Nearpod and Agora Cyber Charter School Team Up for Statewide Launch of Innovative Content and Engagement-Boosting Teacher Tools

The program will place Nearpod’s 22,000+ standards-aligned lessons in the hands of cyber teachers across Pennsylvania, including progressive topics like digital citizenship, along with in-the-moment classroom assessment tools.

MIAMI (December 6th, 2018) – Nearpod, the instructional technology partner helping districts and schools transform teaching through award-winning software and standards-aligned, ready-to-teach lessons, today announces it is teaming up with  Agora Cyber Charter School to deploy the company’s cutting-edge content and engagement-boosting tools with K-12 teachers across Pennsylvania.

Agora Cyber is a unique charter school that provides full-time, tuition-free, public schooling for K-12 students across the entire state of Pennsylvania through online instruction provided by teachers who lead classes remotely. Now, those teachers have access to Nearpod’s premium content, such as digital citizenship, as well as engagement-boosting tools, like embedded video and live quizzes, and can teach lessons across any distance to any device.

“Agora exists to provide the flexibility and range of options needed to make sure that every student receives the best quality education despite challenges – or lack of being challenged,” says Dr. Michael Conti, CEO of Agora Cyber Charter School. “Nearpod’s customizable, standards-aligned content that adjusts to fit individual student pacing and is delivered to any connected device fits well with our mission and we’re excited to have it in the hands of our teachers.”

Nearpod provides 22,000+ standards-aligned lessons for K-12 topics – from digital citizenship to algebra – that are searchable by teachers according to state standards in the Nearpod Lesson Library, making it easier for teachers to decide whether a particular lesson fits their needs. The innovative nature of the company’s content along with its ability to deliver it to any web-enabled device, from tablets and phones to Chromebooks and desktops, in a teacher’s classroom or student’s home, means teachers can deliver high-quality content along with Nearpod’s popular engagement-boosting tools to meet their over 5,500 students’ needs.

Nearpod’s support for any connected device allows Agora’s teachers to conduct live sessions featuring customizable lessons and interactive tools that drive students to connect with the content and with the subjects being taught. Keeping students captivated is important to helping them retain specific ideas, especially with learning outside a traditional classroom, and Nearpod can also provide key points of measurement so teachers can see where students get bogged down by a concept or need more attention.

Indeed, crucial to Agora’s decision to pilot Nearpod’s all-in-one software were the in-the-moment assessments, like live polls and quizzes, that are built into lessons and provide teachers with data about every student’s comprehension allowing for in-lesson adjustments to refine or review teaching points.

“Innovation and flexibility are key to moving education forward and preparing students for the future,” states Guido Kovalskys, CEO and co-founder of Nearpod. “Agora’s approach to providing customized instruction by teachers equipped with Nearpod’s innovative teaching tools and digital content is an ideal environment for making sure that every student succeeds no matter where they learn from.”

The partnership with Agora highlights the importance of Nearpod’s cutting-edge, standards-aligned content that covers core subjects, like math, language arts and social studies, as well as subjects that may not have existed a decade ago, like digital citizenship and cultural awareness, that are increasingly being mandated at the state level. The company’s content features lessons created by in-house experts, as well as lessons created in partnership with leading authorities, like BBC Worldwide. Nearpod was also recognized as the best Content Provider Solution in the 2018 EdTech Awards in the Cool Tool category.

About Agora Cyber Charter School:

Agora Cyber Charter School, established in 2005, is a full-time, tuition-free online public school serving Pennsylvania students in grades K-12. Agora’s dynamic and engaging online curriculum is offered to students by dedicated, PA-certified teachers who are committed to an individualized learning approach. Family coaches and faculty support resources help students achieve academic and behavioral success, for whatever reason they are attending – from bullying, physical or learning disabilities, extracurricular activities or even lack of academic challenge. An extensive variety of extracurricular online and in-person activities — including community events, student clubs, field trips, and regional proms — guarantee an enriching assortment of social opportunities. As the second largest cyber charter school in Pennsylvania, Agora is focused on preparing all students to have the skills and knowledge to be successful lifelong learners in whatever career or vocation they end up pursuing. https://agora.org/

About Nearpod:

Nearpod is an award-winning company creating engaging classroom experiences. The company, recently named EdTech Digest’s Company of the Year, gives K-12 teachers ready to teach lessons created in partnership with leading brands like Common Sense Education, PhET and The Pulitzer Center and is actively used by 60 percent of US school districts. Nearpod works with any classroom technology from tablets and smartphones to laptops and Chromebooks and helps districts understand trends and meet curriculum goals. Beyond classroom instruction, the company revitalizes teacher development through Teacher Professional Learning curriculum that cultivates classroom-changing strategies for educators. To learn more visit: nearpod.com.

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The Nearpod Team

Nearpod’s award-winning platform is used by thousands of schools around the globe, transforming classroom engagement.

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