Using QR Codes in the Classroom

One of the fundamental advantages that tablets and mobile devices have over computers is their portability, but the least utilized, I think is the presence of a camera. Today, I want to show you some of the fun ways that I use Quick Reader codes, or QRs, in my classroom.

QRs are those barcode/crossword puzzle looking squares that you see on packages and advertisements. When they are “scanned” with a mobile device and the right app it links you to the website or text of your choice.

1. Typing in web addresses is difficult, especially on a mobile device with a keyboard for letters and a different one for numbers and symbols. With the QR it is as simple as Open App, Snap QR and, in the case of an iPad, open the webpage in Safari. Quick, simple and it avoids the frustration of missing a number or letter and ending up at the dreaded “error” page.
2. Use them to assign seats: This takes a bit of time, but it is a fun way for students to become proficient at using a QR scanner. Create a text QR at http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ for each students name. Print each QR off and place it at the seat you would like them to occupy. Then give each student a mobile device and have them find their seat. It works better if students are not allowed to talk, otherwise,  in their excitement, they will reveal seat locations.
3. Check Your Answers: Some classes, especially math, like to have students complete an assignment and then check their answers. Posting the answers in the classroom or putting them on a piece of paper works, but it is too easy to just glance at it. If you have your answers in a word document, copy and paste them into the text section of the QR generator and post the QR on the assignment or on the board. When the student thinks that he or she is done, they can grab a mobile device and snap the QR. This is also helpful for parents because it can help them reverse engineer the problems if they’re a little rusty. Another variation, would be to post the answers on a class blog or website and put the QR and link on the assignment. That way computers and mobile devices can be used.
4. Quick Assessment: Let’s say I wanted to find out if my students could identify the subject in a sentence. I would put a sentence on the board, like “I saw elephants in Africa.” Typically, students gravitate towards nouns when they’re trying to figure out the subject. I would place a QR under “I, elephants and Africa.” What you do next is up to you. One option would be to have the “I” QR link to a page that says, “you’re correct,” but this is also an opportunity for targeted instruction. Link the incorrect answers to a page on identifying subjects or with additional practice. Send the correct answers to a page that works on predicates or some other worthwhile activity. If the page(s) you forward students to is/are on your blog, you could use traffic data to determine the classes’ overall performance. Just make sure that students are answering the questions honestly and not comparing the QRs to find the odd-one-out. 
5. Useful Feedback: This technique isn’t much different from the one listed above, but it is very easy to integrate into your classroom. If you are correcting, or even just browsing through your students’ work you can paperclip or staple a QR to their work. This QR might send them to a text that says “Congratulations,” but what I like to do is link the QR to a page that will help them do better on the next assignment or activity. For instance, if the assignment was fractions and a student obviously had trouble with finding common denominators, I would generate a QR that takes the student to a quick tutorial on finding common denominators and maybe a Google Form that will allow me to see if the additional activity made a difference.
6. CLASS BLOG: Print out some QR Codes and slip them in with report cards. It is a great way to promote your class blog, especially because the QR is still kind of novel.

Sometimes these techniques may come across as being needlessly technological. Why don’t I just put a page number from the book at the top of their assignment? The answer, for me anyway, is that this is a lot faster and more convenient for me. Furthermore, students seem to be more comfortable with “digital” personalized instruction, whereas singling out students to work on a particular issue seems to be a little less popular, and let's face it, you can't get to every student every time.

If you do something awesome with QRs, please share!

Fun English Apps

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In the past few weeks I’ve received several questions about Language Arts and mobile device applications or “apps.” So, I thought I’d take a minute and share some of my favorite games with all of you.

Before we get to the game, let’s be clear that there isn’t a lot of reliable information on the educational value of each specific app. Infusing technology in to school motivates students and teaches 21^st century “digital literacy” skills, but there are lots of “old-fashioned” ways to learn that also work. Furthermore, the apps that I am sharing here are more games than anything else and should come after homework and chores are done. Is there a chance that these games might help with spelling, sentence structure or some other facet of the English language? Yes. Should your student get out of doing dishes so that they can play Word Jewel? That is entirely up to you, but unless you have a waterproof case it should be an either/or decision.

One final note, the American Society of Pediatricians recommends that toddlers and infants spend as little time with “screens” as possible. So while these games might be suitable for your middle-school student, I am not recommending them for babies. With all of that being said, here are some of fun and potentially educational apps.

(Conventions) Spelling: Word Jewel

There are a lot of apps out there that involve spelling (Words With Friends, Boggle, Scrabble, and Letris), but my recommendation is Word Jewels. What I like about this game is that it encourages students to expand their vocabulary and to take risks with spelling, but in a low-stress setting. In order to advance through the game it becomes necessary to start using long and sometimes difficult words. As with all the games, I think that sitting with your student and working with them in different ways can really enhance the value of the game. In this case, looking up each unknown word in the dictionary would be a great way to help the new word stick and potentially add it to their functional vocabulary. One final value of this game is that it forces the player to look for patterns, whether they realize it or not. For example, if your student sees “H-I” on the board it is a good bet that they will start looking for a consonant to complete it, like a “D” or a “P.” Although our language is complicated and lacks “hard-and-fast” rules, understanding patterns is important. This game is all about personal improvement and there isn’t a computer, clock or another person to compete against, which means the student can focus on growing as a speller. Warning: This game is hard to put down.

(Sentence Fluency) Complete Sentences: Word Order

This game resembles those magnetic poetry kits that are found on refrigerators, but this game has a twist. Instead of just randomly moving letters around to create non-sense, this game gives you a small set of words and challenges you to put the words into the correct order. An added bonus is that you will learn some interesting facts. Did you know that Brussels has an underwear museum? I do, thanks to Word Order. Adults can add to the learning by talking with their student about the subject and predicate in the sentence. Ask your student to identify the subject, which simply put, is who or what the sentence is about. Next, ask them to identify what the reader is learning about the subject (predicate). Another option would be to have students identify nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives.

Organization: Toontastic

An important, but often overlooked element of good writing is organization. A great idea depends on a strong organizational system to present the information in a clear and coherent manner. Toontastic is great because it asks student to organize their ideas into the setup, conflict, challenge, climax and resolution and while this doesn’t apply to all writing situations, it’s still a fun and worthwhile activity. To really maximize the learning and quality of the “play,” it is best to write a script.

Word Choice: Synonyms

“Good” is not a good word for describing things and yet it gets used all the time. “Timothy had a good supper,” doesn’t say much about what he actually ate. This game requires the player to make connections between synonyms and antonyms. When they are finished playing, talk with your student about some of the words that they have used and encourage them to write or sentence or two using some of the words.

Some of these are more fun than others, but I think the most important thing to remember is that spending some time using the English language together, in a creative or fun way is always worthwhile and it is easy to turn any of these games into a “no-tech” activity. So, dust off the Scrabble board or have everybody write down a dozen words, cut them out and make silly sentences. If you have any questions, comments or ideas please e-mail me at my school address!

Image: leondel. iPad 2 with Smart Cover. Accessed on January 31st, 2012. http://www.flickr.com/photos/leondel/5745567540/sizes/s/in/photostream/