QRcodemonkey

We have all seen those funny little 2 dimensional bar codes like this one called QR codes.

This one should bring you to this page.  QR is an acronym for Quick Response.  QR codes are a convenient way to store URLs  better known as web addresses. Most students have phones that have a QR reader app built into their camera.  If not they can get one for free by clicking here for an Iphone app. Now these QR codes can  easily be made by a student or teacher.    I will suggest some sites in a moment.  What I would like to discuss is how they can be used in an educational setting.

As a teacher

1) If you put your assignments on line you can give your students a sticky with the QR code on them and they can put that in their agenda.  If you have a classroom blog, wiki or website post a QR code for it on your bulletin board.

2) If you want a quick way for the students to view a video but do not have a smart board or projector in your room you can post a QR code on a bulletin board and the students can watch it on their phones.

3) Some teachers augment their texts books by putting stickies in the right spots to lead them to appropriate websites or videos.

4) On research assignments you may want to put a QR code on it to get students to reputable starting points other than Google or Wikipedia.  Maybe a database such as Elibrary Canada.  See Mr. H for help with the database.

5) You could have a QR Scavenger Hunt as explained by the following history link.

6) If your students are doing digital projects and you would like to showcase them on a bulletin board in the hallway or just in your classroom, you can post a QR code directed to each students work.

7) On math work sheets you can add QR codes to video tutorials from Khan Academy or other sites to help students out.

8) There are many more things that can be done with QR codes.  Play around.

As a student

1)  A QR code can bridge the physical assignment you turn in or posted on the black board with the virtual work you have done.  Maybe you shot a video  and posted it on youtube or you made a glog (see glogster.com) to go along with your project to document it.  Place a QR next to your work and students and teachers can share in your digital work.   In the past my daughter  finished her science fair project and she added a QR code to show how she used some software to make a graph.

Here is a closeup of the QR code

2) If students are doing a video for class, students can review other students work if they are posted around the class.  Rather than just watching a video the whole class.  Students can preview the work in progress and make constructive criticism.

3) If students have their art work posted in the hall, maybe a QR code linking a Youtube video of the student discussing their artwork.

To make a QR code.

There are many QR code generators.  If you would like to make the Scavenger/Treasure Hunt as noted in 5 above you can go here.  If you would like to make basic QR codes for a URL such as YouTube or your own blog then use  QRMonkey by clicking  here.  You can use other QR code makers such as Kawaya by clicking here.  You may want to change the colour of the QR codes from black and white to another colour so that you have your codes colour coded for courses.  This can be done on QRstuff.com in step 3.  Just move the cross hair around the colour palette to select a different foreground colour.

If you would like to personalize any of your QR codes you can go here and add any photo you have on your computer to the QR code.  As an example the QR code at the top of this page has a picture of my kids on their first day of school.  I did for a new arrival in the library that gives a "title peek" of the book.

You can do this by  going to visualead or clicking here.