My Beauty Best Teacher

I've been on a kick about QR codes lately, for whatever reason. (You may want to read QR Codes [And How To Get Your Own] and Using QR Codes in the Classroom first.)

I've already compiled a fairly lengthy list of ways to use QR codes in education, but one thing was always troubling me: what about kids who don't have smartphones? I mean, smartphones are pretty popular, but not everyone has the money or even the desire to purchase one. And I don't have a class set of iPod Touches (yet).

So how could I utilize this tech tool without leaving out everyone who doesn't own a smartphone or iPod Touch?

Enter: Snap My Info.


I read about this on a teaching blog a couple weeks ago, and unfortunately only wrote down the name of the Snap My Info website, or else I would link up to the original poster! (Sorry, OP! If you're reading this, comment below and I'll link back to you!)

Anyway, Snap My Info is a service that allows non-smartphone holders to still use QR codes. By using Snap My Info, a person only has to have the capability to send picture messages and retrieve e-mails on his/her cell phone. That opens QR codes to a much larger audience in my classroom; almost everyone I know has the capability to send pic messages and retrieve e-mails on their mobile device!

You do have to register with Snap My Info (bummer) for their code-deciphering service to work, but their explanation page gives more details.

Now if I could just ensure that students could have service in my classroom to send codes and receive the follow-up messages, I think I'd be ready to take off on the QR code train! :)

If you'd like to try Snap My Info, you could take a picture of the code below and e-mail the picture to x@snpmy.com. According to their website, you should receive an e-mail back with Snap My Info's contact information.

Try it and let me know what you think!

I recently posed a question on my Teacher Garden Facebook fan page, asking for ideas of how to use QR codes in the classroom. While I was unable to obtain any more ideas, Lori over at Conversations in Literacy asked for some of my ideas, so I was propelled to do some more research over QR codes in the classroom. I was surprised by what I found!

I originally posted that I was still unsure of their uses, and I could only find a few ways to use them in the classroom. Well, gone are those days! :) After using Pinterest and Google to help, I have collected a fairly wide variety of ways to use QR codes in the classroom. Here is a list of ways I've found so far. If I found the idea elsewhere, I've linked up to it, so just click the idea to be taken to the original source!

