May with a Teacher Appreciation Week gift or message.

What are some U.S. Teacher Appreciation Week deals?

Teacher Appreciation Week seems to be gaining more mainstream traction, with many companies offering special deals, whether they be discounts on products or free meals, during the first full week in May. The National PTA often lists special offers and opportunities on its website. And social media influencers have helped spread the good word through the hashtag #ThankATeacher and on sites like Things I Bought and Liked to shine a spotlight on teachers’ wish lists at certain times of the year.

There are several clever ways to thank a teacher each year. Many of the ideas below are born out of what efforts my school, families, and kids gave as Teacher Appreciation Week gift ideas. Not all of my schools celebrated, but those that did came up with some creative and thoughtful tokens of gratitude that I’d like to share.

10 Unique Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas for Gifts and Celebrating

1. Share public staff shoutouts to show your appreciation

I always say that teachers are the ultimate givers of gold stars, so they in turn appreciate such tokens of recognition. Public displays of thanks not only provide moments of celebration but also create a forum for sharing a variety of touching stories! Work with your school leadership team to decide how and where to showcase such shoutouts. For instance, you could have kids and families use sidewalk chalk to write on the walkways outside each classroom.

Perhaps you can decorate a classroom door (within fire code guidelines, of course). You may want to designate classroom or communal bulletin boards to share SUR-PRAISE by having everyone post a sticky handwritten note with their accolades. If your school creates and shares newsletters through email or using tech tools like Nearpod, add a teacher spotlight section!

2. Work together to coordinate lunches and treats

These gift ideas for Teacher Appreciation Week may take a bit of coordination (go, room parents!), but often schools can take a collaborative approach to thanking teachers. Consider how you might be able to scheme to deliver lunch for a whole grade-level team one day. Then, teachers are encouraged to not only take time out to eat (not always a daily occurrence!) but also enjoy a bit of relaxed downtime with one another. If your school has a staff room, set up a breakfast bar, a dessert spread, or an afternoon charcuterie board to energize all staff with a savory bite or two. Grab a library cart and a takeout container from your local coffee shop and deliver a piping hot cup of caffeine a la carte to each classroom just before school starts. Or drop off a simple care package at the end of the day with some chips, dip, and a favorite beverage to say thanks for a job well done.

3. Take on some daily duties

We know teachers wear many hats throughout the school day. For a Teacher Appreciation Week idea, work with your school’s office manager to find out which roles parents might be able to volunteer for, to help free up your teacher’s time. You might be able to step in for the traffic circle, recess duty, P.E. class, or lunchroom duty. You could volunteer to come in and teach a passion project, whether that be an art lesson, a creative writing activity, or something related to your profession. Sometimes, giving the teacher a bit of time to sit back and catch up on work or simply observe their students’ interactions is more helpful than you’d realize!

4. Collect classroom supplies

On average, classroom teachers spend over $700 a year on classroom resources and materials. Use this week to restock classroom supplies, even if it’s toward the end of the school year. Teachers regularly run out of Clorox wipes, pencils, whiteboard markers, glue sticks, or sticky notes. Plan ahead and ask your teacher for a wish list. The items might be everyday goods like Kleenex, or perhaps they need a piece of equipment you all could chip in for (every year, I yearned for a handheld vacuum!). For any materials or asks that are outside of your classroom’s budget, assist your classroom teacher in submitting a Donors Choose request to help support classroom needs or projects.

5. Curate educator benefits and deals

It is easy to forget that local and national companies offer educators exclusive discounts or freebies all year long. Do a bit of sleuthing and see what advantages you can shortlist for them. Perhaps you can ask some local community stores and restaurants what they can do for your teachers as Teacher Appreciation Week ideas. Most teachers can share an ID card, a school-based email, or an ID.me teacher profile as proof that they are a classroom teacher or member of the school’s staff.

6. Make a donation

Teachers tend to be the giving sort, so speak their love language by making a donation in their name. Maybe you could donate a favorite book with a customized bookplate to the school or local library. You could donate pet supplies to a local shelter for the animal lover. Or perhaps you could volunteer your family’s time to a cause near and dear to their heart like feeding the homeless or cleaning up a community park or beach.

7. Give a gift card

A teacher’s passion does not come from a high salary incentive, so sometimes the small token of a gift card can go a long way. The gift card doesn’t have to be of huge monetary value; a $10 card toward coffee or a bookstore is meaningful. We know teachers rely heavily on the ease of Amazon and Target. Or you might want to get creative—one of my favorites was a gift card to the car wash as thanks for a “sparkling year!”

8. Consider a gift that keeps on giving like subscriptions

Another gift suggestion for Teacher Appreciation Week is to give your teacher a subscription that they can enjoy month over month. It could be a subscription that benefits the whole classroom like Highlights Magazine or the New York Times. It could be a subscription that the teacher might personally enjoy, like a favorite magazine, Audible, or streaming video service. Or it could be an annual membership to Barnes & Noble or Costco, where educators can get exclusive discounts and offers all year long. You could also find a classroom tool that teachers rely on (like Nearpod, wink, wink) and gift them an annual subscription or upgrade their membership to more premium access (like Nearpod Gold or Nearpod Platinum).

9. Remember, pictures say a thousand words!

As Teacher Appreciation Week falls at the end of the school year, it is the perfect time to memorialize the 180+ days in an informal yearbook. You may want to send out an email asking families to contribute photos they may have from the classroom or from school events. You can curate these into a digital slideshow (Smilebox), print them for an old-school photo album, or have them bound into a hardcover book (Mixbook). If you don’t feel like you have enough photos, volunteer to take the teacher’s photos and have them documented into a printed version on their behalf. Also, many online companies offer products that can include notes of gratitude and drawings to create a multimedia scrapbook.

10. And don’t forget, it’s the little things …

While not necessarily a novel idea, one day of the week, my students would bring in a flower or two to create a classroom bouquet. While I silently thanked all the gardens from which many were picked on the way to school, it was fun to see who chose which type of flower, and the result was a long-lasting classroom flower arrangement that brightened my desk.

Similarly, many such Teacher Appreciation Week ideas from students do not take much time or money. Create a coupon template and have each child create a “Good for one ______” coupon for their teachers. They will end up with a printed coupon book chock full of hugs, cleaning, or treats to redeem in the future. And who doesn’t like a video Teacher Appreciation Week message with a shining face sharing some sweet sentiments? It’s often the thought that counts most!

Start using these Teacher Appreciation Week 2024 gift ideas

“Thank you” are two powerful words, and they don’t need to be saved until May or the end of the school year. It is meaningful for us all to recognize just how impactful and important teachers are in a child’s daily life. Think back—I’m sure you can remember your favorite teachers and can probably articulate quite easily why each is so memorable as inspiration for a teacher appreciation gift. Take those five days in May to show just how much your teacher means to your family. As most teachers will say, “Show, don’t tell!” Remember, even the smallest gestures go a long way!

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.

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 10 Thoughtful Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas and Gifts appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Digital wellness for students refers to how media and technology affect their mental, physical, social, and emotional health. Multimedia is an ever-present part of students’ and our own daily lives, whether we are consuming or creating it. In today’s digital landscape, there’s a firehose of information presented via audio, text, images, and videos from different channels, platforms, and technologies. Still, we can be creators and sharers of such sticky content day in and day out. Such engagement can have a toll on our well-being, physically (e.g., eye strain and impacts on sleep) or socially and emotionally (e.g., social comparison).

The many nuances of our always-on world require us to be vigilant about understanding the opportunities as well as the pitfalls of such technology use and digital interactions. This past winter, the CDC released a report that shared startling statistics for teen girls, stating that nearly 3 in 5 teen girls (57%) said they felt “persistently sad or hopeless”‚—double that of boys. For years, many studies have looked at how social media, in particular, has affected the confidence and overall health of our youth.

