Phase 2 Ideation

The intended audience of our survey is elementary school teachers who work with

students through distance learning. We recognize the difficulties surrounding education and more

specifically the education of students with special needs. Teachers require resources and tools

that allow them to supplement the absence of in person instruction. In order to achieve this, we

sent out a presentation of the tool nearpod. We then asked the teachers to answer a survey

regarding distance learning, special education and nearpod.

The surveys were conducted with teachers from Kings Canyon Unified School District,

Dinuba Unified School District, and Cutler-Orosi Unified School District. The presentation was

sent in video form through email to the participants. They viewed the presentation and answered

the survey questions at their leisure and discretion.

Each of the teachers had the opportunity to view our video demonstration of nearpod.

The presentation included the introduction of our TLP project as well as various activities done

throughout the nearpod application. The first activity was a matching game that included parts of

a plant. The second activity was a message board where teachers, students, and parents can

participate in discussions and get instant feedback from students. The last activity was a game

that had students draw a line from a label such as “pedals” to the picture of a pedal and so on and

so forth. 

 Location/Setting of Survey: 

The Location of the survey was conducted virtually and distributed as an email

attachment to the people that are participating in the survey. We made the surveys on separate

google docs and attached them into email, then later sent out. The survey was done and answered
by school educators, it was constructed to get feedback from educators on what they think about

distant learning and their experience with it.

TLP SURVEY OF K-8 EDUCATORS

TLP Group 6: Using Tech to Teach SPED

Name: Vanessa

Grade taught: 4th

School: Sheridan Elementary

Date: 10/31/20

 
1. Were you open to distance learning before covid? What about after covid? 

Distance Learning never crossed my mind before covid. It’s hard for me to teach from home due

to not having a quiet space to work. Once I started teaching remotely but in my classroom (so I

was alone in my classroom on Zoom) I started to get the hang of it. I felt like I was becoming a

better teacher because I was learning more about different computer programs and I was

becoming more creative with assignments. I am open to distance learning now that I’ve been

through it. However, a lot of kids in the area that I teach need to be in a safe environment so I

want them back at school. Distance learning definitely has its positives and negatives. 

2. Have you ever used/are you familiar with Nearpod?

I’ve never used Nearpod but I did have a student teacher in my class this year who used it a

couple of times to teach a lesson. 

3. What are your thoughts on distance learning and special education?

I have mixed thoughts when it comes to special education and distance learning. Children are

diagnosed with a variety of learning disabilities so just because distance learning doesn't work for

one child doesn’t mean it won’t work for all. I have two students with a disability this year. One

performed better at home than she would in the classroom because she was more comfortable

and confident to join discussions. On the other hand, my other student received way too much

support from her mom and I knew the work was being done for her.   

4. What is something that you think most educators don’t know about special education?
 Most educators with a multiple subject credential did not receive schooling on how to diagnose

and or work with a child who has a disability. There is a whole separate credential for those

teachers. Yet, students with disabilities are placed in a mainstream classroom where the teacher

is expected to know how to deal with the behavior or disability when he/she doesn’t because they

were never taught.  

5. Do you find it difficult to use computer software in order to teach?

I do not find it difficult to use computer software to teach but I do find it to be time consuming. 

6. What are some things that keep special needs students engaged in a classroom?

It depends on their disability. I’ve worked with kids who are autistic and I have learned that, as the

teacher,  you just have to let go of being in control and let them do their thing at their pace and to

always be patient. 

7. What are some barriers that you face as an educator when it comes to access to technology?

Some “high quality” programs are not free and if the district or school site won’t pay for it then we

can’t use it. I work at a school site that has a chromebook for every child so that hasn’t been a

problem. 

8. What are some common misconceptions about teaching students with special needs?

I think one misconception is that it’s assumed that a student with a disability will do better in a

regular classroom instead of being separated. Which I don’t believe to always be true. There are

students with severe special needs. The rest of the class can lose out on instruction time because

all of the teacher’s focus and energy can be put on the one child who has a disability and can’t sit

still or can’t control his/her behavior and runs out of the classroom at any moment. 

9. From 1 (Easy) to 10 (extremely Difficult) how hard do you think it would be to use a nearpod for a

lesson that needs modifications and adaptations?

I don’t think it would be difficult at all. So I guess I’d say a 1.

10. Do you think that nearpod activities can keep a child with special needs engaged?

Yes, as long as the teacher designed an engaging lesson.

11. What makes you excited about a nearpod lesson

It’s something new to use with the kids. 