1. Connect QR codes to a Google doc. Print QR codes on stickers and attach them to all of your library materials (could be books, iPods, etc.) available for student checkout. Ask students to scan the QR code to check out/in materials. The Technology Tips blog used QR codes to check out equipment, and the author there gives more details as to how to set up the Google doc to make it all possible.
2. Scott Sibberson blogged about connecting a QR code to the "picture of the week" and using it as sort-of an anticipatory set to get students thinking about upcoming information.
3. Along the same lines as number three, you could connect a QR code to a writing prompt (text or picture...I've heard of people using National Geographic's picture of the day as a daily bellringer writing prompt!) and ask students to scan it upon entering the room. They could then use the text/picture they receive as "writing fuel."
4. Scott Sibberson also blogged about connecting QR codes to quiz websites (like QuizStar) and asking students to take the quizzes either inside or outside of class.
5. Finally, Mr. Sibberson also suggested linking QR codes to the assessment/assignment of the day and posting each individual QR code on a large class calendar. Absent students could scan the QR code to have immediate access to information they missed. Since you can link a QR code to pretty much anything, you could show kids the Prezi presentation you made, a YouTube clip that enhanced learning, a PDF-version of the assignment, a picture slideshow of their classmates completing physical/social activity...whatever! I really like this idea, but I'm just not sure how well I would be able to keep up with it. ;)
6. I really love this idea, captured on livinglocurto's Instagram: use a QR code to connect to a Bully-reporting website or hotline! I'm not sure how practical it is -- I know a lot of kids wouldn't want to be caught scanning that code, but maybe the QR code would make it so "cool" that everyone would be scanning it, just to have something to scan. (Remember, part of the fun of QR codes is the novelty of it at this point!)
7. Along the same lines as number six, counselors (or teachers) could generate QR codes to suicide hotlines, informational websites about ADD or ADHD, etc. and post them around the school or in their office. Although I understand that not all school counselors are certified to diagnose mental disorders or learning disabilities, I think the ones who are could generate a QR code to a questionnaire about cetain disorders. For instance, if a student wanted to get a quick-read about whether or not she was depressed (to know if it was something she needed to worry about and talk to an adult about), this student could scan a QR code to a quick checklist of attributes that depressed persons usually have. If she checked positive for x number of the attributes, she would know to talk to an adult about what could potentially be clinical depression. This might be great for junior high and high school students, where a quick scan of a QR code is all you need to get the information. A lot of times, those students are too embarrassed to stand and study information on a poster like that, so the ability to scan and read on the go would be invaluable.
8. Attach a QR code to a Mapquest or Google Maps link and put it on fliers for Open Houses or seminars, particularly if you have a large school district. People could scan the code and be given directions as to how to get to an event.
9. Spinning off of idea number eight, maybe you could also attach addresses/contact information to QR codes and put them on things like basketball schedules or StuCo meeting signs!
10. When giving a presentation in class, instead of handing out paper copies of your presentation to everyone, maybe you just hand them a QR code to scan and view while you present. You're still handing out paper, but you're probably saving a ton of it, since QR codes can be pretty tiny and still work!
11. For textbooks or novels, create a QR code that links to a Wallwisher or specific Twitter hashtag. Give copies of the code to all students and ask them to participate in a discussion on that text. Mr. Mitchell's blog is where I originally found the ideas for Wallwisher and making text interactive; I added the thoughts about a Twitter hashtag myself. :) 
12. The Primary Bits and Bytes blog wrote a post about QR codes and a new thing called StickyBits. Basically, the author describes QR codes as a one-way information system, and StickyBits is the more advanced older brother: it actually allows anyone to add information to the link. (I foresee a blog post on StickyBits coming up soon!) Although the author of Primary Bits and Bytes really intended for these ideas to be used with StickyBits, there are some that can be used with QR codes. ...One of my favorites is the idea for students to review books in the classroom library on some type of website (Shelfari?). Afterwards, generate a QR code, print it onto a sticker, and stick it to the back of the library book. I love that students can get instant access to classmates' reviews -- those reviews are so powerful!
13. Also from Primary Bits and Bytes, you could create a treasure hunt for students using QR codes. Each QR code would have to take students to a clue -- text, graphic, video, podcast of you speaking a riddle...whatever! -- that they would use to find the next clue in the hunt.
14. Along the same lines as number thirteen, I like the idea of going on a textbook or novel hunt. My instructor during a Great Expectations course for secondary students detailed how to do a textbook hunt (basically asking students to get "the big picture" by way of a competitive worksheet activity), but I know there's got to be a way to incorporate QR codes! I'm still working on developing this one... when I figure it out, I'll let ya know. :)
15. Primary Bits and Bytes suggests asking students to make YouTube videos to explain how they reached the end of math problems. Instead of just writing the answer, students make the videos and attach them to the book or answer sheet for you to watch/grade.
16. Along the same lines as number fifteen, you could generate a QR code to a homework help website, a helpful YouTube explanation video, etc. on the top of homework. If students struggle at home with the assignment, they could review extra explanations instantly.
17. Primary Bits and Bytes suggests sticking a code on the front of a student's binder/folder/journal and using it as a way to add feedback. The author also suggests doing this for homework.
18. Along the same lines as number seventeen, what if we made a personal webpage or blog for each student in the class? We could generate QR codes and give them to each student and parent. Throughout the year, that could be used as an on-going feedback to evaluate not only assignments, but behavior and social growth, as well. I suppose it could also be used as sort of an instant messager system to relay information like absences or transportation changes! I would say this would be a great opportunity to use Wallwisher, but I like the idea of all feedback being obviously chronological; this way, everyone could see the student's progress as the year goes on!
19. Spinning off of number eighteen, what about using QR codes as access to a student's online portfolio? Students could link up to their Dropbox or LiveBinder accounts, and teachers could use the codes to quickly access progress or give final grades!
