I suppose it will become another one of life's mysteries! :)
This past school year, I took a previously used presentation and created a Pear Deck. You can access the link here. I like Pear Deck in that you can encourage engagement while teaching. This is different than something like kahoot which demonstrates recall rather than new learning. I also like that you can stop responses so that students have a window to respond but aren't distracted by changing their responses throughout your teaching! Honestly, I think this feature is key!
I checked out Movenote as well. I like the concept of it, but it feels very much like screen casting which we are able to do without any extra steps. Is there something you have found to push Movenote beyond just basic screen-casting?
As with any interactive technology tool, I think that moderation actually ends up being super important. Our students are always needing new ways to engage, but if every presentation becomes a Pear Deck and every class period is followed by a Kahoot, I feel we run the risk of demonstrating to our students that the only way to stay mentally engaged is to have a screen in front of them. In my teaching, I prefer to have these interactive presentations be kick-offs or wrap-ups to units, mid-unit check-ins, etc. That balance is something I struggle with and I think is such a new frontier in world of teaching. I would love to hear your thoughts on this!
That's all for now, I am off to enjoy a juicy pear and sit on my deck! :)
Okay, Stacey! I already love reading your blog! So fun, engaging and creative! Your students must love your class! I agree you don't need a Kahoot, Pear Deck or Powtoon as part of every class, especially if you are this engaging and interesting all of the time!
ReplyDeleteYou're right that Movenote is more of a presentation tool, rather than a very interactive one. We included it as an alternative to Powerpoint and Prezi that many teachers already know about and use.
I appreciate your evaluation of the tools, and pointing out your key features!
Keep up the good work! I hope you enjoyed eating that pear on your deck. I think we are going to try to build a deck this summer...gulp.
That is a huge undertaking!!! I hope it goes well!
DeleteYou are too funny! Love reading your insights on each assignment. I have wondered the same thing about Pear deck. Your pear deck for the wild rice day is great and I'm sure we'll use it again next year.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Gina in that you have great "voice" in your writing which makes it fun to read! I also agree with you about the name Pear Deck...where the heck did they come up with that? I love your graphic. I had never used Pear Deck before this assignment and I'm not a huge fan of Kahoot. I see Pear Deck as much more interactive ad I like the feature that you do as well as far as being able to stop student responses. I also totally agree with you about moderation...students and some adults as well need to learn how to engage WITHOUT the screen.
ReplyDeleteYES to many of your points about technology and engagement. It is a challenge to figure out how to learn new technology, use it well and use it appropriately -- definitely hard to keep up with, even for someone who considers herself pretty competent in terms of technology. With so many techie tools, websites and softwares out there, it's sometimes hard to know which tool best suits the learning experience (and the learning outcomes). I'm still figuring out ways that PairDeck works best in an ELA setting. The one I created is more of an anticipatory set... I'd love to hear your feedback.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE how you have interaction woven in to your Google Presentation. This is such a cool idea... I'm already brainstorming how I can use this with our Civil Rights unit.
Stacey, I used your presentation as somewhat of a model/example as I watched tutorials about how to create my own. Thanks for the great example!
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