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Interactive slides
Interactive slide tools put a question inside your slides, so every student answers as you teach — not just the one you call on. You get a live read of the whole room.
The shift
Regular slides are a one-way broadcast. Interactive slides add a checkpoint every few slides, turning your presentation into a conversation you can steer.
The main tools
| Tool | Signature move | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Pear Deck | Add interactive questions to Google Slides | Great if you already live in Google Slides |
| Nearpod | All-in-one lessons with quizzes, polls, video | Big ready-made lesson library |
| Canva / Google Slides + a poll tool | Slides plus a separate live poll | Lowest cost, a bit more juggling |
Question types worth using
- Draw / drag — students label a diagram or plot a point (great for math and science).
- Free text — a quick "explain in one sentence" you can display anonymously.
- Multiple choice — instant formative check; reteach if the bars look wrong.
- Draggable — sort, match, or rank items to reveal thinking.
Two modes — pick on purpose
| Teacher-paced | Student-paced |
|---|---|
| You control the slide everyone sees | Students move at their own speed |
| Best for live, whole-class lessons | Best for stations, review, or sub days |
Don't over-embed
A question every single slide gets tiring and slow. Aim for a checkpoint every 3–5 slides, tied to a moment where you genuinely want to see student thinking.
Related
For quick anonymous temperature checks, see Polls & backchannels.