 12. Do you feel like online education is hindering students from their academics?

It depends on the student. If the student is already academically low then yes they are going to

struggle with online learning. 

13. What concerns do you have about distant learning?

Concerns: Academically low students are struggling to keep up, poor internet connection, unsafe

environment, kids are being left at home alone, parents in the area have very little tech

knowledge, students are not being held accountable for turning in their work, depression and

suicide numbers are on the rise and teachers are being given more work.

14. Are there electronic devices open for the use of students at home?

Yes : )

15. What sort of challenges do you or your student face as it relates to distance learning? Everything

listed in number 13.

-On a scale of 1-10, how difficult has this been for your students' engagement? Most of

my students were engaged while they were on Zoom so I’d say a 3.

The Good The Bad

The teacher believes that the ease of use as well as
the different activities available in nearpod could
benefit a child with special needs. This can be of a
benefit when it comes to learning the application
as well as putting it to use in a classroom
situation.
The teacher was not familiar with Nearpod. This may
present a learning curve for the teacher as well as the
students that could be addressed.  Although some students
with special needs may benefit from distance learning and
nearpod; this tool is not a “one-size-fits-all,” solution. On
occasion parents may hinder learning by assisting their
student who has special needs that need to be met. 

The Unexpected What’s Next?

The teacher was concerned by the amount of time We will look into ways that we can explore which types of
it took to develop an online lesson and execute it. special needs would most benefit from nearpod distance
They also had concerns with the fact that some of instruction. In doing so, we can narrow down our focus on
the students with special needs had parents our TLP.
helping them too much during class. Another
thing that was unexpected was the fact that they
were concerned because they feel that the best
applications could cost money.

Name: Leandra

Grade taught: 8th

School: El Monte Middle School 

Date: 10/31/20

 
1. Were you open to distance learning before covid? What about after covid? The thought of distance

learning didn’t even cross my mind before covid, online school seemed difficult for both the teacher

and students. After covid hit, we had no choice, I was willing to do whatever it took to make sure my

students received the best education as possible

2. Have you ever used/are you familiar with Nearpod? Yes, Nearpod is one of my favorite platforms!

3. What are your thoughts on distance learning and special education? I know students in special education

are struggling but I think teachers are doing their best at accommodating their student’s needs.

Luckily there are plenty of online platforms that support that. 

4. What is something that you think most educators don’t know about special education? I think that during

this time of distance learning some educators may not know how to accommodate their students’

needs. 

5. Do you find it difficult to use computer software in order to teach a child with special needs? Personally, it

has not been difficult. I think it works out well because students can watch instructional videos and

work on assignments at their own pace. Many of these platforms also give students the option to

record their answer, draw, use photos, etc. 

6. What are some things that keep special needs students engaged in a classroom? Establishing a positive

relationship between students and teachers is most important. If a student with special needs feel

welcomed by their teacher they will want to work. Also, giving students options on how they can

complete their work for example, record their voice or draw. 

7. What are some barriers that you face as an educator when it comes to access to technology? I think the

only barrier I personally face is that there are a lot of awesome online platforms that cost money and

would have to be personally purchased. 

8. What are some common misconceptions about teaching students with special needs? That students are

not capable of working in the classroom. This is 100% not true, but unfortunately, some teachers are

stuck with this mindset. 

 9. From 1 (Easy) to 10 (extremely Difficult), based on our presentation, how hard do you think it would be to

use a nearpod for a lesson that needs modifications and adaptations? 1-I think Nearpod is such a great

option for modifications! 

10. Based on our presentation, do you think that nearpod activities can keep a child with special needs

engaged? Yes! 

11. What makes you excited about a nearpod? I love all of the different features, the format makes it look

like a fun game! 

12. Do you feel like online education is hindering students from their academics? Yes and no, I think we are

fortunate that technology has advanced and we have many options on how to teach content to our

students. But students need to be able to collaborate and have academic conversations with their

peers. 

13. Based on our presentation, what concerns do you have about nearpod? None, as previously mentioned,

Nearpod is a great resource! 

14. What sort of challenges do you or your special education student/s or other special needs students in

general, face as it relates to distance learning? I think some students learn better in-person. Also, some

students might not have a positive environment at home so that can be a challenge while they are

trying to learn from home. 

-On a scale of 1-10, how difficult has this been for your students' engagement? 5 i’d say it is split.

Some are learning successfully and some are definitely having a difficult time learning. 