On March 30, 2023, Common Sense released their research on Teens and Mental Health: How Girls Really Feel About Social Media, which included the following key finding:

“Among all girls surveyed, nearly four in 10 (38%) report symptoms of depression, and among these girls, social media has an outsize impact—for better and for worse.”

Digital wellness requires adults and kids alike to consider how to use technology to support their overall health. Developmentally, many kids are not ready to handle the barrage of information and interactions, so schools and homes need to work together to teach kids digital citizenship and media literacy skills so that they develop healthy habits of mind they can lean on. Woven throughout all disciplines is the need for social and emotional skills in order to succeed not only in school but in life. Digital health and wellness and SEL go hand in hand, so kids learn to use critical thinking skills when interacting online.

New to Nearpod? Sign up for free to access these digital citizenship lessons!

Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to explore Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program and unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Why should we infuse SEL skills with the use of technology?

It might be common for teachers and schools to teach either SEL or digital citizenship. Yet the two complement each other in addressing digital health and wellness. While digital citizenship and SEL aren’t interchangeable, infusing digital citizenship into social emotional learning instruction can help you be more responsive to the demands and opportunities that technology brings into your students’ lives on a daily basis.

Nearpod and Common Sense Education’s SEL in Digital Life collection brings both of these content areas together to highlight the specific SEL skills that students will need to navigate the challenges of digital life while building skills in SEL competencies such as self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, relationship skills, and social awareness. By combining SEL and digital citizenship, young people will have concrete ways to apply the skills to scenarios in their everyday lives.

Nearpod and Common Sense’s SEL in Digital Life lesson collection

SEL in Digital Life is a collection of educational resources developed by Common Sense Education and included in Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program. The lesson collection is designed to address the unique ways in which technology impacts the social and emotional well-being of students. Common Sense Education is the leading nonprofit that helps kids, families, and educators thrive in a digital age. Their trusted name in education speaks to the quality of materials designed for teachers, students, and their families. Common Sense Education is a long-time partner of Nearpod and offers a Digital Citizenship and Social Emotional Learning Curriculum in Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program for elementary, middle school, and high school.

This collaborative collection of 20 lessons in social emotional learning and digital literacy curriculum highlights how to build essential digital and tech habits and skills in a developmentally-appropriate manner to nurture lifelong learning. Such conversations must happen early and often, even before kids are on personal devices participating in our connected world. And then, the examples should reflect real-world, authentic dilemmas. These are quick and short activities and can be embedded into your existing lesson plans or used during homeroom, advisory, etc. The activities are rooted in digital life dilemmas to encourage discussion about and reflection on character strength, including communication, compassion, courage, empathy, gratitude, humility, perseverance, self-control, and teamwork.

Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program focuses on non-core academic subjects critical for student success in and beyond the classroom. Get these interactive resources to embed digital citizenship, social-emotional learning, financial literacy, and college and career readiness into any classroom.

Why should a teacher use these lessons?

Regardless of how much or how little media and tech might play a role in your classroom, they do play a prominent role in our children’s lives. From television to streaming to texting to the internet to apps, kids are consuming and creating. And their tech habits outside of the classroom can affect what happens (or doesn’t happen) in your classroom.

We understand teachers are strapped for time and are constantly tasked with “one more thing” to do in the classroom. These lessons are quick and easy to implement and will help build student engagement and create a stronger classroom culture. The SEL in Digital Life activities will help establish a positive learning environment that supports students academically, socially, and emotionally.

We know technology enhances student learning. Still, if students are not prepared to use it safely and responsibly through digital citizenship behaviors, it could negatively impact their learning environment. Our lessons help you proactively address some of the factors that contribute negatively to your classroom, which include digital distractions, responsible use, and digital drama.

View all of Common Sense Education’s SEL in Digital Life materials below!

What is covered in these lessons?

CASEL framework

The SEL in Digital Life collection follows the CASEL framework for social-emotional learning. Each SEL in Digital Life lesson was designed to focus on one of the five competencies outlined in this framework:

• Self-Awareness: Focus on helping students reflect on their relationship with media and technology
• Self-Management: Focus on developing students’ executive functioning skills to manage their use of technology
• Responsible Decision-Making: Focus on how students should evaluate the opportunities and potential risks of using technology
• Relationship Skills: Focus on helping students develop prosocial behaviors that are conducive to positive online experiences
• Social Awareness: Focus on helping students identify varying degrees of online meanness and strategies to de-escalate online conflicts

Lessons organized by grade levels

The collection is organized by grade bands, so each lesson addresses an SEL competency at a developmentally appropriate level. The activities range from whole group, small group, and individual, all through a real-world lens.

Here are some examples of lessons we recommend exploring:

• Use Your Heart When You’re Online for grades K-2 focuses on relationship skills. Students relate to one of the animated characters in the song Pause & Think Online to explore further the ways in which they can be kind and respectful when communicating online.

• My Feeling When Using Technology for grades K-2 ties to self-awareness and digital wellbeing. Students learn to define their feelings and emotions as a way to illustrate the many ups and downs of technology use.

• How Can You Be an Online Superhero for grades 3-5 ties to responsible decision-making. Students evaluate a series of scenarios to determine which are ways to be a super digital citizen. Such concrete examples support students when they face their own quandaries.

• My Media Balance for grades 3-5 has students practice self-management when it comes to the many choices they make daily around the media they watch and use.

• Dealing with Digital Drama for grades 6-8 is timely and highlights social awareness. Students react to digital drama scenarios by trying to empathize with the various players and their perspectives.

• Who Are You on Social Media? for grades 9-12 also ties self-awareness. This lesson explores how we present different sides of ourselves online through our curated posts. Students reflect on the benefits and drawbacks of such curation and how they can share the most positive online presence.

Start using the SEL in Digital Life lesson collection

Like salt and pepper, SEL and digital citizenship — affectionately known as #digcit — work together to make sure that kids are prepared to handle the challenges they will face in the digital world. These healthy habits of mind will serve students well in school, in future jobs, and in life. Such digital well-being is a cornerstone to successfully navigating our digital world in a proactive and positive manner. We all want our kids to be balanced, happy, and confident, so do dive into Nearpod’s SEL in Digital Life collection to find more quality and engaging resources for your classroom.

Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to explore Nearpod’s 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 Social emotional learning lessons for students’ digital wellness appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

As technology plays a larger role in education, it’s increasingly important to understand how it can support a student-centered classroom. Keep reading to learn the benefits of student-centered strategies and how Nearpod helps support your teaching practices.

New to Nearpod? Teachers, sign up for free to access the resources, interactive activities, and lessons in this article! Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

What is student-centered learning?

Allowing students to take charge of their own learning increases their motivation and engagement in everyday learning. They’re encouraged to reflect and make decisions, leading to the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Student-centered strategies create opportunities for students to explore their own interests and think creatively, inspiring more original and innovative ideas.

Students who engage in their own learning, and have ownership of the process, are more likely to retain information. They’re empowered to develop self-directed learning skills, such as goal-setting, decision-making, and problem-solving. Most importantly, a student-centered classroom fosters independence and autonomy and prepares students for future academic and professional success.

7 Student-centered learning examples with technology

Want to empower your students and make your lessons more engaging and interactive? Here are six tips for using technology to support student-centered technology and learning.

1. Make presentations interactive

All too often, classroom presentations are very teacher-centered. They typically look like a single instructor standing at the front of the room, talking through a lecture or set of slides as students sit passively. An easy way to shift more of the cognitive load toward students is to make your presentations interactive.

A few strategies to consider: 

• After any slide that presents information, add another (or follow-up) slide with an open-ended question. Have students pause and talk to a partner or in small groups. You could also have two or more discussion questions and let students pick which one to discuss—a great way to bring their voice and choice into the classroom.
• Invite a student or group of students to present while you sit and take notes for them. This works well for older students who learn and listen best from their peers. Allow them choice in how they present, whether through a presentation, music, skit, or a gamified experience.

