Nearpod: Benefits, Limitations, and Application

 

Nearpod has many useful tools to assist teachers in lesson planning and student assessments. Teachers can create their own lessons and/or modify any of the premade lessons by adding interactive content to enhance student learning. There are thousands of interactive videos, slides, and games as well as virtual field trips. Nearpod has three different teaching methods including live participation, front of class, and student paced which can all be used for in person, distance learning, or hybrid classes. Also, Nearpod can be integrated with many learning management systems.

Although Nearpod is a helpful tool there are some limitations as well. One example is that there are different package plans and the free version is extremely limited in lesson storage and class log in allowances. Each next level package plan increases in price greatly while only increasing features minimally. Another potential limitation of Nearpod would be access for all students. Many students do not have access to electronic devices consistently and some schools do not have the means to provide every student with their own device for educational purposes. Therefore, teachers would only be able to use the front-of-class method in which they teach the lesson and lead a class discussion much like traditional teaching.

Nearpod has thousands of premade interactive lessons in many content standards which teachers can customize. Also, PowerPoint, Google Slides, PDFs, and videos can be uploaded to Nearpod to create lessons. Formative assessment can be incorporated into lessons. Teachers create interactive slides, videos, and games/activities that keep students engaged while checking their understanding of the content.