Why is it important to use technology in elementary schools?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nKids can surprise you. I think that\u2019s why I\u2019m still at the edge of my seat even after nine years of teaching first grade. This infographic published by Everyday Family<\/a> shows that 57% of kids under 12 have used a mobile device for educational purposes. Oddly enough, there seems to be a misconception that technology isn\u2019t suitable for early education classrooms, and it\u2019s been my personal experience that this is incorrect. There are many benefits to using technology in the classroom<\/a>. Teaching elementary students with technology provides them opportunities to learn at their own pace, increases their engagement and participation, helps build their skills in operating devices and software, creates fun learning moments, and prepares them for future careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nLearn more about the benefits of tech<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nHow to use technology in the elementary classroom<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n1. Interactive activities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nWith one simple click, young students connect to learning in ways that far surpass paper, pencils, and cutting and gluing. You can still create hands-on and interactive learning experiences for your students with technology. Have them use digital drawing whiteboards, drag and drop activities, virtual reality experiences, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Assistive](\"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-25-at-2.16.50-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\nNearpod\u2019s activities are perfectly suited for primary students. Activities like Draw It<\/a> and Drag and Drop<\/a> enable students to show what they know\u2014even students who have yet to master basic typing skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTo help students who are just learning to read and write, Nearpod offers assistive tools such as: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Student-Paced Mode<\/a><\/li>
- Audio Responses<\/li>
- Text-to-Speech<\/a> in Immersive Reader<\/li>
- Various multimedia instructions<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\nLearn more about these activities<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
2. Videos and activities for reading<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nVideo\u2019s growing role in the classroom<\/a> makes it the newest genre alongside fiction and informative texts. More than that, young learners respond to interesting, interactive videos<\/a>. My students retain more reading concepts when I teach through Nearpod than when I use big books and anchor charts alone. My school\u2019s reading program tasked me with teaching the concept of characters to my students. I showed them the \u201cStory Elements for Kids: What Is<\/a> a Character?\u201d interactive video, and whole-group teaching on the carpet evolved beyond pointing to a poster and reading a big book. I was able to expand my lesson by gauging student understanding during instruction through questions embedded in the video. There are many more reading videos to choose from in Nearpod\u2019s Lesson Library which you can search through by lesson keywords, and filter by subject, standards, and grade level to find content that\u2019s right for your classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Nearpod's](\"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Add-a-question-to-video.gif\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nTest out some of these Nearpod activities on the carpet and see how your little learners leap up to participate in reading instruction: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Time to Climb<\/a><\/li>
- Matching Pairs<\/li>
- Memory Test<\/li>
- Fill-in-the-blanks<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n\nExplore Interactive Video lessons<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
3. Teaching phonics<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nPrimary teachers, raise your hands if every student in your classroom needs the same phonics skill. If someone raised their hand, it was probably to go to the bathroom. This happens to me all the time when I\u2019m teaching! What I\u2019ve come to learn by teaching first grade is that phonics is subjective. In early education classrooms, phonics is instrumental to reading, spelling, and breathing. (Maybe not that last one, but close.) Many students need different phonics skills, and that means we must meet all students on their level. Nearpod saves time and energy for differentiated phonics activities. I love using Drag and Drop<\/a> to make word sorts. I also tie Nearpod videos to the lesson to help reinforce spelling patterns. My kids adore Alphablocks<\/a>! Check out the lesson I created on Nearpod<\/a> using Alphablocks. This gives me station activities while I read with my students. I give each group a code to complete their activities, and I check student progress through reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Phonics](\"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Phonics-lesson-with-Alphablocks.gif\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHere is just a short list of activities you can create in Nearpod to amp up your phonics lessons. With these tools at your disposal, the phonics possibilities are endless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Use the Matching Pairs feature for letter-sound correspondence with pictures and words.<\/li>
- Use Drag and Drop to create word sorts for different spelling patterns.\u00a0<\/li>
- Use Draw It to have students label words and identify syllable types (helps with identifying consonant letters vs. vowels).<\/li>
- Use the Collaborate Board to have students practice spelling words that follow sound patterns.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n\nExplore interactive activities<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