What does this look like in Nearpod? Well, Nearpod is all about interactivity! When creating lessons, embed Nearpod’s interactive features, such as a Draw It activity, to engage students in the learning process and reinforce their understanding. Compare and contrast student submissions to deepen classroom dialect. Ask questions that allow students to talk about the parts of learning that interest them most, or create a classroom debate on the different ways of thinking!

2. Assess student understanding in real-time & personalize instruction

Assessing student understanding in real-time and personalizing instruction can naturally create a more student-centered classroom and provide students with greater agency and ownership over their own learning.

Real-time insights allow teachers to see how students are performing and adjust their instruction on the fly. By tracking progress and identifying areas where students may be struggling, teachers can provide targeted support and individualized feedback and tailor their instruction to the unique needs of each student.

This type of personalized instruction is a hallmark of student-centered learning activities, which prioritizes the needs and interests of individual students over a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching. When students are given more control over their own learning and are able to work at their own pace, they’re more likely to feel engaged and invested in the learning process.

Additionally, real-time insights facilitate collaborative and interactive learning experiences that further support a student-centered classroom.

With Nearpod, you can see how your students perform in real-time and adjust your instruction accordingly. Building in formative assessment with technology has never been more fun or simple! Use the gathered data to provide instant feedback and help students who may be struggling right when they are struggling.

Also, Nearpod’s live lesson teacher dashboard or post-session reports provide a wealth of student data to personalize instruction and support varying levels by tailoring your lessons to your learners’ unique needs and interests. This data should encourage you to release students to explore the content deeper, engage in a set of practice problems, discuss thought-provoking questions, or form a small group to intervene at the moment during instruction.

3. Empower students with choice and control

Empowering students with choice and control over their learning is a key aspect of student-centered classrooms. Educators can create a more engaging, motivating, and meaningful environment by giving students various options for how they learn.

One option is using choice boards, which are visual organizers that present a variety of learning activities for students to choose from. Choice boards can be structured around a specific learning objective, theme, or topic and offer different activities at different difficulty levels. Students then choose which activities to complete based on their personal interests, learning style, and skill level.

Another option is offering assignments with multiple formats or deliverables. For example, instead of assigning a traditional essay, teachers could offer students the choice of creating a video, podcast, infographic, or other formats that align with their interests and strengths. By allowing students to choose their preferred format, you’ll tap into their creativity and help them develop important 21st-century skills such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving.

Give students the power to control their own learning journey by allowing them to work at their own pace using Nearpod’s Student-Paced mode to drive choice boards and where students want to take their learning. This fosters a sense of ownership and control over their pace and learning.

What are the benefits of student choice?

The benefits of providing choice in the classroom are many. First, students take greater ownership of their learning, increasing their motivation and engagement. When students feel they have some control over their learning, they’re more likely to invest time and effort into the process.

Second, student choice helps differentiate instruction—which is essential in meeting the diverse needs of today’s learners. By offering multiple activities or formats, teachers better meet the needs of different learners and help all students succeed.

Finally, providing choice builds student agency and confidence, two critical components of a student-centered classroom.

4. Encourage classroom collaboration

Collaborative learning is an important student-centered learning example because it promotes active engagement, critical thinking, and social emotional learning. When students work collaboratively, they build on each other’s ideas, challenge assumptions, and co-create new knowledge. Collaboration encourages students to interact, communicate, and learn from their peers.

In a student-centered classroom, the teacher is seen as a facilitator of learning, and the focus is on creating opportunities for students to take charge of their learning. Collaboration allows for peer-to-peer learning; students work together to understand difficult concepts and solve complex problems. It promotes a sense of community, where students learn to respect and appreciate each other’s perspectives and differences.

Collaboration also promotes social emotional learning by providing opportunities for students to develop important skills such as communication, teamwork, and conflict resolution. When students work together, they learn to listen actively, share their own ideas, and work through disagreements. They learn to take on different roles and responsibilities, develop leadership skills, and build a sense of empathy and understanding.

Use Nearpod to support student collaboration and teamwork through technology. Encourage students to work together on a given activity, explore virtual reality (VR), or simply engage in meaningful conversations about a similar topic with their peers using Collaborate Board.

Use a Collaborate Board and provide sets of questions for students to rotate through in small groups and respond to the question that speaks closest to them. Provide a variety of sentence stems to get students thinking critically and driving their thoughts in different directions; you’ll gain a deeper insight into how students relate to the content.

5. Use educational games

Educational games are a powerful tool in student-centered classrooms; they provide an engaging and interactive learning experience.

One benefit of using educational games in student-centered learning is how they personalize the learning experience for individual students. Because many educational games are designed to adapt to the level and progress of the student, they provide a customized learning experience that meets the needs of each learner. This is particularly beneficial in a student-centered classroom, which focuses on creating personalized learning experiences that meet learners’ unique needs and interests.

Educational games effectively promote active engagement and motivation among students. When students play a game, they’re often more willing to take risks, make mistakes, and try again. This can help to create a positive and supportive learning environment that encourages students to take ownership of their learning and take an active role in the learning process.

Additionally, educational games can be a powerful tool for promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Many educational games require students to use critical-thinking skills to make decisions, which promotes deeper learning and understanding.

Gamify learning by using educational games, simulations, and other interactive tools that can be customized to accommodate student differences, motivate students to put more effort into learning and help students increase their own responsibility for driving their own learning. Embed Nearpod’s Time to Climb activity within your lesson to spice up your review or formative assessment and allow students to select the theme of the day and the character they want to be.

6. Student voice activities

Encouraging and highlighting students’ voices makes them active participants in their own learning and promotes a sense of ownership and agency over the learning process. When students are able to share their thoughts, opinions, and ideas, they are more likely to be engaged and invested in the learning experience.

There are several ways student voice can drive student-centered learning activities. One way is through the use of student-led discussions and group projects. When students are given the opportunity to lead discussions and collaborate with their peers, they are able to take ownership of the learning process and engage in deeper, more meaningful learning experiences.

Student voices can also be highlighted through feedback and reflection. Students that are given the opportunity to provide feedback and reflect on their progress subsequently take an active role in shaping their own learning and developing a deeper understanding of the content.

The use of student surveys and other forms of feedback is also beneficial. When teachers take the time to listen to their students and incorporate their feedback into the learning process, they create a more personalized and meaningful experience that meets the unique needs and interests of each student.

7. Teach social emotional learning skills

Social emotional learning (SEL) refers to the process of developing self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Students with strong social and emotional skills are better equipped to take ownership of their learning and engage in deeper, more meaningful learning experiences.

Here are some ways SEL can support student-centered instruction:

• Promote a sense of belonging and community: When students feel connected to their peers and their teachers, they are more likely to be engaged and invested in the learning process. SEL creates a sense of belonging and promotes positive relationships within the classroom.
• Develop self-awareness and self-management: Students can take control of their learning and engage in productive behaviors when they recognize their own emotions and manage them effectively.
• Foster collaboration and communication skills: SEL helps develop students’ social skills and improve their ability to work collaboratively with their peers. This can be particularly important in a student-centered classroom, where collaboration and communication are key components of the learning process.
• Encourage responsible decision-making: Making responsible decisions allows students to take ownership of their learning and engage in productive behaviors that support their academic success.

Start creating student-centered learning experiences

In conclusion, student-centered learning has been proven to be an effective approach to learning, fostering independence, critical thinking, and creativity in students. Nearpod is an ideal tool for facilitating this kind of learning. With interactive features, real-time assessment capabilities, and personalization options, Nearpod provides educators with tools to empower their students and bring the benefits of student-centered strategies to live in the classroom. Whether a seasoned teacher or starting out, Nearpod helps create dynamic and engaging learning environments that inspire students to take control of their learning and reach their full potential.