20. Primary Bits and Bytes suggests using QR codes to enhance hallway decorations. I like to use a "virtual 'fridge" to display wonderful work on my classroom website. I could definitely see myself generating a QR code to go directly to that virtual 'fridge to let everyone in the school know who, in my classroom, has recently done outstanding work.
21. Along the same lines as number twenty, we could also use QR codes in our hallway decor for Open House or conference nights. You could display students' pictures (or self-portraits) on the bulletin board, and attach a QR code to their latest and greatest achievement right next to each student. Parents could get a "quick response" on what positive things have been happening for that kid lately!
22. This Pinterest picture was uploaded by a user, so there's no way for me to link to any blog about it, but it suggests using QR codes as a way to spice up test reviews. I assume each of those QR codes on their test review page will show some sort of math review on the screen. It does seem like a lot of extra hoops to jump through, but it would be good to use every once in a while, just to get the kids something different!
23. As mentioned in my original post about QR codes, you could always put your contact information in the form of a QR code on a class syllabus or even at the bottom of your class newsletter! Parents/students could scan the code and automatically have their phones call or text you for help/information.
24. Maybe using Google docs, Survey Monkey, or some form of online quiz, you could use QR codes to take attendance. Post the code at the front of the room with a new "warm-up question" each morning. Students scan and input their responses as soon as they come in the door. You can take attendance by seeing who responded to the warm-up. ...Elementary students could also take a "quiz" over what kind of lunch they'd like for the day, so you'd get attendance and a lunch count, all in one!
25. Prior a field trip with younger students, you could link contact information for the school to a QR code, and print the codes onto square stickers. Each student could be required to wear the sticker all day long! It's more subtle than student name tags (which can be dangerous) and less expensive than matching t-shirts! ...If you planned on doing this often, you could always print your QR code onto something more heavy-duty, like a bracelet or necklace, and hand those out to the kids prior to the trip. Their ticket off the bus and to their home is to give you back the QR coded accessory. :)
26. As per Classroom in the Cloud: For daily homework or a study guide, link a QR code to the answers, and place the code at the bottom or on the backside of the handout. Allow students to check answers this way to make sure they're studying correctly!
27. As per Classroom in the Cloud: Have each teacher create a picture slideshow or video that tells about themselves, and post the QR codes to those shows on each teacher's door. Classroom in the Cloud suggests allowing parents/students to scan the codes and "meet" teachers during Open House night this way.
28. Spinning off of number twenty-seven: why not attach these "Meet Your Teacher" QR codes to every kid's schedule when it is mailed/given out prior to the beginning of the school year? Every kid could "meet" their teacher, even if he/she couldn't be there for the actual open house night!
29. Also spinning off of number twenty-seven, if you had to leave during conference night or Open House  night, perhaps you could post an introductory/explanatory video (in the form of a QR code) on your door so that everyone could still "talk" to you, even though you couldn't be there!
30. Also via Classroom in the Cloud: create a series of graphic/video QR codes prior to a field trip. Pass out the codes and tell kids when to scan them. It's like a personal tour without you having to yell it over the roar of the bus!
31. Twitter user @duckinwales suggested attaching audio files to QR codes and giving them to ELL students so they could listen to the correct pronunciation.
32. Spinning off of idea number thirty-one, teachers of early readers could attach audio files of themselves reading a book or giving center instructions and have students scan the code when they need help.
33. I've already mentioned placing a QR code at the top of a syllabus or classroom newsletter in order to give your contact information. But Michael Bromby also suggests linking an Amazon search for your class's needed reading material for the semester/year onto a QR code. Pretty clever! Students will have instant access to the title/author/ISBN of each book needed and can even order it directly from their smartphone!
34. Spinning off of idea number thirty-three, what if teachers created an Amazon wish list filled with the necessary school supplies for the year? Generate a QR code to that wish list and allow students to reference it on their smartphone when they're in the store or even purchase it from their smartphone and have it delivered directly to their home!
35. Twitter user @LRDow suggested generating QR codes for specific web pages on your class website and placing those codes directly on the page it links to. To share this information with their friends, students only have to pass on the QR codes -- not the entire link.
36. For art teachers who display students' artwork in your galleries: post a QR code with the child's name and mugshot right next to it so that students are credited with the work without defacing their art with unecessary writing.
37. Tired of turning in lesson plans every week, but still need to find a way for admin and parents to immediately see what your class is doing and what objectives you're covering? Upload your lesson plans to your class website and then post a QR code outside your classroom with a link to the lesson plans. Admin only has to scan your code to figure out what your students are learning at that very moment.
38. Place QR codes in yearbooks that link to audio and video of students!
39. I use a homework buddy system with my older students: at the beginning of the semester, I ask them to find 4 classmates they think they can trust and to exhange contact information with them. When someone is absent, students don't come to me to find out what they missed; instead, they ask a homework buddy (or check our class website). Twitter user @raganmd suggests asking students to fill out contact information (phone numbers, email addresses, personal website URLS) on a website called Jump Scan, and then generating the QR code for each Jump Scan profile. I could easily see this working with my homework buddies program; the information auomatically ends up in your phone!
40. Twitter user @mrrobbo suggests attaching QR codes to physical models. For instance, on a classroom skeleton, attach QR codes with informational videos/links about each part of the body.
41. Twitter user @mrrobbo also suggests creating a "choose your own adventure" story experience for reading students. (I'm thinking of those RL Stine books I used to read in elementary school; some of them were "choose your own adventure" stories.) Create an exciting sentence for a story, and then ask readers to make a decision. If they choose option 1, scan code #1. If they choose option #2, scan code #2. Brilliant!
42. Twitter user @NigelKirkham said he an audio file in his public Dropbox folder and created a QR code for the public folder's link. Scanning the code enabled users to listen to the file!

