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

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

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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 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