New to Nearpod? Teachers, sign up for free to access the resources, interactive activities, and lessons in this article! Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

References

• Sudderth, Anna. “What Is Student-Centered Learning and Why Is It Important?” Rethink Together, 5 Jan. 2022, https://xqsuperschool.org/rethinktogether/what-is-student-centered-learning/.
• “TEAL Center Fact Sheet No. 6: Student-Centered Learning.” Teaching Excellence in Adult Learning. https://lincs.ed.gov/sites/default/files/6%20_TEAL_Student-Centered.pdf
• Kayingo, Gerald, and Virginia McCoy Hass. The Health Professions Educator: A Practical Guide for New and Established Faculty. Springer Publishing Company, LLC, 2018.

Pamela Villalba

Pamela Villalba is a Senior Curriculum Manager at Nearpod. She previously served as the Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction at a large urban school district in Central Florida where she led a team of content experts to support over 60 middle and high schools in the areas of professional development, school support, and curriculum within all core subjects. Pamela is currently in charge of supporting Nearpod in creating an innovative offering to support Math teachers across the nation.

The post 7 Student-centered learning examples with technology appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

What is the role of data in schools?

When we speak of data, we refer to both quantitative and qualitative data, and in education, there is a happy medium in relying on both. Teachers gather qualitative data throughout any given school day—for example, how is a child acting and what are their responses (verbal and nonverbal)? As an administrator, you may look for such open-ended feedback about school culture and climate from all of your constituents: staff, students, and families. Then, both administrators and classroom teachers lean on quantitative methods such as attendance, test scores, or survey results, which are measurable, to identify patterns and trends to better inform overall operations, daily instruction, and student outcomes.

What are the benefits of having a data-driven culture in schools?

There are many! When data-driven instruction becomes the “norm” or routine, timely reflection by all will promote equity and student performance. With such school data analysis, teachers can change their strategies accordingly and employ targeted interventions as needed to be more effective. When your students witness their own progress toward goals, they become more engaged and motivated. Such evidence-based instruction then leads to better student outcomes.

Plus, as a data-driven school leaning on both qualitative and quantitative data, you will have more input and intel to support your decision-making processes. Additionally, you will have more evidence to support your recommendations and choices, leading to more buy-in and ownership from others. Data-driven decisions aren’t driven by one opinion or one point of view, so you can bolster more consensus and collaboration across your stakeholders in moving forward with next steps within an action plan. Such responsive measures will help you create a positive school climate where all are on board with the school’s mission and your leadership style.

Why is data-driven decision making in schools important?

As a school leader, you may gather quantitative and qualitative data from additional stakeholders such as parents and family members, as well as certified and classified staff members. There are many stakeholders involved in developing a positive school culture. As we know, a school’s culture is just as important as its test scores or ranking. While you may have personal beliefs, intuitions, and assumptions, make it a habit to check those against what the data is telling you, so that you refine, redesign, and react in the most supportive manner. With data-driven decisions, you will have a better understanding of your audiences, a better grasp of the quality of the learning experiences your school offers, and a better sense of control when it comes to the direction of your school. So, in addition to efficiency, you can better promote efficacy. You can model how to implement data-driven practices and decision making for students, teachers, staff, and families, instead of just relying on “how it’s always been done.” In doing so, you will model how active participation can lead to continuous school improvement.

The power of Nearpod for data-driven schools

Nearpod is a popular platform for schools to use with students when it comes to instruction and assessment. The flexibility and interactivity make it an engaging learning tool for students, and educators receive real-time data and robust analytics at the individual and group level with each interaction. 86% of customers say Nearpod helps evaluate student performance. Nearpod transforms passive lessons into active and participatory learning experiences, and educators collect valuable learning data that helps them make more informed instructional decisions when it comes to differentiation and individualization.

As an administrator, you can review students’ post-session reports from Live or Student-Paced sessions and even download them in PDF or CSV format. Together, you and your educators can look at specific lessons for data patterns and trends not only for individuals but across groups over time, which may help with horizontal as well as vertical planning. Additionally, you can use Nearpod to create surveys to gather feedback. Consider how you might use Nearpod’s multimedia presentations to share results and insights in a visually rich and digestive manner. Simply upload existing PowerPoint presentations, Google Slides, PDFs, images, videos, or other resources to a new lesson. You could share it with individual stakeholders or use it in Group Presentation mode with a larger group.

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.

A guide to creating data-driven schools

1. Be flexible

There is the old adage that teachers write their planbooks in pencil—and whether they use an eraser or a delete button, all educators must remain nimble and ready to iterate, as the formative data they receive throughout a day might change the instruction for the next day or even the next block! Such is the catch-22 of data-driven instruction. While data is truly helpful for planning, those plans most likely will remain in flux if one is constantly referring to that data.

As the administrator, you, too, need a similar flexible mindset, as school data can lead you down surprising or uncharted paths. Be sure to share your strategy for building a data-driven school with staff and families. Then, you all will have trust in any deviations from the “norm,” knowing that such changes or shifts are warranted to best serve students. A focus on analyzing school data will lead to more personalized learning. Students will benefit from real-time, immediate feedback, teachers can clear up misconceptions or plan to reteach concepts in the moment, and whole classrooms can progress toward meeting standards without any “surprises” at end-of-unit or end-of-semester testing.

“Nearpod is one of the best tools to measure student progress and attainment in each lesson. It’s truly a data-driven classroom when you have Nearpod enhanced student engagement.”

Teacher, Alabama

2. Ask “good” questions

It sounds elementary enough, but be thoughtful in how you frame questions to your stakeholders, so that you can get targeted responses while ensuring that they remain as unbiased as possible. What makes a good question? While it will depend on your intended audience, strategic questions should be clear and focused, authentic and relevant, and applicable and attainable (aka, able to be answered). Whether it is a student, a staff member, or a family member, we want to invite them in to share what they know and believe. The wording of questions and even the order of questions can affect input, especially when you are trying to determine change or progress over time.

When gathering feedback through surveys, such as when evaluating school climate, consider survey biases as well. Try to wear a designer’s hat at times, and try A/B testing or split testing—where you separate your audience into two random groups and share two different versions of content (e.g., copy, quiz, lesson) at the same time to figure out which performs better. As American author Ursula K. Le Guin said, “There are no right answers to wrong questions.”

With Nearpod, you and your teachers can create surveys and assessments using the Quizzes and Open-Ended Questions. You can even ask for feedback in graphic form via the Draw It tool (especially helpful for ELLs). You can create one-slide presentations or multi-slide presentations, which will allow you to consider how to design for the reading levels of your audience. Last but not least, Nearpod’s Immersive Reader will enable those with special needs or language support needs to partake and participate.

3. Look for patterns

Let’s start with the quantitative data—the raw numbers that schools compile in spades. This data can be demographic breakdowns, survey data, LMS activity, and test scores, just to name a few. It is often helpful to start with summaries of such data in a visual format to begin looking for patterns and trends. What is important is not to jump to conclusions but to gather all stakeholders’ questions about what they are seeing, so you can then dive deeper. Adopt a researcher’s mindset and cross-reference your data sets. Filter and segment your data to better understand how different populations are affected. Finally, determine how best to extrapolate and summarize key findings to share with your main audiences.

Within Nearpod, your teachers can use activities like multiple-choice Quiz questions, Drag & Drop, Fill in The Blanks, Matching Pairs, or Time to Climb to gather data that provides indicators about a student’s comprehension and proficiency when it comes to a particular topic or skill. These activities can be used prior to teaching, providing a baseline of diagnostic data. They can be used during a lesson to provide practice and illustrate progress. Or they could be used for summative assessment to gauge mastery. These results can be seen in real time via the students’ post-session reports. The flexibility that Nearpod provides through its lesson design tools means that teachers can take a customized approach to what their students need most.

