{"id":20722,"date":"2024-12-17T17:40:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-17T22:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/?p=20722"},"modified":"2024-12-17T17:47:53","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T22:47:53","slug":"my-nearpod-experience-pen-pals-for-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/my-nearpod-experience-pen-pals-for-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"How to use Nearpod to facilitate pen pals for students"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a teacher, creating your pen pals for kids program can be an exciting experience for educators and learners alike. Using the education resources of Nearpod, I developed an international pen pal program to help with teaching grammar and writing. My initiative was supported by technology such as Nearpod activities<\/a> and content to facilitate a pen pal for kids’ experience. Immediately when this idea arose, I knew that incorporating Nearpod into my program would provide students and teachers involved with a flexible, interactive, and engaging pen pal experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My pen pal program for kids was a way for me to incorporate project-based learning and multidisciplinary studies across several classrooms. I also used some traditional methods while also integrating 21st-century learning and technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New to Nearpod? <\/strong><\/strong>Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Teachers: Sign up for free<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Administrators: Schedule a call<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Pen pals for kids: What was the purpose?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Some generations may recall the days when we received personal letters in the mail. Some students may even remember a special friend who they messaged back and forth with like a pen pal across miles. Most K-12 students were born into a world full of technology<\/a>. They have the capability to text and type to others internationally in an instant. With our world being heavily influenced by technology, typing, and instant messages, handwriting could easily be swapped out and seem like less of a priority in many occurrences. My pen pal program was inspired by creating opportunities, emphasizing connections, and extending beyond the walls of the classroom using both technology and handwriting. International teachers have a unique opportunity to reach out to their home-based connections for a pen pal international experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Safe pen pal programs: How did Nearpod help?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Through project-based learning<\/a>, international pen pal programs allow students to discover and connect with other students and their experiences from the comfort of their classroom. Learners can read and write about the perspectives of students around the world. You can create safe pen pal programs by hosting the lesson through your Nearpod account and\/or by having students use their own Student Accounts<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

With Nearpod, you can oversee and guide what students are doing in real time, so you can always ensure digital citizenship<\/a> skills are being practiced in a safe environment. Schools usually have different levels of cyber safety for students, especially to support the new norm of flexing between distance learning, hybrid, and in-person learning. The \u201cnew normal\u201d of distance learning and more technology may be daunting to some, but Nearpod is one resource that addresses the needs of teachers across the globe. The foundations for a safe pen pals program for kids should be flexible and safe. Nearpod ensures teachers can alter their lessons at any time while protecting students\u2019 privacy and cyber safety.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Merging standards-aligned content with rigorous instructional strategies for students might seem complex at times with the constant changes in the teaching industry. In my pen pal program for students, young digital global citizens were asking and answering questions while demonstrating their understanding across subjects. We sometimes wrote out the questions in notebooks and submitted them on a Draw-It or Collaborate Board. Then, I shared the submitted questions with the students so they could see their peers\u2019 responses. This prompted students to edit and revise their written responses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearpod has premade standards-aligned social studies lessons<\/a> and activities exploring geography and cultural norms that are useful to share with students for international virtual pen pals. It\u2019s beneficial for visual learners to gain perspective on what the location looks like for places around the world as we encourage them to be global citizens. Providing the context around cultural norms and geography helps students to compare and contrast the life of their international pen pals with their own and strengthen real-life connection opportunities to their lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are examples of how Nearpod features support the lessons:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n