4. Using multimedia in math<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Math-instruction.png\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nA great math supplement is a thing of beauty. No curriculum is perfect enough to give teachers everything that they need when they need it. That\u2019s just the hard reality we face. However, Nearpod’s library of math videos, lessons, and activities<\/a> helps guide my math instruction in the right direction. There are so many math concepts to choose from that are all aligned with standards, so I don\u2019t question the content I assign my students. Nearpod even offers teachers and students high-quality videos created with partners such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n- Flocabulary<\/li>
- Sesame Street (shout out to Cookie Monster!)<\/li>
- Numberblocks<\/li>
- LearnZillion<\/li>
- Khan Academy<\/li>
- Nearpod’s original content<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Browse Nearpod\u2019s Lesson Library for math concepts you are teaching for that day. It saves you time and prep work while still ensuring that students learn math skills just right for them. All you need to do is filter by grade and subject in the Nearpod library. Premade lessons are at your fingertips and already aligned with standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Nearpod](\"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Nearpod-math-lessons-1024x541.png\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\nExplore math lessons<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n5. Virtual reality for science and social studies<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nI live in the middle of nowhere! It\u2019s true. Being in a small town is nice for the most part, but we don\u2019t have access to many resources for science and social studies, and I want to broaden my student\u2019s horizons when teaching these subjects. Younger students are curious about the world around them. Nearpod\u2019s Virtual Reality (VR) Field Trips<\/a> help add relativity to both social studies and science.<\/p>\n\n\n\nVR experiences help my early education students explore cultures and people who are vastly different from them. Nearpod includes social studies lessons that prepare my students for the beauty of how large and diverse the world truly is. The content is rich in cultural diversity and inclusivity. I love all things spooky, and to celebrate my mom\u2019s Mexican heritage, I found a wonderful Dia De Los Muertos lesson<\/a> to share with my students. I loved it, and so did they.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Nearpod](\"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-25-at-2.29.35-PM.png\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"VR](\"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-25-at-2.29.43-PM.png\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\nExplore VR lessons<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n6. Writing instruction through technology<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe landscape of writing has morphed into something wholly original. I am an early education teacher who believes in mixing old and new. Yes, I still use primarily paper, pencil, and journals, but I also give my first-graders opportunities to write through technology. Creating lessons through Nearpod allows writing to be more interactive<\/a> and hands-on while instructing young writers along the way. It\u2019s a challenge to guide students who hate writing; my students love expressing their writing through technology. The many accessibility features in Nearpod, such as Immersive Reader and audio recording, help emerging writers more than ever before. Students can record their ideas, jot them down as images with the Draw It activity, or practice their typing skills. This helps those young writers who cannot hold onto an idea long enough to write it down on paper. Pictures and videos spark writing ideas more than simply giving a writing prompt. There are many grammar and writing videos and lessons for primary grades in Nearpod to make writing more hands-on and interactive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to use technology in the elementary classroom<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n1. Interactive activities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nWith one simple click, young students connect to learning in ways that far surpass paper, pencils, and cutting and gluing. You can still create hands-on and interactive learning experiences for your students with technology. Have them use digital drawing whiteboards, drag and drop activities, virtual reality experiences, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\nNearpod\u2019s activities are perfectly suited for primary students. Activities like Draw It<\/a> and Drag and Drop<\/a> enable students to show what they know\u2014even students who have yet to master basic typing skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTo help students who are just learning to read and write, Nearpod offers assistive tools such as: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Student-Paced Mode<\/a><\/li>
- Audio Responses<\/li>
- Text-to-Speech<\/a> in Immersive Reader<\/li>
- Various multimedia instructions<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\nLearn more about these activities<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
2. Videos and activities for reading<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nVideo\u2019s growing role in the classroom<\/a> makes it the newest genre alongside fiction and informative texts. More than that, young learners respond to interesting, interactive videos<\/a>. My students retain more reading concepts when I teach through Nearpod than when I use big books and anchor charts alone. My school\u2019s reading program tasked me with teaching the concept of characters to my students. I showed them the \u201cStory Elements for Kids: What Is<\/a> a Character?\u201d interactive video, and whole-group teaching on the carpet evolved beyond pointing to a poster and reading a big book. I was able to expand my lesson by gauging student understanding during instruction through questions embedded in the video. There are many more reading videos to choose from in Nearpod\u2019s Lesson Library which you can search through by lesson keywords, and filter by subject, standards, and grade level to find content that\u2019s right for your classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nTest out some of these Nearpod activities on the carpet and see how your little learners leap up to participate in reading instruction: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Time to Climb<\/a><\/li>