4. Actively listen to the data

Listen might sound like a funny word choice when we’re talking about data, but in analyzing qualitative data, we often need to employ our Spidey senses to actively “listen” to nonverbal cues. Listen to the data—follow those breadcrumbs. For instance, within a classroom setting, how are kids acting, where is their attention focused, and what does their body language say about their readiness to learn or level of engagement? When it comes to surveys or assessments, what do the open-ended questions and responses hint at? Take a close look and pay attention to word choice and tone. Consider how you can take a design thinking approach, and follow up the first round of feedback by asking five “WHY?” questions to drill down a bit more on specific needs. Questions with little feedback warrant as much scrutiny as those with a lot of feedback.

Remember that Nearpod has many activities that allow for student expression that falls more in the qualitative realm. There are several interactive activities such as Open-Ended Questions, Draw It, Audio Recordings, and the ever-popular Collaborate Board, where you can gather more candid and authentic responses. And don’t forget just how easy it is to add reference media—such as an image, photograph, video, website, or audio recording—to a lesson as you create your questions and prompts. These features could benefit other stakeholders as well, such as colleagues and families, if you were to use them in surveys to elicit more comprehensive feedback.

5. Tailor your feedback

An important part of integrating data-driven instruction in schools is providing targeted and immediate feedback. After asking questions (assessment), gathering intel (analysis), and leaning into findings (actions), you should tailor your feedback to the individual. This tip applies regardless of the audience, young or old. One way to make feedback valuable and helpful is to remember the acronym SUGAR, which stands for:

• SMALL: Feedback is small so that it can be addressed and acted upon quickly. 
• URGENT: Urgent feedback prioritizes and addresses the most pressing concerns first.
• GENERALIZE: Generalized feedback focuses on a pattern of errors versus just one.
• ACTIONABLE: This feedback has actionable, clear, and observable next steps.
• RETURN: Remember to return or follow up with the individual to keep the conversation going.

As Mary Poppins sang, “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down …” so keep those points in mind when personalizing and delivering feedback as part of your data-driven decision making in education.

For teachers, Nearpod’s Live Teacher Feedback can help provide a continuous feedback cycle for students in the classes. They can add stickers or annotations to students’ work. Screenshots of their feedback will appear in each student’s report, giving students a real-time response and providing them with a running record of exchanges. Your educators can share these reports containing the feedback with their students’ homes, too, so that families can continue to support their kids continuously alongside the school.

6. Empower others

Ultimately, student data can help empower the end users—the students! Data can paint powerful pictures for students so they can see how they are moving toward their goals. Students can monitor their own progress and identify where they might need more support. By sharing such data with students, you’ll help them become more independent, confident, and responsible. They may feel more motivated to engage in self-exploration and self-expression, all of which can lead to better student outcomes.

In taking a whole-child approach to education, consider how the 21st Century Readiness Program can be woven throughout the grades. CASEL’s social and emotional learning (SEL) wheel highlights five competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. Research indicates that SEL leads to improvements in classroom management, academic achievement, healthy relationships, career preparedness, and mental health. Equip your students with essential life and social emotional learning skills that will help them inside and outside of your school’s four walls.

Today we used @nearpod for a digital citizenship conversation about selfies and our digital footprint! #AllenOlympics @allenelem @MrMcDaniel13 @ms_broker @McGee_IC pic.twitter.com/7FIdeGJsHN

— Kelsey Storm (@MrsStormsSquad) March 20, 2024

Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to explore Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program and unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

7. And remember, data isn’t absolute

Educators know this better than most, but nothing happens in a vacuum. So, while data is super valuable and helpful, educators still need to stitch together the various types of data, informal and formal, when forming opinions and making decisions. Remember to think outside of the box and put your ear to the ground when gathering insights and drawing conclusions. Question! If you haven’t yet read Glenn Doyle’s essay, Share This With All the Schools Please, do so to illustrate how one teacher gathered data but used the results in an unexpected way.

“The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.”

Thomas Berger, American novelist

Take the next steps for a data-driven school

Data-driven schools have the potential to leverage strategic decision making to ensure a more collaborative and community-based approach to school improvement. Data can take the “I” out of top-down edicts and help rally the troops when it comes to bolstering school morale and energizing all stakeholders. You can be a model of data-driven leadership in schools by remembering that when it comes to data and tech in general, we need to acknowledge that while numbers are directives, we as humans hold the power of empathy. We need to take an active approach to seeing the whole picture in education. By doing so, we will ensure that we keep using such a lens when we assess, evaluate, and look forward, all while humanizing education.

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.

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 A guide to creating data-driven schools appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

The TPACK model is a framework by which educators can effectively integrate technology into their teaching. Educators bring a variety of knowledge and expertise into the classroom, especially with regard to the subject matter they teach and how to teach it. When planning to use educational technology, an educator must also consider their knowledge of technology and how it can impact daily instruction. To feel confident in making decisions about how and when to use educational technology to effectively support student learning, educators can refer to the TPACK model.

What are the 7 components of TPACK?

1. Content knowledge (CK)
2. Pedagogical knowledge (PK)
3. Technology knowledge (TK)
4. Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK)
5. Technological content knowledge (TCK)
6. Technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK)
7. Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK)

Introduced by Runya Mishra and Matthew J. Koehler of Michigan State University in 2006, the TPACK model identifies three types of knowledge that an educator brings when planning to integrate technology into a lesson: technological knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and content knowledge. Depicted as a Venn diagram, this framework also represents the relationships that exist when these forms of knowledge intersect, guiding an educator to evaluate which educational technology choices will positively impact teaching and learning, and which choices may be less effective. In other words, the TPACK model provides teachers with an approach to intentionally combine subject matter, instructional best practices, and educational technology when planning for instruction in order to maximize student learning.

What are the benefits of TPACK?

Many educators have been warned about the pitfalls of “technology for technology’s sake,” or have experienced firsthand when the introduction of educational technology acts as a roadblock for students instead of an entry point into the subject matter. By differentiating among content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technological knowledge, the TPACK model helps educators reflect on their use of educational technology and guides them to implement technology tools and digital resources only if they support access to the subject matter and pedagogical best practices.

One example of a popular educational technology platform that leverages technology to support pedagogy and students’ acquisition of subject matter is Nearpod. Nearpod is an instructional platform teachers can use to create engaging and interactive lessons. When using the TPACK framework to develop lessons that use tools like Nearpod, educators are able to access the full potential of technology in the classroom.

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.

TPACK model explained with examples for the classroom

In the 1980s, Lee Shulman introduced the idea of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), which defines the integration of the two primary types of knowledge held by educators: content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical knowledge (PK).

1. Content knowledge (CK)

Content knowledge (CK) refers to the educator’s knowledge of the subject matter they are teaching and how this subject matter differs from that in other grade levels or subject areas.

For example, when planning the content of a lesson, an educator may start with their state standards, identify where they are in their curriculum’s scope and sequence, and consider what their students already know. Using their content knowledge, they would also set objectives for the day’s lesson that outline the skills and subject matter with which students should leave.

2. Pedagogical knowledge (PK)

An educator’s pedagogical knowledge (PK) is their understanding of teaching methods and theories. This includes, but is not limited to, best practices for student learning, classroom management, and lesson creation and delivery.

For instance, an educator will use their pedagogical knowledge when planning a lesson to decide that the lesson needs multiple opportunities for students to actively engage with the content to keep them on task. In addition, they may also recognize the need for formative assessment throughout the lesson and decide to include many opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding and ask questions.

3. Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK)

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) represents an educator’s knowledge of the teaching methods and theories that best support the specific content they are teaching. PCK recognizes that effective teaching is more than just content area expertise and differentiates between the artist and the art teacher, or the scientist and the science teacher, to name a few examples.

When teaching students how to solve a math equation, an educator will draw on their pedagogical content knowledge. This might include an understanding of how mnemonic devices can help students remember a sequence of steps. As a result, they will choose to teach students PEMDAS to remember the order of operations. Pedagogical content knowledge recognizes that educators understand not only the subject matter they are teaching, but also the most effective ways to deliver content and ensure student learning.

