Educational Technology at Brevard College: Blog

Feeling chained to the computer while teaching?

A clicker remote is a wonderful way to advance through slides while being able to wander around the room.  Without a clicker, you're chained to wherever the computer happens to be. 

Buying a clicker:

If you're looking to purchase a clicker for yourself, I recommend the NORWII N29.  It's made by a reliable brand, incredibly simple to use and at $14, it's not terribly expensive.

Using Slide Presenter from your Phone:

There's an alternative available that's free and uses your phone.  It doesn't require installing an app on your phone.  It does, however, require that you use Google Slides as your presentation tool and Chrome as your browser.  Don't worry PowerPoint fans, I'll explain how to use it with PowerPoint below.

1. Sign into Chrome
   1. On your computer, open Chrome.
   2. At the top right, click Profile Profile.
   3. Sign in to your Google Account.
   4. Click Turn on sync and then Turn on.
2. Install Remote for Slides Chrome Extension.
3. Open your Google Slides in Editor Mode, then click on the “Present with Remote” button.
4. In your presentation, you'll see a slider on the right.  Click on the “Start Remote” button to show the 6-digit code.
5. On your phone, go to remoteforslides.com.  Enter the 6-digit code and you are ready to go!

Some Tips:

• Sign into Chrome on the classroom computer before class starts.
• Connect your phone and 'dogfood' test the clicker before class starts.
• If using PowerPoint, add the PowerPoint file to your Google Drive.  You can present from the PowerPoint in your drive without having to change the file format.
• Take a moment to savor how good it feels to present from wherever you want.