FAQs About Pear Deck: Getting Started
Getting started with a new tool can be intimidating, but don’t worry! Pear Deck was designed by educators to be simple, fast, and fun to use. Do you have questions on some of the basics, such as logging in and presenting with Pear Deck? Well, we've got answers to your FAQs!
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions new users like yourself ask about getting started with Pear Deck, along with links to the corresponding Knowledge Base articles.
FAQ #1: Can I use both Google and Microsoft logins with Pear Deck?
You can make Pear Deck presentations in either Google Slides or PowerPoint Online using the Pear Deck for Google Slides Add-on or the Pear Deck for PowerPoint Online Add-in. If you use both in your classroom, we recommend picking one platform to use with Pear Deck so you can access everything in one place — each account is unique and cannot be merged.
If you choose to use two different Microsoft and Google accounts, make sure you're logged into Pear Deck Home with the account that corresponds to the program you're using. (For example, log into Pear Deck with Google when presenting in Slides; log into Pear Deck with Microsoft when presenting in PowerPoint Online.)
If you need to log out to reset, go to Pear Deck Home and click on your person icon to find the sign-out option.
Learn more about creating your Pear Deck account.
FAQ #2: How do I start the Pear Deck Lesson?
To present with Pear Deck, you can either create your presentation from scratch in Google Slides or PowerPoint Online or add Pear Deck Interactive Slides to any of your current presentations.
Once your Deck is ready to present, follow these steps to present and start a lesson:
Start the Lesson — Click the green Start Lesson button in the Pear Deck Sidebar, then choose whether you want your lesson mode to be Instructor-Paced or Student-Paced.
- Instructor-Paced means you're in the driver's seat and your students' screens will sync with yours.
- Student-Paced means students can work through your lesson independently.
Bonus: You can switch between the two options during a Session using the Teacher Dashboard.
Get more details on presenting a Pear Deck Session.
FAQ #3: How do my students join a session?
First, choose whether you want students to log in anonymously or with an email address for identification on the Teacher Dashboard. Without an email login, your students will appear as avatars and nicknames. (For example, students will be identified as “penguin” or “jaguar.”)
You can turn on or off email login requirements in the Pear Deck sidebar or in settings, found by clicking your personal icon.
After you click “Start Lesson” in the Pear Deck sidebar and choose the lesson mode, you’ll be presented with a unique Join Code for this Session. Students can log in two ways:
- Send students to joinpd.com and enter the Session Join Code from this screen.
- Alternatively, you can click “Give Students a Link” and share the Join Link with them instead, no code required.
Do these links and codes expire? Join Codes expire in a week, but the Join Link will never expire — so if you need to add students to a live Session a week after it started, use the Join Link.
Get more details on how students join a Pear Deck Session.
FAQ #4: Am I logged into the correct profile? (Google users)
It’s common to have both personal and work email accounts active on your device at one time. To avoid any hiccups or delays in presenting with Pear Deck, before building or launching a Deck, double-check you are logged into the Google email account you use for Pear Deck.
For example, if you log into Pear Deck with your school email address, be sure you’re not logged into your personal Google account in your browser or Google Drive.
Click on your profile photo in the top of your browser. Click on the profile photo at the top of your Google Slides window. The email addresses for both avatars should be the same email address you used to sign up for your Pear Deck account.
To learn more about your Pear Deck account, visit our Knowledge Base.
Looking for more learning resources to get started with Pear Deck?
Check out one of our on-demand webinars or self-paced training Decks made by Pear Deck Coaches! We also have a How-To Handbook available to help guide you.
More questions?
You can always find step-by-step instructions in our Help Videos and Knowledge Base as well.
