Students Scanning Their Ways to Success :: QR Codes in the Classroom ::

Years ago, few educators were familiar with these...

ARTICLE_-_QR_codes.png 

Even I, as a young up-and-coming educator myself, had to think hard before remembering what exactly those little white and black bar codes were called. What are they called, anyway? Oh, that's right, QR codes!

QR codes, as defined by Google Dictionary, are a "a machine-readable code consisting of an array of black and white squares, typically used for storing URLs or other information for reading by the camera on a smartphone." In other words, they are an image that is essentially the same functioning thing as a bar code that also happens to serve as a link or URL. 

What could such a thing have to do with education? Before this spring semester, I truly had no idea. Recently, though, a friend and I discussed how one teacher in particular implemented these well into their classroom. Yes - a QR code in the classroom.

One creative way this previously mentioned teacher implemented these nifty bar codes was via a scavenger hunt. With QR codes scattered all across the room on varying objects, students were able to use their iPad's or smartphone's to discover what each object was in Spanish. Paired with technology usage both through the QR itself and the smartphone/iPad, students were undoubtedly engaged in the assignment. The results? Exceptional! 

Friend, learning another language can be difficult and is a timely process no matter how it is learned. But including engaging activities such as a scavenger hunt with cell phones included was most definitely one way that helped increase a group of student's knowledge of Spanish. Not a Spanish teacher? Me either, but I am already thinking of various ways I could include this in my social studies room!  

Watch the following TED talk on QR Codes in the Classroom, today!

VISIT HERE TO START MAKING CODES NOW :: ScanMe . Com

The World of Assistive Technology :: A Look Into Special Education Devices

Just a few years ago, the phrase "assistive technology" would not have meant a thing to me. Even now, seeing that the very word "assistive" has yet to be added into spell check, I wonder if I  have transcribed it correctly or if I am simply using the wrong word. The reasoning? The whole idea of assistive technology (AT) for those with special needs whether in special education classrooms or not, is a newly developing field. In light of that, I hope to quickly expand upon a few different resources teachers can now use to close this gap the realm of education (especially SPED) has seemingly overlooked until recent decades.

One of the most simple yet most helpful pieces of assistive technology many classrooms are now providing students with special needs are alternative input devices. Including everything from large-text keyboards and electronic pointing devices to wands and touch-screens, students can have access to technology that greatly enables the visually impaired, physically impaired, and those with attention difficulties.

alegri / 4freephotos.com

What was formerly inaccessible on computers for those with poor eye-sight or physical disability, has now become available. Thus, as teachers, we must relentlessly seek to first find the needs in struggling students. Secondly, we must meet the need. Being aware of things such as these alternative input devices could be a great place to begin.



A second set of useful assistive devices to be aware of as a teacher would be text-to-speech (TTS) devices and word processing devices. Through these resources, students presently with an inability to express themselves in word or with difficulty in understanding others, higher need students are now capable of overcoming each.

     A link for TTS devices: Kurzweil Ed Systems.
     A link for Word Processors: Writer Learning Devices

In full, I must say that this brief introduction to assistive technology is indeed brief. Though I exposed the importance of the need for the devices themselves and a few types of them, there are many more to be aware of as teachers. As we each long for every student's success, researching things such as this remain to be very important to meet any and every need put before us. Follow this ensuing link to understand better the various devices available out there today:

     National Center for Learning Disabilities, Assistive Devices

Watch the following video to hear one cool story about AT being a success, as seen in the life of Elle:

The Integration of Video :: American History :: Holocaust

As a middle school student, I distinctly remember watching Schindler's List.

Bold, based upon truth, and heart-wrenching, this 1993 film strongly moved me. That humanity could be so cruel was truly unbeknownst to me beforehand. With that in mind, I must thank my social studies teacher again and again for the early exposure. It revealed to me not only truth of humanity past but a passion to learn more.

The catch? The teacher hooked us with a real-life topic, introduced it via content, continued it via the video, and maintained the interest by looking deeper into the Holocaust topic and doing assignments based off of it.

Too often in the classroom teachers lose student interest by talking about same-old-same-old. But as a future teacher myself, I have an opportunity to make important engaging topics that are about life and the reality of it an essential thing. That said it will be my hope to do so.

If your students are struggling to get engaged - to have passion for their learning - lead them down a path where that may change. For me, it was an exciting and real-life type movie. Consider integrating reasonable and intentional films, today!

A Trip to the Holocaust Museum is another idea, a wonderful place I have visited 3x!

Here is a link to Schindler's List: Amazon:: Schindler's List (feat. Liam Neeson)

Image Citation: Wheelock, Andrew. washingtondc037.jpg. November 2005. Pics4Learning. 28 Mar 2014 <http://pics.tech4learning.com>

The Integration of Drama :: American Civil War :: Technology?

The most distinct memory as a 4th-grader that I have was when we studied, acted-out, and tested upon the American Civil War. The beauty of this teacher's creativity was that it stuck in my poorly-remembering-of-a-mind far better than I ever could imagine. Furthermore, it translated to an interest in the American Civil War that remains today.

All Rights To :: http://openclipart.org/people/j4p4n/civilwarbattle.svg ::

The trick? The teacher instigated a multidimensional lesson:

1. She began with her learning goal, which aimed in the general direction that her students would be able to understand and analyze the American Civil War. 
2. She instructed first through lecture, involved each of us in class readings, and found interesting primary sources.
3. She sparked our minds-interest further by building up this great "acting-out" of the Civil War that we were going to do once instruction on the topic diminished. Encouraging each of us to research the war, find outfits, and patiently wait to get selected to a certain side, we all eagerly looked forward to it. 

Subtly, we were taking cue after cue she through at us and REMEMBERED what we heard. In full, it worked beautifully. Test scores were undoubtedly above-par for each one of us.

How does such a tail of my history potentially impact future studies on US History in the educator's realm via technology?

Building up students interest through involved hands-on webquests, recorded dramas, or presentations of sorts really can work. In the same way as my 4th-grade teacher's plan, we as teachers today can use our technological understanding to better our students, too!

For further ideas, click here: CivilWar.Org Teacher Resources