Engaging Summer Camp
Nearpod #CampEngage is a festival of excellent workshops, engaging presentations and efficient skill upgrade when it comes to your teaching.
This was my second time, and I have not been disappointed! Although I consider myself a Nearpod master-teacher, this time around the camp gave me an opportunity to focus on the meta-benefits. I tried to dissect the hosting website and discover all the functionalities. I did not have to follow closely the instructions and do the tasks like beginners. I was familiar with a lot of content they were presenting. My major interest was in analyzing how the presenters structured their workshops, how they handled technical issues, how they addressed the questions in the chat and communicated with participants. I found my favorite presenter, Olivia Odileke, not because of the flare and her cadence, but the accessibility to all participants. She was the only one sending out follow-up emails and invited us all to get in touch on any teaching-related issue. Olivia’s sessions were dynamic. Her personality overflows the ether and grabs you on the other side of the ocean. You have no choice but to look at the screen and want more when it’s finished.
Yes, I’m still talking about PD! We were all pumped up for the new Drag and Drop activity Nearpod launched just after the Camp. Like kids at an ice-cream truck that brings new flavors every summer. Another new feature is the possibility of switching from live presentation to student paced and back. Long live differentiation! We can finally assign activities to students to do them at their own pace, perhaps sending them on different paths, and when they finally meet we can climb that mountain of success together!
Another meta-benefit was connecting to the campers directly. I ‘discovered’ the Networking tab and quickly filtered twenty-ish teachers from my region and sent them direct messages. Some of them replied. Most of them did not. I wish they had included that feature in the regular pre-session announcements. I bet most teachers aren’t even aware of it. The good thing is that the direct messages are also forwarded to your email, so — check your spambox — you might have received a camper’s howdy!
The best thing is that the recordings are available on the campsite — literally! — indefinitely, and I can rewatch my favorite sessions whenever I need some inspiration.
N.B: apart from Nearpod, the Camp Engage is also about Flocabulary, the rap lessons. It is a paid service, and not suitable for my students so I do not use it nor am I well versed in it. I hear it’s awesome, and I’m sure the team is trying hard to come up with relevant and engaging content on science, math, and other subjects. The ‘Nearpod approach’ redefines your teaching, and I have seen a drastic change (for the better) in student behavior and learning since I started using it.
