Perfectly Pear-ed

Every good EdTech teacher has a few secret weapons up their sleeves - go-to’s for student engagement, something that’ll hook their students...sometimes, it's just something "fun." I have my favorites - but there are some I pull out more than others. Pear Deck is one of those tools.

Pear Deck is an EdTech company offering a web-based application to K-12 schools and teachers. Pear Deck Slides gives teachers the "ability to engage and assess every student in every row, no matter what grade or subject." Pear Deck will help teachers create an interactive and community-focused classroom that builds confidence and comprehension.

Pear Deck Slides is very similar to a slide show, like PowerPoint or Google Slides. But instead of static (read: boring) informational sides, you can make interactive slides that let every student participate in your questions or prompts from their devices.

I didn't have (or didn't make many) opportunities last year to use it in my classroom - I felt my kiddos were all over the place academically (and rightfully so - I had FOUR grade levels in one room!) and I didn't put much time into creating presentations that my entire class could benefit from...because really, I had barely enough time to pull on a clean pair of pants in the mornings.

This year, in my new position, I have planning time each week to create lessons. I'm creating lessons that are engaging and relevant, thanks in part to Pear Deck.

The first time I used Pear Deck with some of my new students (a particular 5th grade class) - the kids literally "oohed" and "aahed." They couldn't believe the magic of Pear Deck. And it really is - without having to buy any additional programs or software, I am able to hold the pace of instruction (and my presentation) and have control of what my students see on their screens while increasing student participation rates.

So, how does it work? Students are given a link to join your presentation. They enter a class code (very similar to that of Google Classroom) and it connects them to your presentation. Once connected, the teacher is able to control the pacing of the presentation and what students see on their screens. If I move forward to the next slide on the presentation, so do their screens. Magic, see.

With the help of the add-on, students are able to interact with your presentation - answering questions and checking their comprehension throughout. The teacher has the ability to review answers to the questions by (anonymously) projecting the answers onto the board - a feature I love because it encourages everyone to participate and have a voice (the teacher still has access to see which students provided what responses through their dashboard, if needed - something I always point out to my students in case they'd dare to make inappropriate remarks or comments.)

Students can draw/write on slides like these with the help of Pear Deck.

"True or False" questions are just one type of question that teachers can use to gauge student comprehension.

I also love that it seamlessly integrates with Google Slides - I was a big Google Slides user before and this add-on just reaffirmed my love for both. Another thing I love - the team at Pear Deck is so responsive to their users' needs. If I have a question or concern, I can easily send them an email and I have a reply in my inbox in a couple of days. Big plus for a busy teacher.

Let's also talk data - because, really, who doesn't LOVE data (said no teacher ever!) Pear Deck sends me weekly reports on my engagement numbers. If I have a teacher or administrator doubting the effectiveness of this awesome program, all I have to do is share these numbers - noting the number of interactions students are having when I do this kind of presentation compared to that of a static lecture.

What I love most about Pear Deck is that it allows all of my kiddos to participate and be involved - not just a select, brave few. The anonymity of the sharing components allows even my shyest, introverts to participate without having to feel "outed." Everyone has a voice and all voices matter.

Pear Deck is a FREE add-on for Google Slides and can be found under the "Get Add-Ons" feature in Google Slides.