It's been a while since I last wrote about QR Codes. Last year (and somewhat this year) QR Codes were a hot topic in the classroom. At many of the conferences I went to there were sessions dedicated to the use of QR and how kids from Kindergarten to college were using them.
While the conversations are not as loud, I do believe that QR can be an easy way to access information. And really the QR codes themselves are not revolutionary. They are just black and white squiggly squares. It's where those squares take you to that matters.
If you don't remember or don't know, here is a quick explanation of what QR Codes are.
So in that classroom, the codes were an easy way to access bookmarked websites for a center activity. With the influx of tablets and cell phones with cameras into the classroom, this use is great for the classroom. Some websites are tough to type in and even a short URL can be mistyped so this is sorta a fool proof way to communicate that information.
You can go back and read this post or this post to find out more about how teachers are using QR Codes in the classroom. I also have some great apps for your phone or tablet and how you can scan the codes from your desktop using a document camera.
Over the past year there have been some new sites or some "new to me" sites and resources I wanted to add to my list.
QR Voice- This one that is interesting. When you visit the site you can create a QR Code from your voice. The site uses text-to-speech to create text-based QR Codes. So students could do a ticket out the door or be able to post feedback to other student projects or send anonymous information.
Delivr- On the surface this looks like a simple QR creator website, and it really is. But the beauty in this site is in the free registration. When you sign-up you get the ability to track the number of scans (which is pretty cool) and you can change the destination of the code on the fly. So lets say you create codes for your school that when scanned take folks to a video of your school. Well if you have to update that video and repost it you probably will get a new URL. And if you create a new URL you have to create a new QR. Not with Delivr. You create the code once and if you need to change the URL you can do that.
QR Stuff-There are lots of free QR code creators out there but it will be tough to find one that does as much as QR Stuff. Not only can you create codes for URLs but how about when the code is scanned is an automatic "like" on Facebook. Or what about a QR code that opens an iTunes podcast feed. Or a code that when scanned makes a Skype call. You can set codes for emails, text messages, directions, the list does on and on and on. And you can change the colors and size of your codes and print them on shirts, coffee mugs and more.
QR Code Scavenger Hunt Generator-This is an easy to use (and free) site that will create a series of QR Codes for you to use in a scavenger hunt. Codes are created for questions and answers. You can see this post by one of the most awesome media educators out there, Gwyneth to see how she used a scavenger hunt with QR in her media center if you are looking for ideas.
There are 4 more resources. You can find these and more in my QR Code for Educators Livebinder. In it you will find lots of sites, apps, tools and ideas for using QR Codes in the classroom.
Happy Scanning!
You can go back and read this post or this post to find out more about how teachers are using QR Codes in the classroom. I also have some great apps for your phone or tablet and how you can scan the codes from your desktop using a document camera.
Over the past year there have been some new sites or some "new to me" sites and resources I wanted to add to my list.
QR Voice- This one that is interesting. When you visit the site you can create a QR Code from your voice. The site uses text-to-speech to create text-based QR Codes. So students could do a ticket out the door or be able to post feedback to other student projects or send anonymous information.
Delivr- On the surface this looks like a simple QR creator website, and it really is. But the beauty in this site is in the free registration. When you sign-up you get the ability to track the number of scans (which is pretty cool) and you can change the destination of the code on the fly. So lets say you create codes for your school that when scanned take folks to a video of your school. Well if you have to update that video and repost it you probably will get a new URL. And if you create a new URL you have to create a new QR. Not with Delivr. You create the code once and if you need to change the URL you can do that.
QR Stuff-There are lots of free QR code creators out there but it will be tough to find one that does as much as QR Stuff. Not only can you create codes for URLs but how about when the code is scanned is an automatic "like" on Facebook. Or what about a QR code that opens an iTunes podcast feed. Or a code that when scanned makes a Skype call. You can set codes for emails, text messages, directions, the list does on and on and on. And you can change the colors and size of your codes and print them on shirts, coffee mugs and more.
QR Code Scavenger Hunt Generator-This is an easy to use (and free) site that will create a series of QR Codes for you to use in a scavenger hunt. Codes are created for questions and answers. You can see this post by one of the most awesome media educators out there, Gwyneth to see how she used a scavenger hunt with QR in her media center if you are looking for ideas.
There are 4 more resources. You can find these and more in my QR Code for Educators Livebinder. In it you will find lots of sites, apps, tools and ideas for using QR Codes in the classroom.
Happy Scanning!