Introduction
Pear Deck is now the biggest interactive presentation platform in American classrooms. If you’re an educator looking for ways to engage your students, or a student looking to participate in an interactive lesson, the first thing you need to learn is how to Join Session – Pear Deck. This article will cover everything you need to know about Pear Deck, how to join a Pear Deck session, and what you can do to ensure a great experience, as well as answer your most common questions about Pear Deck.
What Is Pear Deck?
Pear Deck is a presentation platform, mainly used by teachers and students. It works with Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint, enabling teachers to embed interactive questions, polls and prompts into slides. Students can then respond to these prompts in real time using laptops, tablets or mobile phones.
Pear Deck is popular in K-12 and tertiary education in the USA. The main difference between Pear Deck and a regular slide presentation is that it turns the passive experience of a presentation into an interactive dialogue. Teachers can view all the student responses on their dashboard, and students can remain engaged with the lesson instead of simply looking at the slides.
Joining a Session: Why it’s a Big Deal
The first step to the interactive experience is for the students to join the teacher’s live lesson. This step, joining a session – Pear Deck, is where the collaboration begins. If the student doesn’t successfully join, they won’t be able to respond to the teacher, participate in polls, or see the live session information as it is presented by the teacher.
For the teacher, being able to see that all students have joined the session is a cue that it’s time to start the lesson. The teacher dashboard provides a real-time count of the number of students connected, and it is easy to confirm that all students are there to begin.
How to Join Session – Pear Deck
Joining a Pear Deck session is easy and can be done on any device and browser. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Obtain the Join Code or Link from Your Teacher
Your teacher will provide you with either a join code (typically 5-6 characters) or join link. This will usually be verbally, written on the board, or shared via Google Classroom or a school messaging app such as Remind or Canvas.
Step 2: Launch Your Browser
Launch any modern web browser on your device – Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Microsoft Edge. There’s no need to install an app to join a Pear Deck session.
Step 3: Go to joinpd.com
Enter joinpd.com into your browser and hit enter. This is Pear Deck’s student login page.
Step 4: Enter the Code
When you visit joinpd.com, you’ll see a box for you to type in your code. Enter the code you were given by your teacher (as it is written) and click the Join button.
Step 5: Type in Your Name
You will need to type in your name. Some teachers have Google sign-in enabled, and may require you to sign in with your school Google account rather than enter your name.
Step 6: You Are In
Once your name is verified or your account is signed in, you will be joined with the class. At this stage, your screen will be automatically connected to the teacher’s presentation and you can begin to interact with the teacher’s presentation.
Joining via a Direct Link
Alternatively, some teachers will provide a direct link. Clicking the link takes the student directly to the session page (bypassing the joinpd.com home page). This approach is a little quicker and avoids students entering their code incorrectly.
Links are particularly helpful when the teacher shares the session code via Google Classroom or email. Students click on the link and move on to entering their name or signing in.
Devices and Compatibility
Pear Deck’s strength is that it supports any device. In the USA, students work on many different devices including:
- Chromebooks – the most popular device in many US schools. Pear Deck is great on Chromebooks in any browser.
- iPads and tablets – Safari and Chrome work well on iOS and Android devices.
- Smartphones – Pear Deck is also great for joining sessions and responding from your iPhone or Android phone.
- Mac or Windows laptops – Pear Deck will work on any laptop.
There is no need to install any software or app on any of these devices, allowing all students to join their Pear Deck session regardless of the devices they are bringing to class.
Common Issues and How to Fix Them
Wrong or Expired Code
Join codes are for one session. If the teacher has stopped and/or started a new session, you will need a new code. Be sure to ask for the latest code from the teacher.
Slow or No Internet Connection
Pear Deck needs a good internet connection. If your screen is not showing or you can’t submit your responses, make sure your Wi-Fi signal is strong or you can plug your device into the network if possible.
Browser Compatibility
Pear Deck supports most modern browsers, but works best in Google Chrome. To resolve any display problems, try using Chrome or clearing your cache.