Ideas #35, 39, 40, 41, and 42 were found on @TomBarrett's Google docs presentation on ways to use QR codes in the classroom.

These are all the ideas I've been able to find so far, but I think it's an excellent starting point! If you have any other ideas for using QR codes in the classroom, I would love it if you left them in a comment! You could also scan this QR code and leave a comment on The Teacher Garden Facebook fan page. :)
Happy QR-ing!



P.S. There's a great website I just found out about (courtesy of commenter #1, Matt) that is centered around using QR codes in the classroom! Here's the link in case you'd like to check it out!

You may have seen these funny-looking square barcodes on advertisements, fliers, and websites, but you may not have known what they were or what to do with them:

This particular QR code will take you to the blog you're reading right now!

The image above is a QR code. QR stands for "Quick Response," and it's basically a square barcode. A QR code can link to a number of things: a website, a phone number to call or text, an e-mail address, a map view with directions...the possibilities are only limited by the user's imagination! Furthermore, a QR code can be generated by anyone! Here's a cute little comic that I found at The Daring Librarian's Flickr account. It might explain QR codes better than I can:

Click the image to make it large enough for you to read comfortably!

The public is starting to see these QR codes on business-related things, but I think there's a real possibility that teachers could use them in the classroom. If you'd like to read about all the ways you can use these codes in the classroom, please visit my blog post: Using QR Codes in the Classroom. First, though, let's go over the basics.



How do I scan a QR code?


Users can download a number of QR code-scanning applications onto their smart phones and use them to "read" QR codes. I know there are QR code-scanning apps available for Apple products and Android smartphones. I don't know much about Blackberry or other "smart" devices, so if you could offer some help to my readers about those items, please comment below to share the info!


Since I have an iPhone, I'll be using that device as my frame of reference for how-to's and screenshots in this post. I'm sure Android and other "smart" devices that have QR code-reading apps have very similar processes!


When you go into the Apple app store and search for "QR code reader," you find a fairly lengthy list of available apps. Most are free, but I've seen some apps that cost anywhere from $1 to $3. Since I'm cheap, I download the free ones. ;) My favorite QR code-reading app for my iPhone so far is QR Reader for iPhone (by TapMedia Ltd).

Source

It really doesn't matter which QR code-reading app you pick, although I will be using the above-mentioned app for my how-to. Gigaom has a list of their top 5 picks for QR code readers for iPhone. Mashable lists 7 QR code readers for Android. ...Take your pick!

Once I download the QR Code Reader for iPhone and open the application, I see a screen that looks as though I'm supposed to take a picture. This is the "scanning" screen. You'll see a square template that will fit a QR code perfectly and a red line that moves vertically on the screen (as though it's "scanning" the code).

That's my needs-to-be-vacuumed carpet inside the square template, in case you're wondering! :)

Place the QR code you'd like to scan inside the square template on the screen. In case you're trying to do this as I explain, I'll provide the same QR code to this blog right here for you to practice scanning:

Once your QR code has been correctly aligned with the template box, you'll hear a slight clicking noise, which means the code has been read. From there, you'll be taken to whatever information is contained within the code.

A lot of businesses will place make QR codes that attach to their website, blog, Facebook, or Twitter page. Like I said, the possibilities of where a QR code will take you are pretty endless! It's for this reason that you may consider downloading a QR code reader that scans codes for viruses before taking you to the information. I downloaded the Norton Snap QR Code Reader in the Apple iTunes store for this reason. (It's also free.)

Source

The only bad thing about this app is that it doesn't allow you to create QR codes; you can only scan them. But I guess if it keeps you from getting a virus on your expensive smartphone, it's probably worth it to have two different QR code-reading apps!

As you can see, reading QR codes with a smart device is pretty easy. Next time you're in public and see a QR code, you can whip out your smart phone, open the scanning app, and unveil whatever information the creator wants you to see!

Why should I scan codes?

Sometimes businesses offer coupons or incentives to visitors who view their QR code information.

It's much easier to scan a QR code with your phone than it is to try to type a URL into your phone's browser with those tiny smart phone keys! QR codes are particularly convenient when a URL is super-long and complicated. In addition, since QR codes can convey things other than website links, they are really a quick and easy way to get lots of information!

Sounds interesting. How can I use them in my classroom?

For some of my former students, a smart phone is the only internet access they have. So what happens when they try to visit one of my websites via their phone? Sometimes they can't remember the website address and are unable to do any of the research via the class website that they needed to do. Other times, the small buttons on their smart phones prevent them from typing in the URL correctly; thus, they are unable to find the website and do the assignment. You get the idea.

While I think technology is great, it sometimes is an excuse for students. I've had many students tell me they "couldn't get the website to work at home." If you provide QR codes for all links you need your students to visit, that's just one more way they can get their homework done (and a good chance that user-errors will be eliminated)!

So what if we, as teachers, start posting our QR codes in our classroom? You could start out very simple and just generate codes for your classroom website, blog, Twitter page, Facebook page, and/or school phone number. You could place these codes on the syllabus (for older students) or the classroom newsletter (for younger students). You could place QR codes on your business cards to hand out to students and parents at the beginning of the year or to your audience when you teach a seminar. When you pass out instructions for a web-project in your class, place the QR code at the top of your information sheet. One school I visit regularly has a display that reads, "Meet the Teachers." Each teacher is featured on a page that contains his/her name, grade/subject, and a QR code. I scanned the codes while I waiting one day, and found out that all the codes link back to the teachers' Alma maters! That would be interesting to place outside your door on "Meet the Teacher" night!

