Nearpod and VR

As education moves towards a focus on authentic learning (thank goodness!), there is also a push to move beyond the classroom walls.  One way that teachers are doing this is through virtual reality.  Many teachers are already taking advantage of the virtual reality headsets available in the middle and high school libraries.  Our students have “left” the classroom to experience coral reefs, Mars, Versailles, Machu Picchu, and other places otherwise unavailable to us.

Nearpod is now offering this opportunity embedded into what is already an interactive lesson when using their software.  Teachers interested in using it, make sure you sign in with Google!  Their program, available across all devices, allows you to direct what is showing on the screen and collect formative assessments from students throughout the lesson.  One of these options can now be a 360 degree view of places around the world...and the universe!

Let’s try it out!  The lesson below is a ready-made virtual reality lesson from Nearpod which is free and it goes through different types of Native American Housing.  They recommend this lesson for grades 4-9, and students can work through it on a chromebook, with a mobile device, or with a VR headset (for the full immersion experience).

When you create your own lessons, you can choose to include a few VR experiences (known as a field trip) for your students in that lesson.  Or, you can choose from the pre-made lessons from Nearpod.  Many, but not all, are free.  They are all of a very high quality.

If you are interested in trying it out, make sure you redeem the free 6 month subscription to Nearpod Gold Edition by following these steps:

1. Create an account (with GOOGLE!) if you have not already done so.
2. Go to nearpod.com/redeem and enter the code PETE&C17.

That’s it!  See your building techspert or me if you have questions!

PETE&C Takeaways

Earlier this week, I accompanied a few colleagues to the annual Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Conference (PETE&C) in Hershey, PA.  This is a wonderful (but very crowded) conference organized by PAECT every year.  When thinking about what I want to share out from this opportunity, here are my top takeaways that I hope you can start conversations around:

1. Seesaw is the go-to platform for digital portfolios in the elementary school setting.  Check out the slideshow by the presenters.
2. Aurasma is changing the way we interact with our reality, allowing opportunities to scan and see augmented versions of reality.  Some schools use it to give tours of their schools or for seniors to be a visible part of their yearbook.  Matt Hill had the great idea to do this with our Hall of Fame!
3. The new ISTE standards released last summer highlight so many opportunities for student engagement and active learning.
4. Vibby allows you to take a video from the internet and crop it so you are only showing your audience the part that you want them to see.
5. PHeT contains a wide variety of online interactive science activities.
6. It’s possible for a teacher to learn alongside a student in a content area that they are interested in but not an expert.
7. It’s important to give students a voice in the changes at their school.
8. Learning is more powerful when it is directed by the students, such as the example of a session about Breakout boxes conducted by students at a professional conference!
9. You can do digital Breakout boxes (if you solve the Poe-ch the Raven one, give me and Liz the answer!).
10. Digital portfolios don’t need to be fancy.  Google sites is the perfect option for students to collect their learning for Google schools.

If you want to see our notes, they can be found here. I hope this will inspire someone to check out something new or start a conversation about innovation for your classroom.  Speaking of innovation, there’s a new WR Twitter account - @wrsdinnovate.  Give it a follow.

Formative Assessment Tools Online

We’ve all had those moments in the classroom when we think the students understand, but as it turns out, most really don’t.  As teachers, we feel frustrated.  Students probably even more so.  We can avoid lengthy reteaching lessons by conducting quick formative assessments.  We can move beyond the exit tickets and the “show of hands” scenarios with some incredible online tools.  There are so many great tools out there, so here are just a few.

Formative lets teachers create digital assignments for free.  After assignment is created, students access by a “quick code” or a unique URL.  Syncs with Google Classroom!  Teachers see responses in real time.  Includes a “show your work” option, which lets students create freehand answers -- they can draw what they learned or show their work on a math problem!  Use your existing Google account.

Socrative allows you to instantly connect with students as learning happens.  The free app allows you to quickly assess students with prepared activities or on-the-fly questions to get immediate insight into student understanding.  Students access your activities by entering your Socrative classroom name.  Use your existing Google account.

Kahoot is a popular class quiz game that students and teachers enjoy.  Students access your quizzes by entering a unique code; they can also make their own to share with the class.  Teacher shows questions via projector; students see answers on their devices.  Inspiring ways to Kahoot!

Spiral transforms any classroom into a live learning space.  Activities include “Quickfire” formative assessments, “Team Up” collaborations, “Discuss” interactive presentations, and “Clip” video quizzes.  Syncs with Google apps!  Use your existing Google account.

As I said, there are a ton of web tools.  Here are some more awesome lists:

• Tony Vincent made a great list of 17 Tools for Formative Assessment
• Kathy Dyer cultivated a list of 55 Digital Tools and Apps for Formative Assessment Success
• Common Sense Education has their own list of Top Tech Tools for Formative Assessment

How are you using formative assessments in your classroom? Tell us in the comments!