Blog Post 5: Nearpod

 Carissa Dembinski

Nearpod

        Nearpod is a great interactive tool for educators to use for things like quizzes, polls, videos, etc. This tool can provide many benefits to the classroom, including bridging the gap between technology and learning to get students more engaged and interested. When using Nearpod teachers will be able to create presentations that are more interactive than google slides or powerpoint, grabbing the attention of students. Instructors can also use this tool for assessments and checking for students' understanding in real-time. This gives instructors the opportunity to adjust lesson plans and activities when needed. Nearpod gives learners the chance to test their knowledge, retain information, and learn new materials by playing games, increasing classroom engagement and offers students a fun way to learn. These are just some of the benefits that this application can provide to todays classrooms. 

        There are some drawbacks to using Nearpod. Firstly, if a teacher/school does not wish to pay for the premium plus account, they will be limited to 40 students per lesson. So there are some features that may not be accessible unless paid for, something teachers may not be able to do. These features include student-paced lessons, individual student reports, BBC videos, Nearpod lessons, and extra web content. These subscriptions are also pretty costly with the "gold" subscription costing $120 per year and the "platinum" costing $349 per year. There is also the obvious need for a laptop in order for each student to use this tool. Schools would have to be able to supply these laptops to the students. These limitations can make it impossible for many teachers and schools to access this application. 

        As mentioned previously, teachers can use Nearpod in lesson planning by implementing games and interactive presentations in place of traditional lectures and worksheets. Teachers with a platinum subscription will also have access to the lesson plans and tools that Nearpod provides, making lesson planning that much easier. Instructors will also be able to use this in place of traditional assessments to better track student progress.