These codes can provide another way to get in touch with you and/or to review the classroom information. The more methods you provide for accessing that information, the higher the probability it will be accessed!

The point is, you can create another (and possibly simpler) way for students and parents to contact you. The more venues we, as teachers, have for communicating with our students, the more questions that can be answered. No one can argue that that's not a lofty goal!

I don't necessarily think this is a better communication method than the tried-and-true "write it down" method, but it just might be eye-catching, different, and "cool" enough to get folks to access your info.

I'm on board. How do I create codes of my own?

You can generate QR codes by using an application or a website. Let's start by generating a code from your smart phone's application, since that's what we've been working with so far. Open your QR Reader for iPhone app, and click the square QR code button in the bottom left corner. That will take you to a screen that has links to all the QR codes you've scanned with that application so far. On the bottom toolbar, hit "creator," and you'll be taken to a screen like the one below:



From there, it's just a matter of picking which kind of code you'd like to generate. Once you click on your desired code, you're taken to another screen that prompts you to type in your information. For instance, when I click Create "Web URL" code, I'm taken to a screen that asks for a web URL. All I have to do is type in the URL, click "create" in the top right corner, and you're taken to your new code. To share it with others, click "save" in the top right corner. I always click "share QR image" and e-mail the image to myself before I do anything else. That way, I have the image on my computer to put on websites (or use for blog posts!). You can also share it on Facebook,  Twitter, or Tumblr; save it to your photo album; or copy it to your clipboard. Once you share it, users must scan the information using their QR reader-app of choice, and they're taken to whatever information you'd like them to see.

Easy as that.

You could also generate your QR code online. There are so many QR code-generating website out there, but the ones I use most frequently are GoQR.me, Kaywa, and Kerem Erkan. I think the first two are the most simple to use, but they lack all the features that Kerem Erkan's generator has.

No matter what code-generating website you choose to use, all you have to do is find the correct form to fill out (are you linking to a website? a Google map? a specific tweet? just a block of text?), type in the requested information, and watch as the website does all the hard work. Once you generate the code, you can save it to your desktop or share it on your social media websites for others to start reading your code. 

Some of the websites listed above also allow you to change the color of your QR code. I've read that colored QR codes grab attention more than black QR codes do, so, while it's not mandatory, you may want to consider playing with the colors of your codes.

FYI:  I would caution you against generating a QR code with a negative image or inverted colors (the white parts are black and vice versa) because I've read that QR scanning applications have a hard time scanning them. But other than that, it seems like any color is fair game!

Here's a nice purple QR code for my TeacherGarden Twitter:



Here's another purple code that links to my Teachers Pay Teachers store:



If you really wanted to spice up your QR code and make it look a little bit prettier, you could run a Google search to come up with a couple of websites that might be able to help you. I've read that 30% of the QR code is actually unecessary -- meaning, if up to 30% of the code was gone, users could still scan it successfully -- so you could actually take out some of the code in the middle and put in a picture of some sort. I'd definitely recommend testing the code before you pass it around, though! :)

Vicki Davis over at Cool Cat Teacher has some more explanation on using QR codes if you'd like to read some more! Read her blog post by clicking here.

I created a new blog post on 1.11.12 that lists many ways to use QR codes in the classroom. Read the blog post by clicking here.

Check 'em out and tell me what you think!

Licensed for use from iStockPhoto

QR Codes (Quick Response Codes) are just barcodes. There is nothing fancy about them.

Just like the grocery store clerk uses barcodes to look up the product and scan the price into the computer, your mobile device or computer can look up QR codes to:

• take you to a website, 
• read some text, 
• give you a phone number, or 
• generate a text message.

QR Codes are barcodes of information that hardlink the physical world with the online world. They are considered a form of simple augmented reality.

QR Codes in the Classroom
For the classroom teacher, they are valuable for three reasons:

1. They can save us time.
2. They can save paper.
3. They provide a link to mobile devices that help students do their homework and follow along.

Back in March, we discussed QR codes in our Lesson in Simple Augmented Reality. We used them extensively in our eighth grade portfolios this year and it has cut assessment time in half. Many of you have asked that this post be written to help you on your journey.

This Post.
This blog post is divided into three parts. First, you have to be ready to use QR Codes, then you have to teach the students. Finally, we learn seven ways QR codes are being used in the classroom RIGHT NOW.

Barcode is read and converted to URL

Preparing the Teacher to Use QR Codes

The first step of a teaching journey is to embark on learning it yourself.