Name or Login Issues
If you are joining a Pear Deck session via Google login and use the wrong account, you will be unable to join. Ensure you are signing in with your school Google account.
Session Not Started Yet
Occasionally, students will try to join a session before a teacher has begun it. If you receive an error message that the session is not active, please wait a few minutes and try again.
For Teachers: Starting and Ending Sessions
Starting a Session
Sessions are started in the Pear Deck add-on within Google Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint. With a presentation open and Pear Deck add-on turned on, the teacher clicks Start Lesson and selects:
- Student-Paced Mode – Students progress through the presentation at their own pace.
- Teacher-Paced Mode – Students are only able to see the slide the teacher is on.
Once a mode has been selected, Pear Deck provides the teacher with a join code and link for students.
Monitoring Student Responses
Once connected, the teacher’s screen displays all responses in real time. Responses can be made anonymous to the class for discussion if desired. This allows for participation from shy students.
Ending a Session
Teachers end the lesson from their dashboard by clicking End Session. Once the session is over, a report is available that can help teachers gauge student understanding and see what concepts need to be focused on.
Related topic’s:
But what was the reason why did edulastic change to pear assessment It was not because of mid-life crisis or even arbitrary design decision. It was a clever step to bring a fractured world of classroom solutions together.
Pear Deck in the 21st Century US Classroom
Joining session – Pear Deck so easily and engaging in lessons is a testament to the evolution of classroom technology. Just a few years ago, responding was done by putting your hand up. Now, every student can answer a question at the same time and teachers can learn which students are grasping the material and which students are falling behind.
This use of data in the classroom is in line with the broader trend towards formative assessment in the US. Instead of a weekly quiz, teachers who use Pear Deck can assess their students after each slide and provide immediate feedback.
Schools that have adopted Pear Deck as part of regular classwork report increased student engagement, especially for students who may be shy to speak in class. The anonymity of the questions relieves pressure, encouraging all students to share their thoughts.
Pear Deck and Google Classroom Integration
Schools that use Google Workspace for Education can also use Pear Deck’s Google Classroom integration. The teacher can share a link to their session in a Google Classroom assignment or announcement. The student then clicks the link from their Classroom stream and is automatically joined.
This removes the need for students to go to joinpd.com, and as long as they are logged into their school Google account, they do not need to log in. This is particularly beneficial for younger students as it prevents them from getting distracted or lost, and takes less time.
Related topic’s:
You have a ten minutes class. You must retrieve the assessment data of last week, identify struggling students, and give them a follow-up quiz, all before the bell sounds. You go to the Pear Assessment log-in page and. nothing. A spinning wheel. A cryptic error. Or, worse still, you are looking at a different portal altogether.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do students need a Pear Deck account?
No. Students don’t need to sign up for Pear Deck. They just need to join the lesson with the join code or link provided by their teacher.
Is Pear Deck free for students?
Yes. Students will be able to access Pear Deck for free, including being able to join sessions and answer questions.
Can students join from home?
Absolutely. They can join from any location as long as they have an internet connection. Pear Deck is a great tool for remote and hybrid learning.
How long are join codes valid?
Join codes are only valid while the teacher’s session is running. When the teacher closes the session, the code will no longer work.
Will the teacher be able to see who gave each response?
Yes. Although the class can display the responses anonymously, the teacher can always see which student gave which response on their teacher dashboard.
Final Thoughts
Pear Deck has opened up interactive learning to millions of US teachers and students. The ease of joining a Pear Deck session – Pear Deck – go to joinpd.com, enter the code and login – is quick and easy, and provides access to interactive teaching and learning. Students and teachers can join from any device, be it a school Chromebook, home laptop, or even their mobile phone.
For educators, creating and facilitating a session allows them to see in real-time how much the class is understanding, making each lesson more interactive and dynamic. For students, it offers an opportunity to respond, engage and interact in a way that is not possible with a traditional slideshow.
If you have never used Pear Deck, try one session to see how a few characters in a join code can make a lesson much more interactive – for the teacher leading the lesson and for the students at the back of the classroom.