QR Codes are everywhere! Now that you know what they are, how to make them, and how to share them please share some ideas about how you might use them as a teacher. How will you use them to share your professional information with colleagues? What are some ways that you could use them with your students?
Saturday, June 9, 2012
QR Codes
QR Codes are everywhere! Now that you know what they are, how to make them, and how to share them please share some ideas about how you might use them as a teacher. How will you use them to share your professional information with colleagues? What are some ways that you could use them with your students?
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In the media center QR codes might be used on library books so students would be able to read a review on a book. However, I might be more inclined to start a blog where students could comment on books, because I am not sure how many students would have a QR reader. It was mentioned that QR codes are now being used in library books to direct students to other information about the subject or the ability to read the book to the student - I have not seen any books in our library that contain QR codes, but I could see that it would make reading the book much more interesting as your questions could easily be answered immediately. In teaching research skills a QR code would be useful to direct them to the site you want them to access. Sites could also be shared with staff using QR codes.
ReplyDeleteI love your ideas for using QR Codes. The best example I heard about was a library that used them. The older students created book reviews in the form of podcasts. The podcasts were linked to QR Codes and then these codes were printed and taped to the inside cover of the corresponding book.
DeleteQR Codes are great for storing information that changes frequently. The first thought that comes to my mind is each year we get a staff handbook that is well over 100 pages in length. All we really need is a sticker with a QR code that we could place on a surface near our desk then it would always be accessible without wasting thousands of sheets of paper each year!
I have used these codes with a French Revolution scavenger hunt worksheet the students really enjoyed it. The downfall that I encountered was that not all of the students had a smart phone, so Url addresses were provided. Here is a link to a French Revolution QR Challenge, which I thought, was very interesting (http://www.classtools.net/QR/qr_generator.php?fold=12&fname=aDfB8&diff=0)
ReplyDeletealso I really enjoyed the video over the ubi-books. The book with the QR codes “Around the World in 80 days” would be an awesome tool for a geography class. Like I said early the only downside would be the availability or access of a smart phone.
I am seeing so many uses for QR codes everywhere in a school, but as everyone states, you never know how many people actually have phones with QR reading capabilities. Our district is really into "leveling the playing field" for all of our students and I think that this would be a huge step backward if we tried to incorporate too many QR codes.
ReplyDeleteWhat I think I would mention to my teachers is to have them do a google survey at the beginning of the year to see how many of their students have the capability to scan QR codes. If there are enough or at least enough that you could break them into groups, I would suggest doing a couple of activities just to try them out. I really liked the idea of a geocaching activity that had QR codes at each point. Our district just purchased a set of GPSs, so I would be inclined to have someone try this.
Again, I like this new way to get students interested in learning, but I think we really do need to be careful about how much you use them. We are a one to one school and the information that I read says that you can download QR readers for laptops with cameras. I may have to look into that for us.
I think you will see more and more students with smart phones and tablets with cameras, at least at the high school level. I read the same thing you did about downloading software so you can use QR codes with laptops. Let me know if it works!
DeleteI have only recently become aware of what QR codes are.The article on the 12 different ways to use QR codes in the classroom made me realize the unlimited possibilities there are for their use in a classroom. It was also interesting to learn that textbooks could be updated using QR codes.
ReplyDeleteThe only problem would getting the devices and apps. Technology is one area where our schools have cut the budget.
Each time I hear stories where schools have cut technology budgets I cringe. So many of our students are headed off to college or the world of work completely unprepared for dealing with a world that is completely reliant on technology.
DeleteI love QR Codes. My husband thinks I may be a bit addicted to them. I first learned about them earlier this year at a conference, and have been trying to find the best way to introduce them into my kindergarten classroom. I have decided it is well worth the money to buy webcams for my classroom computers. I think it will be a great way to tie our traditional library to online materials. I picture several QR codes in the back of each book, one could link to a video of the book, one to the authors page, and some series even have whole sites based around their characters. I am so excited to have kids be able to extend their interest in books independently. I get very excited about ways to get kids excited about reading and I think this is a great opportunity to do just that. I am thankful to have all the information of QR codes. Now I just need to get going with getting my library enhanced with QRs. http://goo.gl/DkyD6 -love this video! :)
ReplyDeleteSarah--- I thought you might appreciate this post. http://www.thedaringlibrarian.com/2010/12/hot-qr-codes-in-classroom-library.html
DeleteOoo. Thank you! I'll put it in my Diigo! :)
DeleteQR codes are being seen more and more. Just look through any magazine you may subscribe to. A lot of advertisers are using them to direct you to more information about their product.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many possibilities for use of QR codes. In the classroom I could see them being used to help direct students to information about topics we might be covering.
As other have said, the access to QR scanners might be a problem if you rely on them only. It maybe a good idea if you are going to use the code in documents, you include the URL as well for those that don't have scanners, or access to one.
I really like your idea of the URL as well, Tyler! Am I the only teacher in #digicon12 that is teaching in a poverty school?
ReplyDeleteLeveling the playing field has to be the first priority for us in those schools, even if the codes are everywhere.
At first I couldn't think of many reasons for using the QR codes, since our school does not allow the use of mobile devices (without permission) in the classroom. But the tutorial had excellent ideas. My favorites were the advertising school events, the treasure hunts and (since I'm an English major too and when/if my advanced Spanish classes don't fill, I'm always told I may be teaching Senior English), the link to an online resource for composing the entries to research paper bibliographies. Incredibly ingenious!
ReplyDeleteEvery Friday my school has what we call problem solving. I especially like to use this time to incorporate technology based activities because 1. the kids love it 2. it gets them to think 3. they need technology to be competitive in today's market 4. I could go on and on... I love the scavenger hunt idea and the geocaching. Scanning availablity is one thing I would have to work out.( I don't even have a smart phone)however times are a changing and I would not be surprised to find that many of my fourth graders could find access. To bad my daughter is asleep - can she read a code on her ipod? The article said you can use a phone with a camera - how does that work? I'm pretty sure all my students last year had their own phone - wonder how many were smartphones. Guess this is something I'll have to add to my questionnaire.
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed using some QR codes, and we presented some ideas/sharing in the technology trainings at our district and came up with some great ideas of how the QR codes could be used in classroom settings of all types. We have a one-to-one laptop high school, and did find that we can scan QR codes with the laptop cameras. It is not as easy as with a smart phone, ipod or ipad, but it works! I am hoping that some of our staff will incorporate some QR codes into some assignments this year!
ReplyDeleteI don’t get what the excitement is concerning QR codes. I have read articles about uses for QR codes and I think they are more work than help. One comment on the “Twelve Ideas for Teaching with QR Codes” said she has an index box of laminated cards with QR codes of the websites she visits most often. She has to pull out the card she wants then use her webcam to scan in the code. Evidently she hasn’t heard of bookmarks or better yet shortcuts. I have shortcuts to the websites I need to use every day (e-mail, classroom mgmt., etc.) on my desktop. Do I really want to rely on another piece of equipment? Will the school district provide me with a webcam?
ReplyDeleteI will admit that I don’t have the capability to scan a QR code, so maybe that’s part of my problem. I also think of several of my students that don’t have this capability either. But really what to QR codes do? They take you to a website, so why not just give the student the URL to the website? Many of the suggested uses are for a scavenger hunt. First of all scavenger hunts are beyond my creativity. Secondly, I feel like I have to create the websites that students would be sent to to find out their next destination. Creating websites will require more work and more creativity that I don’t have.