Step 1 Get Your Mobile Device Ready: Download a Free QR Code Reader


On my ipod Touch, the fast, free i-Nigma 4 QR code reader is the most robust of the five or six tested. It is useful on the iPad - just enlarge the screen (the low rez actually speeds browsing.)

Step 2: Get Your Computer Ready.

If you have a computer with Adobe Air, and a webcam get the  Adobe air QR Code reader by following these set up instructions.

Step 3: Learn to Generate QR Codes
Using Kaywa's Free QR Code generator or the Firefox plug in Mobile Barcoder (which lets you right click on a link) type in a website name and generate the code. Start with your school or class website. If you have your reader on a mobile device, you can take a picture of the code on your screen and test it there.

First select the type of information you want to encode. Then, type that information in the box. You can right click on the barcode and copy it onto your computer as I did in my lesson, or you can embed the QR code using the HTML code.

Step 4: Copy the QR Code onto your computer
If you want to use the code in a document, download your QR code by using the right click in your PC browser. In Firefox it is "Save Image As." Once on your computer, it is a picture that can be put into presentations, graphics, and blog posts.

You are ready. Be prepared for typical problems as you prepare your assignments.

Common QR Code Problems

Readers

•  Lighting
  
  Problem: Glare from light on a shiny page protector or front of notebook, particularly on webcam-based qr codes is a problem.
  
  Solution: Sometimes you have to take the qr code out of a shiny sleeve.
  
  
• Shadows
  
  Problem: While grading in the den with a spotlight while the family was watching a movie, I had a problem with shadows.
  
  Solution: Adjust lighting or move your head out of the way so the barcode can be evenly lit.
  
  
• Slow Reading.
  
  Problem: PC Readers are not as fast as readers or loaders of content as mobile readers.
  
  Solution: Use the PC when you need to go to full websites that will take a while to load anyway. If you're just checking links use the mobile version.
  
• Mobile Websites Don't Show All Features.
  Problem: When used on a mobile device, many websites (like Ning) will take you to their mobile-enabled website which may leave out the item (like a blog) that you need to assess.
  
  Solution: Look at the bottom of the page for the "view the regular version of this website" link. I recommend this if you're on an ipad, in particular.

Code

A crumpled code is hard to read.

• Folded or crumpled code.
  
  Problem: At first, I had students print, cut, and staple their codes in the corner of a page. If the QR code is not flat, there can be issues.
  
  Solution: Flatten it with your finger but consider teaching students how to have them be part of the printed document.
  
• Unreadable Code.
  
  Problem: When screenshots are used, or when a code is placed too close to the edge of a paper and the printer will not print it - the readers will not scan the code. The whole code must be there.
  
  Solution: Students should test their codes. This is part of doing a good job. If it is unreadable it is unusable.

How to Teach QR Codes

Step 1: Homework Assignment
I ask students to download a FREE QR Code reader onto their device as homework at least 3-4 days ahead of time and pair students who don't have an ipod, ipad, or smart phone with those who do. Let them find and pick the code.  (You could ask them to go through their magazines and find a qr code to test.)

Step 2: Lesson Preparation
Go to Kaywa's Free QR Code generator (above) and encode the four types of things into at least 4 QR Codes. For a larger classroom, you'll need more. Print them and tape them on the wall.

Include some funny videos, the phone number for the school, a text message that says something like "You Rock Because You Can Read This" and an SMS pretending to be from someone like Justin Beiber.

Step 3: The Lesson
Start the lesson with a simple statement.

"QR Codes are barcodes for information. Using your free QR code reader I want you to figure out what kind. You have 7 minutes to figure out what is encoded in these secret messages taped up on the wall. Go!"

Step 4: Learning to Use QR Codes
I then have the students go back to their computers and pull up their last blog post. I teach them to take a screenshot of the post and paste it into Microsoft Word. (We include their four best blog posts in their printed portfolio.)

Then, we use Kaywa's Free Free QR Code generator to create the code and insert it in their document. We test it. Because it links to our private Ning, it will take them to a username and password screen which they enter. Then, they can see their post.



7 Uses of QR Codes in the Classroom

1 - CoverPage for Portfolios

I have my students write one summary blog post including hyperlinks to everything they have done for that period of time. For the eighth grade portfolio, we do have printed copies of many items that they save to use as reference during high school. (A sample MLA paper, instructions on creating MLA papers, proofreaders marks, etc. as well as their best of work.)

Their cover page has a QR Code on it. I can snap a picture on whatever device I need and have their summary post up on my screen in less than a second. The summary post includes hyperlinks to everything they have done online.

2 - Anything I have to assess online.
If I have 3-4 online items in a week, I have the students generate QR Codes and put them on ONE piece of paper and turn that in on Friday. Assessment is a snap and I can take pictures and use them.

