Nearpod PD: Extend your professional development learning and earn PD hours
Professional development (PD) hours for teachers, in-service, continuing education, PLC, grade-level teams, collaborative learning—whatever it’s called in your school or district, it most likely means an investment of time, a method of accountability, and hopefully learning something relevant. As an educator, when you are asked to share your time for professional learning, what should you consider in order to best prepare?
Nearpod’s PD team: Professional Services
At Nearpod, I lead the work done by an amazing team called Professional Services. We are responsible for creating and delivering the professional development opportunities that educators at all levels have access to, so they can more effectively use the instructional tools and supplemental content from Nearpod and Flocabulary.
The Professional Services team is an impressive group of educators who combine their valuable knowledge and expertise to help support schools and districts worldwide. Our team members have diverse educational backgrounds, including expertise in elementary education, special education, leadership, technology, and more.
Before we create a slide, handout, catchy title, or description, we make sure that whatever learning and work we are asking teachers to do will positively impact and support the important work they are already doing.
There are multiple ways for all types and levels of educators to engage in these learning opportunities, especially when considering how to get professional development hours for teaching. From free to paid, from beginner to advanced, we have professional development you can access that will impact the teaching and learning happening in your classroom, school, and district.
Nearpod PD: How teachers can get professional development hours
Earning professional development hours should not be complicated when you are spending time learning new skills and ideas to support your students. At Nearpod, we diligently strive to make all our professional development offerings easy to join, relevant to your instructional needs, designed for you as an adult learner, and of course sharing documentation for you to submit for professional development hours. And of course, our webinars are usually hosted through the Nearpod platform, making it an interactive PD experience for all participants. Any webinar, course, or session that you join will model the best uses of Nearpod as a learning and instruction platform, it will be engaging, and—dare we say—you might even have a bit of fun along the way. So, what are all the options for you to earn professional development hours with Nearpod?
Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.
Free professional development with year-round public webinars
Let’s start with something free, because who doesn’t love some free learning? For all users of Nearpod and Flocabulary, we offer multiple free public webinars year-round. These webinars are typically 60 minutes in length and support primarily the basics of each of the two platforms. For each session that is attended live, you will receive a certificate of attendance that can be used to support your professional development hour requirements in your district.
For Nearpod, we regularly offer the following webinars:
- Nearpod for Beginners
- Plan, Create, and Edit a Nearpod Lesson
- Using Nearpod with Google
- Using Nearpod with Microsoft
- Nearpod for Corporate Training
- Nearpod in Higher Education
For Flocabulary, we regularly offer the Beginner’s Guide to Flocabulary.
The calendar of available webinars can be viewed at Nearpod.com/Resources. Find the session that supports your learning needs and register!
- Sessions are presented using GoToWebinar.
- Recordings are provided for all who register.
- Certificates of attendance are automatically sent to those who attend the live webinar; these can be submitted to your school or district to earn professional development hours.
Summer sessions: PD by the Pool
And for the summer, we add a little more fun and learning! Each summer from mid-June until the end of August, we offer PD by the Pool.
These opportunities include our regularly scheduled webinars but also include new learning opportunities. Explore more Summer PD learning opportunities.
This summer, we are including sessions such as:
- Creating & Launching Choice Boards with Nearpod
- Enhancing Vocabulary and Comprehension: Using Nearpod to Support the Science of Reading for All Grade Levels
- Achieving Balance: On-Screen and Off-Screen Teaching with Technology
- Using AI to Generate Text to Differentiate for Students
- Enhancing Academic Vocabulary and Comprehension: Using Word Up in Flocabulary to Support the Science of Reading for All Grade Levels
- Back to School with Nearpod
A certificate of attendance will be provided for each session that a teacher attends live so they can gain free PD hours. This certificate can be shared with your school or district as evidence of professional development hours.
If a live webinar doesn’t work within your schedule or your time zone, Nearpod and Flocabulary offer several options for learning the basics asynchronously. Although these options are designed specifically for those who have a paid school or district Nearpod or Flocabulary account, they are available for free.
Getting to Know Nearpod
This course is meant to introduce Nearpod and support educators in learning the Nearpod platform to support daily instruction and formative assessment. Participants will learn about navigating the platform, finding and editing lessons from the Nearpod library, creating lessons using their own resources, launching lessons to students in two modes, and reviewing evidence of student learning in reports.
Getting to Know Flocabulary
This course is meant to introduce Flocabulary and support educators in learning the Flocabulary platform so they can continue to support learning academic vocabulary in the classroom. Participants will learn about navigating the platform, understanding the lesson sequence, creating classes and assignments, and reviewing evidence of student learning in reports.
Contact your Nearpod or Flocabulary school or district account manager for more details!
Camp Engage
Two times per year, Nearpod hosts an event unlike any other: It is called Camp Engage! This is an online, multi-day, free conference for anyone who wants to learn about Nearpod and Flocabulary or anyone who already uses these platforms and wants to level up their skills. This is a perfect way for teachers to earn PD hours!
Camp Engage is designed to provide quality professional development led by experts in Nearpod and Flocabulary. You will learn from educators who have been or are currently in the field using these tools every day! Attending any of our main learning sessions during a Camp Engage event includes the option of earning free professional development hours for teachers. These can be shared with your school or district as evidence of your professional growth. It is also an opportunity to build your community of fellow educators to learn and laugh with during this conference.
Save your spot now for Camp Engage: Back to School, July 25-27, to help you make the most of the upcoming school year and find creative ways to engage your students!
Personalized professional development for your school and district
When a district or an individual school purchases Nearpod or Flocabulary platforms, there is the option to access professional development designed to meet the learning needs specific to that district or school.
The Professional Services team aims to help schools and districts just like yours to cultivate an environment that encourages digital learning and interactivity, helping teachers utilize technology in the most effective way possible. Each session begins with essential questions and learning objectives that are connected to the ISTE Standards for Educators and Coaches. Sessions are delivered virtually or on-site and are always designed using adult learning strategies, best instructional practices, and of course a little element of fun!
These learning opportunities are designed for a personalized approach with custom-tailored sessions to help educators seamlessly integrate Nearpod’s tools to address their unique needs. Professional development can include an introduction to the latest methodologies and strategies for technology integration as well as equipping educators with tools for digital learning success in their classroom or school.
In the ever-evolving landscape of digital education, we’re here to be your guide, your mentor, and your partner. Let us support you as you take your district or school to new heights.
Check out the professional development currently offered, to encourage transformative instruction with Nearpod, with the purchase of professional development for Nearpod and/or Flocabulary.
Contact [email protected] if you’re interested in this PD opportunity!
Start exploring Nearpod’s PD
Most teachers are in the education profession because they enjoyed or excelled at being a students; at some point, they enjoyed the process of learning, challenging the status quo, and working to make something better. Sadly, for the last few years that love of learning may have waned a bit. This could be from a lack of resources, ever-changing expectations, or just sheer exhaustion!
At Nearpod and Flocabulary, we hear and see you! Our goal has been, and continues to be, to offer professional development that prioritizes learning relevant ideas and skills you can immediately implement in your classroom or your school. We strive to do this through an engaging platform, using adult learning strategies, all while providing you with the evidence needed to meet accountability demands.
Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.
