NEARPOD: Create, Engage, & Assess

Hello friends!

I am continuing my #technologytidbits with you by introducing you to a phenomenal FREE resource called Nearpod.

Nearpod is basically powerpoint on steroids. Yes, I used that analogy because it’s true.
With Nearpod, you can create your own presentations (just like powerpoint or Google Slides), however Nearpod has features to make your presentation as engaging yet informative as possible.

These Nearpod presentations can then be pushed out to multiple devices at once. The teachers control the presentations from a master iOS device, while students follow along on a class set of devices.

When I slide to the next slide, every students’ devices are synchronized. When I want them to complete a certain activity, it will show up on every students’ device.

We all have “those kids” that would participate in off task behavior rather than indulge in the lesson. With Nearpod, I can easily see who is logged in and who isn’t. When the lesson begins, students are asked to sign in. Nearpod generates a total number of students logged in and places that number in the green corner of your master screen. If a student decides to get off of the app to get on something else, or lets their device go to sleep because they’re not paying attention—that green number turns red, and when I click it, it will let me know exactly WHOSE device is not active!

1. The buttons above are pretty self explanatory. I always delete the first and last slide so I can properly label what my lesson is about.

   **I CREATE ALL MY LESSONS IN POWERPOINT**

   This way, I can add my own clipart & use as many words as I want.

   Here is how I do it….

   I create a powerpoint lesson like I usually would.

   

   I make sure and create parts of my lesson with opportunities for my kids to draw on their tablet.

   Here, I want my kids to create a table so I created a template for them to draw on.

   

   When I finish making my lesson, I click Save AS
   

   EXCEPT, I want to save as a JPEG.

   

   Now I can drag and drop my slides into Nearpod.

   When you drag and drop multiple slides at one, be sure and press “SINGLE SLIDES” so you can control turning each individual page.

   

   

   

   When you want to add an ACTIVITY to but use an image, you will have to upload that slide INDIVIDUALLY….

   

   There are TONS of FREE lessons on Nearpod!

   Just check out the TOP FREE resources.

   This website is so great that there is no way that my blog post can do it justice.

   Check out their website for other helpful tutorials!

   Click HERE to see more tutorials.