Kids Looove QR code Centers! I use them for both Literacy and Math because they are so engaging and they can be self-checking = big time-saver! They work on pretty much any device, including chrome books. On an iPad, you simply go to the camera, point it at the QR code and a link to the content will pop up in camera. On some devices, you may need to download a QR code Reader App. No worries, there are many free ones in the App Store.
I do realize that everyone is not super tech-savvy, and this post is going to be a little heavy.... but read on for some ideas at least, and if you're not comfortable with creating some of these on your own, (or rather you just don't have time :P), you can click on each picture and it will take you to similar items in my TPT store. You can also search around TPT for similar products.
Without further ado, here's 3 ways I use QR codes in the classroom... all of my best tips and tricks!
1. Listening Centers:
I don't know about you, but I love children's literature! Like crazy, insane, garage-sale shopping maniac, want-to-collect-them-all love. Sometimes, in the every-day routine, it seems like I just can't fit enough books in! So that's why I created a QR Reading Response Center. Kids grab some headphones and an iPad (or other device), scan the QR code, and listen to the read-aloud. After following along, they complete a writing prompt, which I create to go along with each book.
I recorded all my own read-aloud videos to keep it consistent, but you could of course find read-alouds on YouTube or elsewhere.
Because I didn't want my students clicking around on YouTube, I used Safeshare.tv, a service that removes all advertisements and suggested videos. It's easy to use, but it does have a small subscription fee if you upload over a certain number of videos. After you have found some good videos and added them to your Safeshare account, copy the shareable link to the video you want and use www.qr-code-generator.com. to create the QR code (there are several other free QR websites, that's just the one I use). Paste your link in, click to generate a QR code, and download it. Once downloaded, it will be a .jpg file, and you can copy and paste it into Word, PowerPoint, or whatever program you use to create your content.
2. Informational Text Journals
This is really similar to the fiction Listening Center, except that instead of creating individual writing prompts for each book, you can just create one long response journal. Kids write the topic as the title on each new page and then write facts and/or explain what they learned after listening. My kids love this! There is something really exciting and rewarding about working toward filling up a Response Journal.
3. Self-Checking Math Centers
Okay, let's talk about this from the teacher's perspective.... major, gigantic, x10, time-saver! Because there's no need to check student's work! Students solve the math problem on each task card and record their response on a recording sheet. Then they use the iPad or other device to scan the QR code at the top of the task card and they can check their answer. My Kindergarteners love this and can do this independently. Here are a few pictures of my Ten Frames Center and then I'll briefly walk you through how to create one.
I'm sure there are other ways to do this, but I use Google Slides. You need a gmail account to create, but students do not need an account to scan the QR code and view the answer. You need some specific settings in Google Slides in order for that to work... I'll explain.
First, create a Google Slide for each answer. You can either upload fancy number clip-art, or simply type a number into a text box. I prefer number clip-art because you can get really crazy!
Once you're happy with your design, change your slide's sharing permission to "anyone on the internet with this link can view." This will enable anyone who scans the QR code to view the slide, no sign-in required. (make sure it's set to "can view" and not "can edit"). After changing your slide's permissions, copy the shareable link and head over to www.qr-code-generator.com to generate and download some more QR codes. Create task cards in Word or PowerPoint (or whatever you use). I usually find 4 cards per page is a good size. Copy and paste the QR code leading to the answer you want on each task card.
That's it... 3 ways I use QR codes in my classroom! Hope you found it useful. If you have questions or comments, feel free to leave them! I'd love your feedback.
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