4. Technological knowledge (TK)

Acknowledging the role that educational technology can play in effective teaching, Mishra and Koehler expanded upon Shulman’s concept of PCK in 2006 by adding technological knowledge (TK) to create the TPACK model.

TK refers to the teacher’s existing knowledge of the technology tools and digital resources available to them, including the benefits and limitations of those tools and resources in a classroom setting.

For example, when planning a lesson with Nearpod, an educator brings knowledge of:

• The activity and interactive media types available in the Lesson Builder 
• Where to find pre-made quality lessons
• How to edit a lesson and launch a session
• How students log in to their student devices and join the Nearpod lesson
• And more!

Any educator can increase their Nearpod technological knowledge by visiting the Nearpod Help Center, Nearpod Blog, and Nearpod resources page.

5. Technological content knowledge (TCK)

When an educator brings their technological knowledge into the classroom alongside their understanding of what they teach and how to teach it, new relationships are formed. The first of these relationships occurs when technological knowledge (TK) and content knowledge (CK) intersect to form technological content knowledge, or TCK.

Technological content knowledge (TCK) refers to a teacher’s understanding of the different ways certain technology tools and digital resources impact how the content is represented, as well as the constraints that the content places on which tools and resources can be used.

For example, Nearpod’s VR Field Trips and 3D models provide educators with the opportunity to immerse students in content that would otherwise be less accessible if presented in a textbook, like touring the ancient pyramids of Egypt or exploring the respiratory system in three dimensions. Similarly, the PhET Interactive Simulations available in Nearpod provide students the opportunity to explore scientific phenomena and manipulate materials that teachers might otherwise not be able to bring into the classroom.

6. Technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK)

The second relationship that exists when technological knowledge is introduced is technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), or a teacher’s knowledge of how technological tools and digital resources can impact teaching and learning. This includes identifying the benefits and drawbacks of certain technologies in terms of classroom management, developmental appropriateness, instructional best practices, etc.

When asking students to demonstrate their knowledge using more traditional methods, such as answering questions on a handout or cold calling on students for explanations, an educator is limited in how many students they can hear from at one time and how quickly they can formatively assess student understanding. However, when using Nearpod, educators can get real-time insights into student learning by including Polls, Quizzes, and Time to Climb, or even by asking students to explain their thinking using Open-Ended Questions and Draw It activities. Students can also be given Nearpod choice boards or Student-Paced lessons to leverage the impact of differentiation on student success. Each of these is an example of how a digital tool like Nearpod can increase the timeliness, quantity, or quality of research-backed instructional best practices.

7. Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK)

At the core of the framework lies the intersection of all three types of knowledge, TPACK, which stands for technological pedagogical content knowledge. TPACK is the result of balancing all the components of the framework, or the three primary domains of expertise an educator brings to the table when planning impactful lessons for students that integrate technology.

In the Nearpod Library, teachers can find premade lessons that leverage TPACK by incorporating pedagogical best practices, subject matter expertise, and instructional technology, such as those available in Nearpod’s Core Subject Lesson series.

The early literacy lesson “Rhyming Words,” one example from this robust series of Nearpod lessons, starts by gathering data on, and activating students’ prior knowledge (PK) about, rhyming words. This is done with a Draw It activity, which enables the teacher to gather real-time insights into the knowledge their students are bringing to the lesson (TPK). After the initial direct instruction, students are asked to apply what they’ve learned in a series of interactive activities, including a Matching Pairs activity, which provides immediate feedback to the student and the teacher (TPK). When using one of Nearpod’s more than 22,000 ready-to-teach lessons, videos, and activities, educators can be confident they are providing students with a quality learning experience that appropriately balances pedagogy, content, and technology for the best possible student outcomes.

Integrate Nearpod using TPACK

In conclusion, the TPACK model provides a valuable framework that allows educators to make effective choices when integrating technology into their instruction. Educational technology tools such as Nearpod make it easy to balance the forms of knowledge represented by TPACK—technological knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and content knowledge. Whether teachers are creating their own lessons or choosing from the Nearpod Library, Nearpod can enhance student learning and engagement by leveraging the power of interactive activities, student collaboration, and real-time insights to improve students’ access to content and broaden the reach of instructional best practices. When educators combine their pedagogical and content knowledge with educational technology tools like Nearpod, the possibilities are limitless.

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.

Jenna Townsend

Jenna is a Customer Success Manager for Nearpod and Flocabulary. With more than a decade of experience as an educator and educational technology specialist, Jenna is passionate about integrating technology to improve student outcomes.

The post TPACK model explained with examples for the classroom appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Regardless of grade level, every classroom has students with different needs and ability levels. Differentiated instruction is important for students because it recognizes and supports their diverse learning needs and abilities, which can enhance their engagement, motivation, achievement, and overall well-being. Differentiated instruction examples can include using formative assessment to understand students’ needs, provide multiple learning options, and deliver personalized feedback.

Teaching to the “average” works for some students sometimes, but it is rarely enough to support every learner. Although differentiation has become an educational buzzword in the past few years, the idea behind the term is essential in today’s classrooms, especially post-pandemic.

The 2010 National Education Technology Plan (NETP) describes differentiation as follows:

“Instruction that is tailored to the learning preferences of different learners. Learning goals are the same for all students, but the method or approach of instruction varies according to the preferences of each student or what research has found works best for students like them.”

In other words, instruction is based on the needs and preferences of each individual student within their learning environment. While that can certainly be difficult to achieve, it is important to note that differentiated instruction can help increase both student engagement and achievement.

How to use tech to differentiate instruction for students

Using tech to differentiate instruction in the classroom is a practical resource to broaden inclusivity for all learners. One size does not fit all in education. Sometimes curriculums don’t differentiate their instructional materials, catering to the average student while providing leaflets for students needing differentiated tools the most: high achievers, English language learners, Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) students, and those with speech-language concerns. This is where tech tools, like Nearpod, can support.

Nearpod can help teachers differentiate instruction to meet the diverse needs of all learners within their classroom.

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.

Differentiated instruction examples to maximize student learning

1. Use formative assessment to understand student needs

Nearpod’s formative assessment activities are effective for differentiating instruction. Teachers can send out formative assessment activities such as polls and quizzes, ask open-ended questions, have students submit drawing assessments through Draw It, and even write short notes on the Collaborate Board.

All of these features allow teachers to get instant insight into how their students are doing and address any questions or misconceptions.

For example, Ann Feldmann at Edutopia describes how first-grade teacher Megan Cinfel uses the Draw It to collect formative feedback, which she later uses to differentiate her instruction:

“[She] gathers her students on the rug in a circle, sits with them, and presents new math concepts to all of their iPads simultaneously. She uses the draw feature daily to collect formative data. Students use the pen tool to draw responses and send them back. Teachers immediately see the data and can share student work back to their screens in just a click. This is a powerful way for students to see peer responses and explain their reasoning.”

The daily formative assessment data collected and compared to summative data can give teachers a better view of student mastery. Then, once teachers know where their students are, they can adjust to instruction moving forward and consider micro-intervention. This type of instant formative feedback can be beneficial for quickly understanding each student’s specific and varied needs.

Integrating interactive activities into your lessons can cast a wider net for all the unique gems in class. When lesson planning, here are some differentiated instruction technology examples to consider when using Nearpod:

• Slides and videos for visual learners
• Open-Ended Questions for deep thinkers
• Draw It for artistic students
• Time to Climb for competitive types 
• Drag and Drop for hands-on learners
• Collaborate Board for social collaborators
• Polls for opinionated learners
• Matching Pairs for the ones who see patterns
• Fill-in-the Blanks for those who need context
• VR Field Trips for imaginative minds

2. Provide accessibility options for inclusivity

Differentiation allows for greater inclusivity in the classroom. Technology-based lessons give students better access to concepts than various traditional methods. Nearpod’s inclusivity features support multiple needs, such as:

• Immersive Reader: Enable Microsoft Immersive Reader to include accessibility functions such as text-to-speech, translation, contrast, voice speed, and font size, to name a few examples.
• Closed Caption: Always enable captions for videos. Videos in Nearpod provide closed captions for students to follow along with videos through subtitles if needed.
• Audio Functions: Enable audio responses as an assessment option to help students who prefer this method.

