techieMusings

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I have heard from countless people that Pear Deck was an absolute lifesaver during remote learning. As we plan for students to get back into classrooms, though, I’ve heard many teachers ask whether Pear Deck will stick. The funny thing is that Pear Deck was originally created to be used synchronously, in the classroom. And I believe that Pear Deck is still most powerful when used as a tool for in-class teaching, discussion, and temperature checks. 

Pear Deck allows us to engage each student in class conversations. Every student is asked to contribute their thoughts, and it’s no longer a race to be the first to answer a question. With Pear Deck, we can give students enough wait time to participate and then project the ideas of the whole class when we are ready to discuss. We are no longer shining the spotlight on what only a few handraisers contribute; we now have an opportunity to see what everyone has to say. With Pear Deck, all responses are displayed anonymously so that students can feel safe and comfortable honestly responding. For those who do better orally, their voice might shine brightest when we start talking about the various responses. With Pear Deck, we can truly celebrate and discuss what everyone has to say. 

How I use Pear Deck for engagement and instruction

In my back-to-school Pear Fair session, I showed how and why I use Pear Deck for both engagement and instruction. It’s important to give students the space to check in and let us know how they are doing and feeling on an individual level. With Pear Deck, this is simple. Students have an opportunity to honestly respond since they know their classmates won’t see what they are writing. Nobody needs to feel rushed because we can easily provide adequate wait time to accommodate the needs of all our learners. 

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