- Matching Pairs<\/li>
- Memory Test<\/li>
- Fill-in-the-blanks<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n\nExplore Interactive Video lessons<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
3. Teaching phonics<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nPrimary teachers, raise your hands if every student in your classroom needs the same phonics skill. If someone raised their hand, it was probably to go to the bathroom. This happens to me all the time when I\u2019m teaching! What I\u2019ve come to learn by teaching first grade is that phonics is subjective. In early education classrooms, phonics is instrumental to reading, spelling, and breathing. (Maybe not that last one, but close.) Many students need different phonics skills, and that means we must meet all students on their level. Nearpod saves time and energy for differentiated phonics activities. I love using Drag and Drop<\/a> to make word sorts. I also tie Nearpod videos to the lesson to help reinforce spelling patterns. My kids adore Alphablocks<\/a>! Check out the lesson I created on Nearpod<\/a> using Alphablocks. This gives me station activities while I read with my students. I give each group a code to complete their activities, and I check student progress through reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHere is just a short list of activities you can create in Nearpod to amp up your phonics lessons. With these tools at your disposal, the phonics possibilities are endless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Use the Matching Pairs feature for letter-sound correspondence with pictures and words.<\/li>
- Use Drag and Drop to create word sorts for different spelling patterns.\u00a0<\/li>
- Use Draw It to have students label words and identify syllable types (helps with identifying consonant letters vs. vowels).<\/li>
- Use the Collaborate Board to have students practice spelling words that follow sound patterns.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n\nExplore interactive activities<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
4. Using multimedia in math<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nA great math supplement is a thing of beauty. No curriculum is perfect enough to give teachers everything that they need when they need it. That\u2019s just the hard reality we face. However, Nearpod’s library of math videos, lessons, and activities<\/a> helps guide my math instruction in the right direction. There are so many math concepts to choose from that are all aligned with standards, so I don\u2019t question the content I assign my students. Nearpod even offers teachers and students high-quality videos created with partners such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n- Flocabulary<\/li>
- Sesame Street (shout out to Cookie Monster!)<\/li>
- Numberblocks<\/li>
- LearnZillion<\/li>
- Khan Academy<\/li>
- Nearpod’s original content<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Browse Nearpod\u2019s Lesson Library for math concepts you are teaching for that day. It saves you time and prep work while still ensuring that students learn math skills just right for them. All you need to do is filter by grade and subject in the Nearpod library. Premade lessons are at your fingertips and already aligned with standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\nExplore math lessons<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n5. Virtual reality for science and social studies<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nI live in the middle of nowhere! It\u2019s true. Being in a small town is nice for the most part, but we don\u2019t have access to many resources for science and social studies, and I want to broaden my student\u2019s horizons when teaching these subjects. Younger students are curious about the world around them. Nearpod\u2019s Virtual Reality (VR) Field Trips<\/a> help add relativity to both social studies and science.<\/p>\n\n\n\nVR experiences help my early education students explore cultures and people who are vastly different from them. Nearpod includes social studies lessons that prepare my students for the beauty of how large and diverse the world truly is. The content is rich in cultural diversity and inclusivity. I love all things spooky, and to celebrate my mom\u2019s Mexican heritage, I found a wonderful Dia De Los Muertos lesson<\/a> to share with my students. I loved it, and so did they.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\nExplore VR lessons<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n6. Writing instruction through technology<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe landscape of writing has morphed into something wholly original. I am an early education teacher who believes in mixing old and new. Yes, I still use primarily paper, pencil, and journals, but I also give my first-graders opportunities to write through technology. Creating lessons through Nearpod allows writing to be more interactive<\/a> and hands-on while instructing young writers along the way. It\u2019s a challenge to guide students who hate writing; my students love expressing their writing through technology. The many accessibility features in Nearpod, such as Immersive Reader and audio recording, help emerging writers more than ever before. Students can record their ideas, jot them down as images with the Draw It activity, or practice their typing skills. This helps those young writers who cannot hold onto an idea long enough to write it down on paper. Pictures and videos spark writing ideas more than simply giving a writing prompt. There are many grammar and writing videos and lessons for primary grades in Nearpod to make writing more hands-on and interactive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With one simple click, young students connect to learning in ways that far surpass paper, pencils, and cutting and gluing. You can still create hands-on and interactive learning experiences for your students with technology. Have them use digital drawing whiteboards, drag and drop activities, virtual reality experiences, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>Nearpod\u2019s activities are perfectly suited for primary students. Activities like Draw It<\/a> and Drag and Drop<\/a> enable students to show what they know\u2014even students who have yet to master basic typing skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To help students who are just learning to read and write, Nearpod offers assistive tools such as: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Video\u2019s growing role in the classroom<\/a> makes it the newest genre alongside fiction and informative texts. More than that, young learners respond to interesting, interactive videos<\/a>. My students retain more reading concepts when I teach through Nearpod than when I use big books and anchor charts alone. My school\u2019s reading program tasked me with teaching the concept of characters to my students. I showed them the \u201cStory Elements for Kids: What Is<\/a> a Character?