How argh you doing, friends?
This week in 1st grade, we are all about pirates as we begin a study of /r/ controlled vowels. We kick of the week with (The Inspired Apple) Abby Mullins’ Learning /ar/ with Pirate Mark. We did a dramatic reading of Pirate Mark, went on a classroom treasure hunt without our larger-than life map, and during skills, we practiced using our –ar words with a board game. My cooperating teacher has done it for a few years and I am so glad I’ve had a chance to learn! Today, though, we knocked it out of the park. Like seriously, rocked out the learning and technology and engagement. EVERYONE was so excited. Katie King, Queen of the 1st Grade Jungle, introduced me to QR Codes and now, I am pumped! So, today we went our first –ar Sentence Hunt using QR Codes!!
QR codes are square barcodes that allow you to embed and read text, audio, video, or web links for FREE! To ‘read’ QR codes, install a QR Reader (for free) on your Android, iPad, iPhone, or Blackberry device. Then, with the reader on, hold your picture-taking device over the QR code until the text, video, audio, or website opens on your screen. It’s that simple!
My brain is overflowing with ideas for its use. Here are just a few…
- Place comprehension questions (using text, audio, or video) at the end of the chapter or a book or better yet…have students create a video or audio summarizing a chapter or book, sharing a favorite moment, or describing a character, create the QR code, and save it to your mobile device. Rather than carrying home stacks of paper, just grab that device and waalaa!
- Have a sub? No worries! Record your voice giving directions for centers or stations and place that QR code at the ‘just-right’ place in the room. Then, students can scan the code and see/listen to you directions! Want to encourage or motivate a specific student, the same idea applies but place the QR code in their desk, book bag, or notebook.
- Want students to have experience doing online research but you are not comfortable with them roaming the internet? Use QR codes to embed the website they can visit for resources. They scan the code and are directly linked the page/website you intended!
Wow! Wow! Wow! I am so excited. But…back to pirates. Today students had their first exposure to QR codes. They wandered the room with a clipboard and iPad looking for codes. When they found a code, our friends scanned it and read the sentence. Each sentence was missing an /ar/ word. Our friends the decided which /ar/ words belonged in the blank (there was a word bank on the learning log) and recorded it on their log! This was a fantastic way to introduce procedure for scanning the codes (i.e. hold the iPad with 2 hands, keep the iPad as still as-a-first-grader-can when scanning the code, never remove a hand from the iPad, set the iPad down before writing your answer….got to love first grade :)) and integrated our /ar/ learning perfectly! (Click below to grab a free copy of this QR /ar/ Read-the-Room)
Goodness! I hope you are excited because I sure am. I definitely be sharing more about QR codes in the future, so no worries. If you would like a copy of the activity, make sure to grab it for free using GoogleDocs. Well, thank you, friends. Do you use QR codes? Are you in love, too?
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I just blogged about QR codes yesterday. I love using them in the classroom! I am actually giving away my QR math games. = )
Jenny
Suntans and Lesson Plans
I just made some QR codes last night as we are going to have iPads (ok, to share with the lower elementary) in April! What reader do you use on the iPad?
That's great, Suzy! We use i-nigma and it has worked so well! So excited to enter into the QR world! 🙂
Thanks for the great suggestions about QR codes. I am just starting out with them. Love the idea about using them with a substitute!
Amy
Eclectic Educating
OH MY GOODNESS, YOU READ MY MIND!!! I have Abby's "ar" unit and I used it last year. I was actually thinking about doing this exact same thing with QR codes and iPads this year instead of finding the words around the school. We did a word hunt right after Christmas with the iPads, and the kids loved it! I can't believe you thought the same thing- and did the work for me! Thanks! I guess I'll just have to make another QR code hunt with something else. 🙂
Erica
Blooming In First
Yay – how perfect! Glad I could help, Erica. It was my first QR hunt and it went so well. My firsties are already asking for another. Want to create an -or hunt for next week?? Just kidding… 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by!
I just may have to get that together for you! 🙂 I definitely want to make a few for my students. They loved them!
Great minds think alike! I blogged about how we use QR codes for word work centers. Thanks for sharing!
Sarah
Laughingwithlane.blogspot.com
Great ideas!
Recommend you check dynotag.com for smart QR codes you can change the contents of any time you want.
Unlike standard QR codes, Dynotag smart tags provide you with a QR code you can use and change the information in the tags you own from the comfort of any web browser, simply logging into your account.
This way, you create a dynotag and post it on your classroom door, and change the content (daily reading list, for instance) without having to repost another code. Plus, all dynotags have a web address – so they can be accessed without requiring a smartphone.
Best of all, dynotag accounts are free, creating new dynotags is also free.
Any questions – drop a line to support@dynotag.com…
I've just started researching activities for QR codes and am super excited to share them with my kiddos next week! I think they're going to LOVE it! And we just learned the "ar" sound this week so your freebie is perfect!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea. Thank you for the inspiration and the freebie! I'll be preparing that for for my first graders to use next week! 🙂
Thanks for sharing, I'm truly inspired! Can't wait to try it out with my students next week. I would like to make some of my own in spanish for my bilingual class.
I am super excited to finally learn about using QR codes in the classroom. Thanks for sharing your fabulous ideas. I can't wait to try it out. Thanks for the freebie! I'm your newest follower 🙂
Colleen
Totally Terrific in Texas
I really want to try using QR codes in my class!! Thanks for the post and freebie.
I am your newest follower!
secondgradealicious.blogspot.ca
Great Post. I found you through the forums when someone had a questions about QR codes and thought I'd see how you use them too. I love them, my kids love them,,and now I'm starting to get other teachers to use them.
I actually try to use them for visual literacy too, getting kids to understand exactly what they are seeing (when it comes to photos, images, websites, and more).
thanks
matt
Digital: Divide & Conquer