M-Learning's Great Buddy: Nearpod

Hey there! Welcome back to my blog! Today, we're diving into Nearpod (Link)! If you're a teacher, you've probably heard of Nearpod, but you might be wondering, what exactly is M-Learning?

If that question popped into your head, then my title did its job! I got you curious (mission accomplished 😈). Hunting down answers with a question in mind makes everything more memorable!

1. M-learning, or Mobile learning, is all about learning through mobile devices, spanning all sorts of educational activities in any subject area
2. Speaking of MALL (Mobile Assisted Language Learning), it's pretty much like M-learning in that it leverages mobile devices for learning, but it zeroes in on language learning. Mobile learning aims to let learners study languages anytime, anywhere, using any portable device. It also emphasizes something pretty crucial – the coherence of learning contexts. Learning isn't disconnected, whether you're inside or outside the classroom.
3. Then there's TELL (Technology Enhanced Language Learning), which differs from MALL by focusing on a broader range of tech applications in language learning, like interactive whiteboards and computer software.

With these concepts laid out, do you feel a bit clearer about what mobile teaching entails? As usual, I'll take you straight to a useful websites next, hoping to spark some inspiration for your mobile teaching journey.

Shoutout from Nearpod! "Don't miss out on these awesome teaching resources!" That's actually what I exclaimed after checking out the demo lessons Nearpod offers. Nearpod is truly amazing! But who would have thought I was initially so resistant to using it? (Keep reading! I'll spill the beans on my story.)

• Teaching Resources:

They cover everything from kindergarten to higher education, though they mainly focus on K-12; there are resources for all subjects (as shown in the image below). I highly recommend you take a look at the "Featured" section in the Nearpod Library! The course designs there really changed my mind about Nearpod.

• Feature Outline

It's a platform for integrating teaching resources—I mean, it combines slides, tasks, interactions, audio, and video all in one place. When you randomly jump into a demo lesson, you'll be greeted by an interface like the one below. On the right, inside a blue box, you can see what types of activities are included in the lesson, like Polls, Open-Ended Questions, Quizzes, etc. On the left, in a red box, you can view the content of the slides.

More activities? Absolutely! When you click "Edit Lesson," teachers can perform more actions and choose from a wider range of activities. It might not have as many features as H5P (which I covered in last week's blog post), but it's definitely easier to use than H5P. I encourage you to explore it for yourself!

• "Claim it for your own" or "Let your imagination run wild"

Nearpod is very generous with sharing resources; you don't need to subscribe to a pricey membership to use their educational resources. Their membership fees mainly reflect the storage space and the number of participants. When you decide to use a particular resource, you first need to save it to your "My Lesson" space. Of course, you can also create your own original courses, and Nearpod offers plenty of tutorials to help. When it's time to present your lesson to students, just select "Teach." Then, you'll see an interface letting you choose the teaching mode (as pictured).

• Time for a reveal! Why didn't I like Nearpod at first?

It all boiled down to one feature: "Live Participation," where the teacher controls the pace. Being as a student, I disliked this because I could only focus on the slide the teacher was currently discussing. This setup prevented me from reviewing previous slides and previewing upcoming content. Some teachers choose to distribute the slides ahead of class for students to preview, and some don't — I definitely preferred the former approach. You see, previewing is crucial for absorbing knowledge; plus, based on the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) I learned about, autonomy is considered a key factor influencing students' intrinsic motivation. In the classroom, if students are restricted from flipping back slides, they may have to skip over parts they don't understand, which could even dampen their enthusiasm for learning. 

But I have to admit, having the "teacher control the pace" can be a great way to keep students fully engaged and actively participating in class activities! So, my suggestion is that Nearpod adds an option in "Live Participation" to allow students to look back at previously covered slides. This way, students can selectively review key information they might have missed while also keeping up with the teacher's pace and engaging in activities.

• How can teachers make the most of Nearpod for mobile teaching?

A key point is to get really familiar with Nearpod. Technological advancements are transforming teaching methods, and both students and teachers need to adapt. You don't have to be a pioneer, but don't be stuck in your ways either! Take the time to develop your "mobile literacy," which is just as important as basic literacy (Hockly, 2013).

Finally! There are plenty more cool features in Nearpod waiting for you to explore.

I hope today's shared insights inspire and prove useful to you!

Reference: Hockly, N. (2013). Mobile learning. ELT journal, 67(1), 80-84.

(All screenshots from Nearpod)

PS: I owe my buddies an apology. If all goes as planned, this will be my second-to-last blog post on the topic of ICT. Due to some reasons, I might not be able to update for quite a while. Whatever the future holds, I appreciate all the support during this time! Best wishes to you all!