3. Gain insight from student assessments

With every lesson, you get instantaneous assessment feedback to guide and differentiate instruction. Using assessment data, teachers can also plan data-driven instruction for the whole class or small group to differentiate. After students complete Nearpod lessons, teachers can look into Post-session reports and use individual student data to guide the next lessons around student needs. Post-session reports can be organized by correct answers, student names, question types, percentages, and more.

During a Nearpod lesson, you can also toggle between the student and teacher views. The Teacher Dashboard shows you student responses in real-time so you can address misconceptions in the moment. You can even use the Whiteboard feature to model for students!

Nearpod takes differentiated instruction examples for assessments one step further, allowing students to access and see their own reports. Conferencing with and guiding students in creating personal learning goals adds another layer to differentiation in teaching by making students accountable for their own individual learning. You and your students can work collaboratively to make a learning path specifically designed for their learning styles. This creates a norm within the classroom for every student to realize that learning is personal and subjective. Comparing yourself to other students should become a thing of the past.

4. Implement differentiated lessons in your instruction

Once teachers are aware of students’ individual needs based on the formative feedback they receive, they can begin differentiating instruction based on those needs.

Differentiating to individual needs can look incredibly different depending on the grade level, subject area, and student’s needs. But as Ben Johnson of Edutopia describes, “The ideal is to provide equivalent learning activities that cater to the students’ strengths but bring all of the students to the same learning objective.” In other words, teachers should support students on their journey toward the main learning objective of the lesson, but that support might look very different for each student or each group of students. Consider including Nearpod’s lesson library in your differentiated instruction tools.

Lesson Library

Preparing this type of support on the fly can be difficult. That’s why it can be beneficial for teachers to prepare different lesson possibilities for students beforehand.

These lessons can be based on the different learning paths teachers expect their students to need, based on previous experience and their own expertise.

Nearpod’s quality lesson library has thousands of premade standards-aligned lessons, videos, and activities made by content experts and trusted educational publishers.

Lessons you download, create, or edit from Nearpod are immediately saved to your account for future use for years to come. You can organize folders of lessons based on small groups, skills, subjects, etc.

Here are three simple steps to keep your lessons organized by folder:

• Go to “My Lessons” and click on “+Folder”
• Type a name for the folder and click “Create”
• Drag any lesson you want into the folder!

5. Duplicate and edit lessons to address different needs

By preparing a variety of learning paths and differentiated instruction examples, teachers can ensure that whatever needs arise during the course of a lesson, they’ll be ready to meet them. If students need extra practice or remediation, have a Nearpod lesson prepared to share about the topic. If there are students who are ready to move on with additional real-world examples, teachers can have an assignment ready for them too.

By enabling Student-Paced mode, students can work through these lessons on their own or in small groups while the teacher provides individual support and guidance where needed. Easy to use, you can build regular lessons in Nearpod without worrying about pushing struggling learners too hard, while students who are ready to move quicker can continue unhindered. Students log in with a 5-digit code and work through a lesson at their own speed. They have time to work through problems and process answers truly while not feeling rushed or “left behind” for not moving quickly.

In addition to allowing for differentiation, preparing multiple lesson possibilities also means that students can have a choice in the direction their learning takes. Provide students with a choice board that includes various Nearpod lesson codes, or other assignment options, with a description of the objective. This combination of student voice, choice, and differentiation opens up powerful possibilities In addition to allowing for differentiation, preparing multiple lesson possibilities also means that students can have a choice in the direction their learning takes. Provide students with a choice board that includes various Nearpod lesson codes, or other assignment options, with a description of the objective. This combination of student voice, choice, and differentiation opens up powerful possibilities at all grade levels during the learning process at all grade levels.

Start differentiating instruction in your classroom

We’re so excited to see you use these differentiated learning examples! Differentiation becomes second nature in a classroom with the right resources at your disposal. Everyone learns differently, which means teachers need the necessary resources to reach and make an impact on every student inside the classroom. Nearpod’s interactive formative assessments and lessons make learning accessible to all learners in the classroom.

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.

Angelia Simpson

Angelia Simpson has been a first grade teacher for nine years. With a classroom full of minions, she balances the wonderful line of chaos and learning. Passions include writing, technology, reading, and Corgis.

The post Differentiated instruction examples to maximize student learning appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Our PioNear community comprises a diverse group of educators working tirelessly to engage students and support other teachers. In honor of Women’s History Month, we’d like to spotlight some of the women in the Nearpod educator community whom we admire.

Learn about what these 14 women have accomplished and how they empower female students and represent female narratives in their instruction.

Meet the educators

Ph.D. student at The University of Georgia, former elementary teacher. In 2020, Kali had her first author paper accepted in a peer-reviewed journal.

Instructional Technology Specialist in Georgia. Rosie is in the process of adding Gifted Certification to her teaching certificate and is a member of the Liberty Aspiring Leaders Academy.

Spanish and STEAM Educator, Consultant, and Attorney. In 2020, Rachelle published her 4th and 5th books and became an ISTE Certified Educator.

Educator, author, and social media consultant. Melody published her first children’s book, “I’m Sorry Story,” and has shared it internationally.

A science teacher in New Jersey, Jennifer, utilized all the Nearpod lessons she’s created throughout the year while teaching virtually.

i4Coach at Hawthorne School in California. In 2020, Leticia started Tech.Teach.Grow, LLC., provides PD to teachers, parents, and administrators.

Dual Language STEM/Social Studies teacher and University Course Designer in Texas. In 2020, Coral started Austin Avanza, an affinity/equity group designed to amplify the voices of educators of color.

Coordinator for Model Schools for WSWHE BOCES. Laurie was named one of CoSN’s Emerging EdTech Leaders in 2020.

Instructional specialist and equity influencer, Tiffanye was selected to serve on the panel for Education for American Democracy.

Second-grade educator and TEDx speaker in Denver, Colorado. In 2020, Rachel was a finalist for Colorado Teacher of the Year.

A kindergarten teacher in California. Caitlin led a virtual summer Maker Camp, integrating STEM challenges and collaboration with students.

A third-grade teacher in Broward Country, Florida. In 2020, Natalie became a Nearpod PioNear, and joined the #teachersoftiktok community with over 33k followers (@nattiemeetsworld).

7th-grade Cyber School Teacher Emily started The Cyber Sisters Podcast, where she and her co-host talk about cyber pedagogy.

Founder and CEO of LCT-E Learning Solutions, Michelle supports districts with remote learning plans, curated content, and webinars. She recently published a book, “Educational Continuity During Uncertainty: Online Learning Considerations for Educators.”

Tips for teaching Women’s History Month from women educators

When teaching about women’s history, what have you seen resonate with students?

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.

Rosalind Franklin! Holy cow, how awesome was that woman. She died doing what she loved and discovered the structure of DNA. Students really love her story and they get upset by the fact that it took so long for her to be recognized. I love how passionate they become!

Jennifer Mohr-Murphy

I love to share the fight and plight of women starting with the works of Phillis Wheatley, the first published African American poet. Then I show the fight of Sojourner Truth at the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention with her speech “Ain’t I A Woman.” ..When we look at the strength, courage, boldness, hope, and faith of these women, we see our strength. We see our power. We see ourselves in them. This is what resonates with my students. This is how they see and find their value.

Michelle C. Singh

In Spanish, love teaching about Frida Kahlo, Isabel Allende, and in particular, Eva Peron. She fought for women’s suffrage and her impact on the lives of people in Argentina.

