The Art and Science of Insects

“There is an art to science, and a science in art; the two are not enemies, but different aspects of the whole.” 

American author and biochemistry professor Isaac Asimov

This week I created a teaching lesson using Nearpod that integrates science and art. The lesson is about insects and discusses the taxonomy of insects, their distinguishing characteristics, their abundance in the world, and their depiction and use in art.

You can click on the following link to find my lesson on The Art and Science of Insects: https://share.nearpod.com/0VoEOWoSU4

Before starting this project, I quickly reviewed each instructional tool that was listed in the class assignment. I liked different aspects of each one. At first, I started using PlayPosit, which allows you to take videos, clip them, and link them together to create your own final product. It also allows you to insert test questions at any point. After many attempts, I couldn’t get my videos clipped and linked together. I was also having trouble adding test questions in a matching format. At that point, I decided to try a different tool. Since Nearpod looked pretty simple to use, I decided to try it.

I first listened to a video on Nearpod and learned how to use it and what it offered. It allows teachers to create, download, and teach interactive lessons that can be synced to student devices by entering a code. It has thousands of premade K-12 lessons that are available to use as is or they can be customized. Teachers can also create their own lessons from scratch or upload an existing PDF, powerpoint, Google slide show or Sway that they have and convert it to a Nearpod lesson. Quizzes, fill-in-the-blank, games, polls, and open-ended questions can be added to assess student learning. Nearpod allows teachers to get feedback on student performance and access reports on individual and class performance.

In creating my lesson, I did not incorporate a premade lesson offered by Nearpod or upload one from powerpoint, Google slide show, etc. Instead, I created a new lesson on Nearpod. I wanted to try out the collaboration tool and found out that it doesn’t work unless you pay for the upgrade. There were a few things that I found frustrating with Nearpod. When creating slides, there is not much space for text if you also add pictures to create a more interesting lesson. The audio could not be edited unless you erased your original and created a new one. When adding a website or video, there was no way to put text on the same slide to explain the video or website. In spite of all this, I think Nearpod can be used to create engaging lessons that will increase students’ motivation and interest. The upgrade has interactive features that promote student participation and learning. Getting instant feedback on student performance is beneficial since it allows you to assess their understanding and you can then change, add or review material as needed.