The Good The Bad

The teacher is familiar with Nearpod and is actively using the The teacher mentioned that there is
application in their classroom. They find the software to be easy and difficulty in teaching online. There are
they enjoy the many features that Nearpod offers. They also like that the some students who are doing well in
students can work at their own pace and use multiple methods such as their distance class, but unfortunately
drawing, to answer questions related to the lesson. This makes it a great there are some who are not.
tool to tailor each lesson for a student with special needs.

The Unexpected What’s Next?

 I was surprised to find out that the teacher was well versed with This feedback goes a long way into
Nearpod. They seemed excited and happy to share their positive view discovering what works best for
on the application.  students with special needs as it relates
to nearpod.

Name: Kamal

Grade taught: 4th grade

School: Wilson Elementary Dinuba Unified 

Date: 11-1-2020

 
1. Were you open to distance learning before covid? What about after covid? 

1. Before covid pandemic, I thought distance learning had its place for online schools and charter

schools. Usually parents don’t send their kids to public school for distance-learning.

b. Have you ever used/are you familiar with Nearpod? 

1. I have use near pod in my class before in the past. Although it does have a limitation, it’s a

wonderful tool for engagement and provides multiple modalities to students.

b. What are your thoughts on distance learning and special education? 

1. I think special education has been one of the sectors that has been hit very hard due to distance

learning. It is very difficult to provide the needs for those students without in person instruction.

Specifically it is hard to maintain attention of the student for long or intermediate spurts of time.

They really need in time learning to provide just in time assistance and scaffolding.

b. What is something that you think most educators don’t know about special education?

1. I think most teachers don’t understand the time outside of instructions that special education

teachers must spend. There is great care and effort spent in planning for each individual students

needs and ways of learning, and there is a tremendous amount of paperwork involved.

b. Do you find it difficult to use computer software in order to teach a child with special needs?

1. It is difficult using technology to teach a special needs student. Often times they do not know how

to use the technology and need assistance from a parent. Also, it is very difficult to maintain their

attention because there can be distractions at home with no solutions.

b. What are some things that keep special needs students engaged in a classroom? 

1. To keep special needs students engaged in my classroom I try to keep them involved in the lesson

ask them to express their point of using their own words allowing them to instead of type in the

chat box to physically share out by a meeting. In addition I make sure that they get plenty of

breaks so that they do not tire out and feel overwhelmed.

b. What are some barriers that you face as an educator when it comes to access to technology? 

1. The biggest barrier I have face with technology is that not all students are adept at using

technology. This has caused the peace to be slowed down and time  to be Learning how to use a

technology instead of learning the standard.

b. From 1 (Easy) to 10 (extremely Difficult), based on our presentation, how hard do you think it would be to

use a nearpod for a lesson that needs modifications and adaptations?

1. I would say at four. 

b. Based on our presentation, do you think that nearpod activities can keep a child with special needs

engaged? 

1. I think that it effectively allows for multiple modalities and multiple representations especially

with drawing and dragging. It would be an effective way to have special needs students become

more engaged in a distance learning lesson.

b. What makes you excited about a nearpod? 

1. What gets me excited about near pod is it the students are actively engaged in the lesson

answering questions and playing interactive games. 

b. Do you feel like online education is hindering students from their academics? 

1. I do feel that it hinder students from their academics. I find myself just skimming off the top of the

standards not able to go in depth. It also limits the amount of Quality practice in collaboration

that the students need to add them in their comprehension.

b. Based on our presentation, what concerns do you have about nearpod? 

1. The number one concern that I have with near pod is the quality of Internet that my students have.

I have roughly 25% of my students facing issues when I’m sharing my screen. As a whole, the

Internet bandwidth may not be able to take it.

 b. What sort of challenges do you or your special education student/s or other special needs students in

general, face as it relates to distance learning? 

1. I think everybody’s biggest challenge is time and communication.

b. On a scale of 1-10, how difficult has this been for your students' engagement?  

 If 10 is the most difficult I would definitely say 8

The Good The Bad

The Teacher really likes the aspect of us using Some areas the teacher isn't really sure about are the
nearpod to present a lesson although he did limitations of nearpod. The teacher also mentions that distant
state that Nearpod does have its limitations but learning has had a big impact on learning in the classroom
is really a valuable resource to use. Another especially for those who benefit from doing class in person. He
positive that we took away from this is the states that grabbing the attention of the student is really hard
teacher's experience with the tool nearpod.  over screen time and they are less likely to follow along rather
than being in person.

The Unexpected What’s Next?