\u201d interactive video, and whole-group teaching on the carpet evolved beyond pointing to a poster and reading a big book. I was able to expand my lesson by gauging student understanding during instruction through questions embedded in the video. There are many more reading videos to choose from in Nearpod\u2019s Lesson Library which you can search through by lesson keywords, and filter by subject, standards, and grade level to find content that\u2019s right for your classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Test out some of these Nearpod activities on the carpet and see how your little learners leap up to participate in reading instruction: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Primary teachers, raise your hands if every student in your classroom needs the same phonics skill. If someone raised their hand, it was probably to go to the bathroom. This happens to me all the time when I\u2019m teaching! What I\u2019ve come to learn by teaching first grade is that phonics is subjective. In early education classrooms, phonics is instrumental to reading, spelling, and breathing. (Maybe not that last one, but close.) Many students need different phonics skills, and that means we must meet all students on their level. Nearpod saves time and energy for differentiated phonics activities. I love using Drag and Drop<\/a> to make word sorts. I also tie Nearpod videos to the lesson to help reinforce spelling patterns. My kids adore Alphablocks<\/a>! Check out the lesson I created on Nearpod<\/a> using Alphablocks. This gives me station activities while I read with my students. I give each group a code to complete their activities, and I check student progress through reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is just a short list of activities you can create in Nearpod to amp up your phonics lessons. With these tools at your disposal, the phonics possibilities are endless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A great math supplement is a thing of beauty. No curriculum is perfect enough to give teachers everything that they need when they need it. That\u2019s just the hard reality we face. However, Nearpod’s library of math videos, lessons, and activities<\/a> helps guide my math instruction in the right direction. There are so many math concepts to choose from that are all aligned with standards, so I don\u2019t question the content I assign my students. Nearpod even offers teachers and students high-quality videos created with partners such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Browse Nearpod\u2019s Lesson Library for math concepts you are teaching for that day. It saves you time and prep work while still ensuring that students learn math skills just right for them. All you need to do is filter by grade and subject in the Nearpod library. Premade lessons are at your fingertips and already aligned with standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I live in the middle of nowhere! It\u2019s true. Being in a small town is nice for the most part, but we don\u2019t have access to many resources for science and social studies, and I want to broaden my student\u2019s horizons when teaching these subjects. Younger students are curious about the world around them. Nearpod\u2019s Virtual Reality (VR) Field Trips<\/a> help add relativity to both social studies and science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n VR experiences help my early education students explore cultures and people who are vastly different from them. Nearpod includes social studies lessons that prepare my students for the beauty of how large and diverse the world truly is. The content is rich in cultural diversity and inclusivity. I love all things spooky, and to celebrate my mom\u2019s Mexican heritage, I found a wonderful Dia De Los Muertos lesson<\/a> to share with my students. I loved it, and so did they.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The landscape of writing has morphed into something wholly original. I am an early education teacher who believes in mixing old and new. Yes, I still use primarily paper, pencil, and journals, but I also give my first-graders opportunities to write through technology. Creating lessons through Nearpod allows writing to be more interactive<\/a> and hands-on while instructing young writers along the way. It\u2019s a challenge to guide students who hate writing; my students love expressing their writing through technology. The many accessibility features in Nearpod, such as Immersive Reader and audio recording, help emerging writers more than ever before. Students can record their ideas, jot them down as images with the Draw It activity, or practice their typing skills. This helps those young writers who cannot hold onto an idea long enough to write it down on paper. Pictures and videos spark writing ideas more than simply giving a writing prompt. There are many grammar and writing videos and lessons for primary grades in Nearpod to make writing more hands-on and interactive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Videos and activities for reading<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n3. Teaching phonics<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n4. Using multimedia in math<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n5. Virtual reality for science and social studies<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n6. Writing instruction through technology<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Examples](\"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Nearpod-lesson-Writing-Words-With-the-Long-E-Sound-1024x633.png\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n