Help me give my students another alternative to acquiring academic skills through self-paced interactive lessons on the computer.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Thurman's classroom raised $460
This project is fully funded
My Students
My students are a group of curious 5 and 6 year old kindergarteners from all different backgrounds. My class consist of 20 African American students, 1 Hispanic student, and 3 exceptional learners who are also African American. They all are anxious to be back in school (virtually), but they need so many basic necessities. I love the fact that they come into the virtual space with excitement to discuss what is going on in their little world. They are so full of energy. When they are not getting into "good trouble," they are eager to learn. Out of 24 students, ten are girls and 14 are boys. Four are in virtual school at day care centers. Three have grandparents who assist them with logging onto the computer every day. The vast majority of them have older siblings or other relatives who help them stay on task at the computer mostly due to the fact that the students parents have jobs to go to.
My Project
Near pod will make a tremendous difference in my students' learning because it is self-paced and interactive. It is an online multimedia educational platform created by former teachers and engineers that integrates "live participation. self-paced, and teacher led" activities for students in grades kindergarten through 12th. With Near pod, I am able to teach one group of my students the sound that the short a makes in a whole group setting while another group is able to log onto Near pod and watch a video of the short a sound and complete a related activity. Too often the students need a lot of assistance logging onto the self-paced computer programs that they are required to do. With Near pod, I have observed with my very own eyes how easily the students are able to get started.
Not only do the students get started quickly, but they are excited to learn the skills because they get a chance to view a short video and then play games related to skills already taught in the virtual classroom.
It is a great tool for parents to use at home because it does not require books or paper, and it is easy to access. It also has a self reflection component for the students at the end of each lesson. It has assessments for students so that teachers can keep track of student data. It is standards based. The teacher even has a chance to go "live" with Near pod as well as create his or her own lessons in Near pod. The teachers and students love it!
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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