3- When I want them to use an app
I would like to be 1:1 ipod touch or iPad at some point. But, for now, I share free apps with the students and try to find the Android, Blackberry, and iPod/iPhone equivalent. Put a picture of the QR Code for each of those on the Powerpoint Slide and show it on the board. The students can take a picture of the Code for their device and be taken to the app download screen immediately.

4- Take them to a website from a PowerPoint slide
If I'm using a PowerPoint and want them to go to any website, I always put the QR code on the slide.
(This needs to be standard practice at all conferences.)

5- Take them to a website as we are surfing.
Add Mobile Barcoder to your Firefox web browser. When you go to a website and want your students to follow you there on their mobile devices, you can use this handy add on to generate and show the mobile barcode on the screen. Just make sure that the link you are encoding is near the top of the screen, sometimes if you generate it low on the screen, students cannot get a good photo on their camera.

6 - Encode Homework.
This is a new one I'm testing. I don't give a lot of homework, however, if I have some things I need them to do, I can encode the text and tape it up onto my assignment grid. They can snap a picture and put it into a text program of their choice. I'm not sure whether I'm going to end up keeping it as an SMS message or text file, but for now, I do it as a text file.

If I've written a blog post assignment, this is simple as I just encode the URL, they snap the picture and can mark it on their mobile device.

7 - To Hardlink and Remember
Our trophy case is FULL of trophies and state championships this year. We've just won state boys and girls track, team tennis for girls, state runner up tennis for boys and are hopeful about baseball. We've got movies of the assemblies and things. I'm encoding these and putting QR codes on the bottom of the trophies linking to the YouTube videos -- for posterity. Eventually, we might put them in small plastic picture frames in front of the trophies, but most of the adults aren't quite ready for that yet. (See more on hardlinking.)

In Summary
It is a fact that students ARE using cell phones to cheat. However, they used paper and pen before cell phones.

I think we should just take cell phones out and have them on our desk at all times. When it is time for the test, they put their cell phones in a box on the teacher's desk and get them back afterwards. Let's harness the elephant in the room instead of pretending he isn't there. Cell phones and mp3 players provide us valuable links to the pockets and minds of the students we teach and qr codes are a great tool to leverage that connection.

QR Code for this blog. Try it!

Augment - "to enlarge or increase" Wordnetweb.
Augmented Reality(AR) "describes the enrichment of the real world with the virtual.

hyperlink - "a link from a hypertext file to another location or file; typically activated by clicking on a highlighted word or icon at a particular location on the screen"
hardlink - a link from the physical world to resources and information in a virtual world (definition mine)

Fashion: Augmented Reality App Adds EBay Layer

We are moving from a world of hyperlinks to hardlinks as the web moves from the computer screen to the world around us. We've experienced the convergence of technologies with one another. Prepare as technology converges with your coffee mug, stapler, the papers on your desk, and your real life everywhere you go. Welcome to Augmented Reality. Don't be afraid, the concepts are pretty simple.

Augmented Reality 101: How Do we HardLink the Physical World to the Virtual World?
Simply put, we can add information from our Web onto our physical world in several ways:

#1 Using GPS Coordinates
Called "location based" - this has not only given us GPS units with turn by turn instructions but it has given us "location based apps" like Foursquare and Gowalla. Facebook has now enabled location-based check ins.

Turketom's photo stream - Flickr - Some rights reserved.

Most location based app games still required "check in" where the user clicks and states a desire to log their location either privately or to share with their friends. After testing many of these apps over the past two years there is definitely a private way to use these. Don't equate location based with "stalker" - you can do it well. The fear here is when people use this in an uneducated way.

There are some cool apps that overlay twitter "bubbles" on the real world as you see where the people are who are tweeting. You could see a street scene, for example, and bubbles saying what they are tweeting through your cell phone's camera.

#2 Using Image Recognition
This can be divided into two basic subsets: object recognition and the use of coding systems.

Object Recognition
I've used Noogle Noggles for my iTouch and it is pretty good at recognizing things that are technology related. In theory, you could snap a picture of an object and it would be "looked up" and we'd find out what it is. I've found this image recognition app works well with technology items like my remote in my room or a bottle of elmer's glue but things like shoes don't work.  There are some cool search engines like tineye.com that are making progress with image recognition but this has a way to go.

Coding Systems
Barcodes on Packaging
 My Grocery IQ app uses the barcodes on packaging. When I run out of my son's favorite Teriyaki Beef Jerky for the thousandth time this month, I can scan the barcode and it puts it on my list (again.) This is incredibly useful for shopping.

If I absolutely HAVE to buy a hardback book, I always use Redlaser (it works with QR Codes to) to find the best deal on the book by scanning the teacher's barcode on the book. (Our page numbers need to be the same as theirs!)

