Nearpod: Benefits and Limitations

     Nearpod is an online tool teachers can use to create an interactive learning experience. Teachers can create polls, videos, collaborative boards, and quizzes for their students using interactive presentations. Nearpod allows access to tons of pre-existing lesson plans for K-12 or you can input your own for a more personalized experience. Even though Nearpod is a virtual tool, it can be used both in virtual and in-person classrooms to keep students on task. It works on any device (iPads, tablets, computers), and the teacher has full control of what the students see on their screen. By providing a code for students to input, the teacher is able to see each student's name and only allow access to certain slides at a time, to ensure everyone works at the same pace and no one is off track. Students are able to work by themselves on their devices, or Nearpod can be used in small groups for things such as guided reading groups.

    Nearpod has great benefits but also comes with some limitations. The free account (silver) only allows 40 students to join each lesson, so if you wanted to use this tool on a larger scale, you would need to upgrade your account. As with any online education tool, there is a bit of a learning curve if you aren't familiar with the concept. Nearpod also doesn't fully integrate with other tools such as Google Classroom, so you may need to switch between different technologies to create a full lesson. Also, according to reviews, Nearpod doesn't have a great filtering system and students are able to create inappropriate profile names for themselves. Teachers don't have much control over this, and I can see how that may be frustrating. 

    There are plenty of ways that teachers can implement Nearpod in the classroom. Teachers can create live formative assessments such as customized polls, quizzes, matching pairs, Draw It activities, and open-ended questions. There's also a self-assessment option, which is great for students to evaluate their confidence levels. Typically a traffic light indicator on the top of the screen shows red for a poor confidence level, yellow for fair understanding, and green for a very good understanding of the topic. Lastly, teachers are able to provide a student-paced code so that students can access Nearpod at home on their own time, and complete homework activities. 

Using VR to Enhance The Classroom Experience

     While searching through various VR and AR tools that can be or are being used in classrooms, I came across Google Expeditions. Google Expeditions is a website and an app that allows you to take highly immersive field trips to various places. It consists of five subjects to explore: Arts, Geography, Natural History, History, and Science & Technology. This VR technology offers hundreds of virtual field trips all over the globe, with each including movable photos and explanations to go with them. Google Expeditions has options for everyone of all ages and can enhance the classroom experience for students. 

    Anyone, including teachers and students, can use this specific VR tool. K-12 and beyond can benefit from these virtual field trips, as they allow for a fun and interactive learning experience without leaving the classroom. Google Expeditions can be used in History classes, Art classes, and just about any class that a field trip could normally take place. Not only is this helpful for students, but it also allows teachers to get a better visual understanding of what they're teaching. This tool, of course, can be used outside of the classroom too for anyone interested in taking a virtual trip around the world.

    Google Expeditions allows students and teachers to take trips around the world and get a better understanding of what they may already be learning about in the classroom. This free-to-use app and website does not require a trip to France to actually see France, and that is quite the upside of VR tools. Students who maybe can't afford to take field trips are now able to do so from their classroom or even at home; everyone can now be included at the same time in the same place. Any visual learners will especially appreciate this VR tool, as it allows for a very visual virtual experience they may not have otherwise had the opportunity to see.