As far as unexpected I would say the difficulty
sections really surprised me on how difficult the
teacher saw it as, I can see how it might be a
little hard to maneuver especially for someone
that isn't really experienced with it as much.
Taking all this information into action I feel like we need to
look into the tool a little bit and really have the people that are
going to take part in using the tool know and understand how it
works.

Name: Jamila

Grade taught: 6th

School: Grandview Elementary

Date: 10-28-20

 
1. Were you open to distance learning before covid? What about after covid?

Before COVID, I never really thought of the idea of distance learning. The closest thing that may resemble it is

home studies or alternative education. I would rather have my daughter in school where she can learn social skills.

After COVID, I definitely jumped on board very quickly. I wanted to keep my daughter and my family safe. We both

struggled at first, but finally have a routine in place.

2. Have you ever used/are you familiar with Nearpod?

Yes, I used nearpod when I was a classroom teacher and now I help teachers implement it as a coach.

3. What are your thoughts on distance learning and special education?

From my interactions with teachers and students, I hear a lot of the struggle with meeting the needs of our special

education students. They are struggling to focus on a screen and desperately need in person instruction where they

can develop social skills. Special education teachers are also struggling to teach foundational skills when students

are not in person to see how to say letters and sounds. In the classroom, the teacher can show them how to set up

their mouths when speaking certain letters or words.

4. What is something that you think most educators don’t know about special education?

Coming as a new teacher, each student with special needs is going to be different. They Are each going to have

different accommodations and strategies to be taught. If you succeed in your endeavor to become a teacher, the

hope is somewhere along the way you developed the understanding that all students are learning differently-no

matter their academic abilities.

5. Do you find it difficult to use computer software in order to teach a child with special needs?

No, I am very comfortable with computers/technology.

6. What are some things that keep special needs students engaged in a classroom?

This depends on the needs of the students

Where some students need to be up and moving all the time, others need a quiet space where they can think and

process at their own pace. 

7. What are some barriers that you face as an educator when it comes to access to technology?

Some barriers that we face as educators when its comes to access to technology would be the funding needed to

receive and sustain technology.

8. What are some common misconceptions about teaching students with special needs?

 I feel like some common misconceptions about teaching students with special needs would be that they cannot do

grade level activities. Or they aren't capable of doing other stuff that other children can do.

9. From 1 (Easy) to 10 (extremely Difficult), based on our presentation, how hard do you think it would be to

use a nearpod for a lesson that needs modifications and adaptations?

Based on the video that I've seen it seems pretty easy to use a nearpod within your lesson.

10. Based on our presentation, do you think that nearpod activities can keep a child with special needs

engaged?
I definitely think it can keep all students of all learning types engaged as it allows for constant student interactions.

With nearpod the educators aren't talking most of the time so nearpod allows for students to have a major point of

interactions within the lesson.

11. What makes you excited about a nearpod?

Student Interaction-The last thing we need is for teachers to talk for over an hour with little to none student

interaction.

12. Do you feel like online education is hindering students from their academics?

I think we are still learning what works and what doesn’t. It is too soon to tell. Teachers are doing everything they

can to create a virtual learning environment that promotes student learning.

13. Based on our presentation, what concerns do you have about nearpod?

Since the students are tight with the teachers there really isn't a guarantee the students will respond without directly

calling them out in the classroom in front of their peers. Another concern that I was thinking about would be the

drawing aspect with the nearpod lesson. If a student's laptop isn't touch screen then they are going to have a

difficult time drawing and mapping out activities.

14. What sort of challenges do you or your special education student/s or other special needs students in

general, face as it relates to distance learning?

1. The fact that students are not right in front of us makes it extremely difficult to help and assess

student needs. The biggest problem we are facing is gathering raw data on our students. Our focus

for the year is formative assessment to drive instruction. This way the data we collect drives our

instruction and allows us to plan forward. The only problem is, it is difficult to get authentic data

because parents are assisting their children. Reading levels, writing abilities, and math skills are

inflated and do not tell us where the student is at nor what they need. As you can imagine, if we

don't have real data on what these kids can do, then planning lessons becomes much more

difficult.

15. On a scale of 1-10, how difficult has this been for your students' engagement?

10 being the most difficult, I would say that has to be one of the biggest concerns during distance

learning. It is so hard to engage and keep that engagement for the rest of the lesson. Simply
 reading out loud is boring to many students. Where in the classroom, they would love it when a

teacher read a story to the class. However, on zoom the appeal is lost.