Rachelle Dene Poth

Right now, I’m looking around at LIVING HISTORY! We celebrated with joy when Kamala Harris was sworn in as VP. I wanted them to remember that they were watching history be made like I remember when the Berlin Wall came down. I never want them to forget this part of history and we are so excited for the first woman president who we hope is in 2024!

Melody McAllister

As a child, I was always in awe of Amelia Earhart and her lack of fear. It helped me to understand that you need to sometimes embrace the unknown in order to succeed. As an adult, I named my daughter after Abigail Adams because she was a pillar for change and fought for women and people of color to have the same opportunities.

Laurie Guyon

How do you empower female students in your classroom?

I empower my female students by letting them know about opportunities both inside and outside of my classroom/our school that they can take advantage of. It’s as much an information gap rather than an opportunity gap and making sure our students know there is a world of opportunities out there is critical to really let them dream and see themselves in new ways and roles for their future.

Coral Zayas

I am a huge advocate for STEAM education and try to infuse my curriculum and units with cross-curricular activities including coding and robotics. We know that men are the majority in STEM and computer science careers and my goal is to do my part in closing that gap and inspire and empower the girls in my class to pursue careers in STEM. I think the best way I can do that is by giving my Kindergarten students the exposure and opportunity to experience engaging STEM activities and projects including coding, and robotics within my classroom. Not only does is increase engagement and challenge my students to use higher level thinking, but it gives them experience and my hope is that it will spark interest to pursue it further!

Caitlin Arawaka

I make sure I am calling on students evenly, encouraging female students who are quiet to take the stage and use their voice to fill our learning space, provide numerous opportunities beyond writing and speaking for students to share their thoughts, ask students how they prefer to share and ways they like to create to share their voice and then provide them time to do so. I urge them to take leadership positions around campus based on what I have observed about and learned from them, and bring in females from varying fields, that I know interest my students, to speak and engage with my students.

Leticia Citizen

I always give examples of powerful, fearless women to my students to show them they can do anything. I also share my accomplishments and difficulties with them so they can relate or understand how challenges can be overcome! We chat about this with social and emotional learning discussions!

Natalie Stuart

What Nearpod or Flocabulary resources do you use to celebrate women’s history?

I love this Nearpod lesson about Katherine Johnson. I like to edit the activities and content just a little bit to make is appropriate for my Kindergarten students. I especially love the Flocabulary video and virtual field trip to Rocket Alley where the students can see a replica of one of the rockets Katherine Johnson helped launch and calculate the path.

Caitlin Arawaka

I love the Interactive Videos about women. They are impactful and offer diversity that is so important. You can share one a day throughout the month and really get learners thinking about the power of women in history.

Tiffanye McCoy-Thomas, PhD

My students and I use the discussion mode option for every Flocabulary video that is about a powerful female figure. We typically do this once a week in the month of March.

Natalie Stuart

Explore Flocabulary lessons

There are a plethora of Nearpod and Flocabulary lessons that highlight phenomenal women. I particularly enjoy Malala Yousafzai, Sacagawea, and the most recent addition of Amanda Gorman’s Poetry. I appreciate that Nearpod can adapt and create powerful content in the moment.

Rachel Lamb

The lessons from the Notable Women bundle are fantastic to get students going and learning. I like it a lot because there are lessons about women in history students have never heard about. These women have changed and continue to impact us today. For example, Henrietta Lacks and Alice Paul.

Michelle C. Singh

How do you think we can better represent women and female narratives in instruction?

Leading by example. Being out front and being fearless. Just getting out there and doing it. Just not being afraid to fail. You never know what you can do until you try. If you fail, then you know you tried. We put too much emphasis on not failing and we should feel safe to fail. That is what we tell our students.

Rosie S. Fleming

We must reset our thinking in regards to who has made contributions to our world. Many of us carry with us the narrow view of changemakers from our childhood: Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Picasso. What about Buffalo Calf Road Woman, Sybil Ludington, Tammy Duckworth, and Claudette Colvin? This is not the time to let history books, written by the powerful, control what we teach. This is the time to peel back the layers of information that have been given to us since our youth and find fierce women stuffed in the crevices of history.

Rachel Lamb

I think March is a great time to go deeper into the contributions of women in our society. I grew up in a culture that said I was inferior to men, that I couldn’t and shouldn’t lead over men. That is garbage! Women are amazing leaders! We are different than men, of course, but we have proven that we are strong, be calm under pressure, make decisions that improve the life of the majority, and aren’t afraid of working hard.

Melody McAllister

We need to do a better job of representing women and the female narratives in our classrooms. This starts with looking at our curriculums. As an ancient World History teacher, I was teaching prehistory until the Middle Ages. I can count on one hand the number of women that I was “supposed” to teach in my curriculum. I tried to add in as many female narratives as possible to my lessons, which was easier said than done. Often times, I worked with my students to talk about why women weren’t represented in my classroom, which was because history was written by the men, so women weren’t a part of it.

Emily Sattler

We need to share the stories of women who have shaped our lives and our daily living. We need to showcase the creativity, ingenuity, and perseverance of women throughout time as inspiration. Our stories can foster connections. When we learn about others with the similar struggles and triumphs, we see the potential within ourselves.

Laurie Guyon

Share a quote in honor of Women’s History Month and why it’s special to you.

“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott

She is my favorite author. I think there is something really special about the way she writes about female friendship that I just connect with on a very personal level. Every time I read this quote I am reminded of how to be fearless, or to phrase that better, fear less.

Kali Thompson

“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand

I love the power in this quote and love quotes in general. This quote was given to be on a personalized cuff by my dad.

Rachelle Dene Poth

“Empowered women empower women.”

This quote is special to me because I feel we need more women empowering each other, especially in these times. It is refreshing to see women support each other in businesses, friendships, relationships, etc. to help boost confidence!

Natalie Stuart

“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” -Malala Yousafzai

This quote is important to me because far too often, people try to silence women and girls voices, finding and using our voices is one of the most powerful ways to boost self-confidence and helps us share our stories with the world. I truly do believe when one voice is powerful, but collectively we are far more powerful.

Coral Zayas

“Science is not a boy’s game, it’s not a girl’s game. It’s everyone’s game. It’s about where we are and where we’re going.” – Nichelle Nicholssi

I love this because it emphasizes the idea behind why science is such an important topic!

Jennifer Mohr-Murphy

How do you address difficult conversations about gender roles in the classroom?

I have always been an educator who believed that learners see through us. They know when we are not being authentic. So, even in difficult conversations, I allow them to open the door and serve as a facilitator to ensure respect and dignity are maintained, even when truth hurts. My experience is that years later they remember it and when they see me, even if there are no words, their expression is one of gratitude.

Tiffanye McCoy Thomas, PhD

Opening space for dialogue, allowing students to say what they need to say, and making sure that all students feel heard in those conversation.

Kali Thompson

Students need to feel safe and this type of environment has to be established and modeled by the teacher. The students need to know the teacher cares and they can see this with the effort the teacher puts into the content she creates and how she interacts with them. Nearpod allows this. The teacher creates dynamic and engaging lessons for students. The lessons provide interactivity, joy, and safe spaces for students to respond.

Michelle C. Singh

Common Sense Education has several lessons on Gender Roles. One in particular, Beyond Gender Stereotypes, I have used with my fifth graders. The lesson helps students to “think critically about how gender stereotypes can affect the ways they view themselves and others.” There are picture books that are available to allow students to redefine normal and challenge gender stereotypes. I have also partnered with our School Counselor and Psychologist.

Leticia Citizen

Everything is an equal opportunity. Somethings you might be built differently for but my favorite thing to say is “I’m built for this.” Whatever it is I am built for this – let’s go!

Rosie S. Fleming

Here is a list of more impactful women in education!

Nearpod Team

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

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