QR Codes
The "quick response" codes are the little codes that have me incredibly excited. I am requiring a QR code on the front of their paper portfolio this year that is a link to their online efolio. I can snap a picture with my cell phone or webcam and go right to the website.

When my eighth graders made their toondoo, I had them turn in the toondoo for display and then include a QR Code in the top right corner (they just put all this in Word) so that others could comment online with their mobile devices.

What are QR Codes? QR Codes are just barcodes. You can make them for free using services like the Kaywa QR Code Generator and can encode four types of things:

• URL's or a website 
• Text
• A Phone number
• An SMS Message

I'm incredibly excited about QR Codes and am already using them any time I display student work or have them turn in portfolios. My favorite QR Code app is i-nigma.

RFID Tags
These "radio frequency identification devices" are mostly for retail and asset tracking applications, this lets you do an instant inventory using a "radar" type of application. These tags send back their location. Eventually, it is said that you'll be able to walk out of a store and using this technology your debit card will be charged and your buggy will be rung up. There are some schools who are using this (albeit with privacy concerns) to track people and the location of students who are problems.

How can this be used?

Multimedia Overlays
Called the very first movie in "the Outernet" this Augmented Reality location-based movie gives us a glimpse into not only entertainment but how our field trips could be augmented with some amazing apps that add layers or experience on top of learning environments like museums or historical locations.



History Among Us

The Augmented Reality Trophy Case.
For example, a use that we came up with when we did our Augmented Reality Lesson plan with my eighth grade keyboarding class was that we could take our school trophies and have a QR code linking to a video about winning that trophy. So, for example, when one stood at a trophy case, they could see our State Literary or State football trophy from this year and link to our Youtube Channel about winning that trophy! Trophy cases would no longer be dead dusty trophies that no one remembers but living breathing stories.
Simple Quiz and Practice
My friend and QR Code Expert from down under Mr. Robbo the PE Geek uses QR codes that he's printed and put on a skeleton in his health class. So, as the students are reviewing the bones on a skeleton, they can snap a picture of the qr code to check themselves.

Layers of Learning
Foursquare announced layers some time back with the first two by the Independent Film Channel and the Huffington Post. Stephen Anderson (@web20classroom) and I had a long discussion about this last summer at ISTE and even reached out to Foursquare and Gowalla about helping us create a privacy-rich layer for K12 education. Anyone who will listen including the Smithsonian and Discovery have been people that my friends and I have talked to about location - based learning.

At some point, someone will "get" the potential for this educational layering with a heavy emphasis on locking down user identity and location and we will have educational layers upon our planet. A trip to the park or parking lot could turn into a rich learning experience where we carry our resources our phone and become untethered to the unnatural environment of the classroom.

Learning will be unleashed.

Will this be the end all be all?
Of course not. No technology is the salvation of mankind, I mean, come on. However, this is an incredibly IMPORTANT technology. Important enough for me to put lesson plans on augmented reality into every class I teach and make my school a foursquare location. (See our homepage!)

Keep them Safe by Educating Them
The BIGGEST reason to teach this is that Facebook has enabled LOCATION BASED check ins and kids can now send their location to several thousand of their friends. Now that, my friends, scares me.

I'd a lot rather them be on Foursquare with twenty well chosen friends and locked down privacy settings than on Facebook with 1,000 friends that they picked indiscriminately.

They also need to understand where the web is heading so they can make career decisions and have a method for decoding technology change.

How do I teach this?
I generate QR codes and put them all over my room. From the Old Spice Guy to the Hammer Dance Flashmob to funny text messages "You rock, you read my QR code! How dare you! ;-) to the school's phone number.

I have them go on a QR Code Scavenger hunt with the purpose of decoding how many types of things you can encode on a QR Code reader. I give them a one week warning to download a FREE QR Code reader onto their cell or iPod and get in pairs (so everyone can use it.) I share all the content I've given you here to help them understand augmented reality.

Why do students need to understand this? 
So, for those of you who need simple reasons to take new technologies to your curriculum directors and administrators. Here they are.

• Facebook has enabled location based check in (part of augmented reality.) They need to know how to be safe. Understanding augmented reality will help you.
• Foursquare is today where Twitter was three years a go, in my opinion. Learn it. (Many report that Gowalla is more fun so try it too.) They can understand something before it happens.
• It can be very useful for teachers who need to link printed papers to online material. It makes going to those URL's a snap and provides a permanent hardlink to their work.
• You can now engage those nature-based and bodily kinesthetic learners. We started with geocaching but now we can use apps to do the same thing in more realistic and meaningful ways. The classroom is moving out of the classroom. 
• You can link your classroom to your online content. If you have online materials for them to study later, put a QR code up on that smartboard and let them snap a picture to study later on their iPod Touch or smartphone.

I hope you share in the comments what you're doing with QR Codes, there are certainly many experts inthis area that I've cited already.