The Good The Bad

The good thing that we found with this interview was that
the teacher was very comfortable and familiar with using
NearPod. After the teacher watched the video based on
their feedback they stated it would be pretty easy to use
near Pod in a lesson especially in distant learning.
Some concerns the teacher did have was the student
interaction past when it came to distant learning.
She brought up the case of keeping students
engaged and we totally agree with her that why we
feel using nearpod as a tool will help keeps students
engaged and invested

The Unexpected What’s Next?

Some are things we didn't really think about when it came
down to the use of technology during distant learning with
the students is the finding. The teacher explained in the
survey some schools financially aren't going to be able to
provide laptops and technology for every student so that's
something we need to take a look at.
I feel like as a group we need to take the
information and the feedback that we gathered from
this teacher and implement it or fix some things
within our project and take into consideration some
key components.

What’s Next?

Our survey responses revealed that about 50% of the teachers that were interviewed were

aware of Nearpod as a teaching tool/resource. Based on the responses, we will go forth and find

the best method of instructions based on 1 or 2 specific special needs. An example of this may be

to focus on students with autism, and tailor our TLP lesson toward the needs of that student. The

feedback also revealed that there are mixed feelings toward distance learning, mainly in the fact

that not every student benefits from that type of instruction. We will take this data and create

workshops that allow us to go over some of the concerns relating to the fact that not all students

benefit from distance learning. From this, we can gain a better understanding of the types of

tools, visuals. Activities and plug-ins that we can utilize to improve the teacher/user experience.

Our goal is to create a website that can house Nearpod and resources that can be used alongside

Nearpod (googleslides, ADA website, CA standards etc.) in order to allow the teacher to create

the most effective presentation. Utilizing the feedback we gained, we will implement the ideas

into our final tool.

 User Map Experience

Ideal User: Samantha Smith

Age: 42

Profession: Elementary School Special Education Teacher

Characteristics: Ms. Smith has been a special education teacher for 14 years. She loves her 
career and her favorite part of teaching is when students finally grasp a concept. She is not very 
savvy when it comes to technology.
 Transitioning from in the Classroom to Virtual Learning 

Ever since, COVID-19 hit, Ms. Smith’s whole classroom dynamic changed. Her routine

went from seeing her students smiling faces, in-person, five days a week for eight hours a day,

to seeing her students through a screen for two hours a day. Ms. Smith has still never

completely  adjusted  to this new way of teaching. She gets through her lessons, but she’s not

sure if students are actually understanding the material. 

Distance Learning Experience

 The transition from face-to-face to online learning has not only been difficult for Ms.

Smith, but for her students as well. Ms. Smith did not make her lessons engaging or interactive.

Her students were confused and would lose focus after the lessons because she would just

lecture the whole class session. She tried her best and put her all into each and every lesson,

but she just didn’t know how to make virtual lessons engaging and interactive. She asked a co-

teacher for some advice and he recommended nearpod!

How nearpod Works

With a nearpod, you can make every lesson interactive. Students can join collaborative,

and engaging activities, like virtual reality, simulations, and gamified quizzes. As the teacher,

you’ll always know where your students are with nearpod’s formative assessments - including

polls, open-ended questions, “draw its” and much more. You have the option to start from

scratch, or get started with something you already have. You can upload resources like

PowerPoints, Google Slides, and videos, and then add formative assessments within seconds.

You can even add questions directly into videos to make them interactive. 
 There are three different teaching modes you can choose from once you’re ready to

launch your lesson - Live Participation, Student-Paced, or Front of Class. In Live Participation

mode, you control the pace and students participate on their devices, either in person or

remotely with web conferencing. In Student-Paced mode, students move through and

participate on their own. WIth Front of Class mode, you can use nearpod without student

devices and facilitate collaborative discussions.     

Ms. Smith’s Experience Using nearpod

Ms. Smith decided to give Nearpod a try. She began by using a lesson she already had.

She uploaded additional resources like a PowerPoint and videos from YouTube into nearpod.

She also added formative assessments and questions directly into videos to make them

interactive. After creating her lesson, Ms. Smith was so proud of her lesson and couldn’t wait to

teach her students. 

Ms. Smith’s Overall Thoughts on nearpod

 The next day arrived, and she finally got to teach her lesson using a nearpod. The

students loved the videos and gamified quizzes and they had so much fun that they didn’t even

notice the formative assessments. The lesson was a success. Ms. Smith was so pleased that

the students were engaged the entire time and understood the lesson. Not only was Ms. Smith

happy with how her lesson turned out, but her students were too. They asked if they could use

the nearpod again tomorrow. Ms. Smith finally found the tool she was looking for to make her

lessons engaging and interactive.