QR codes in the classroom

Recognize this little black box? Did you already whip out your mobile device and scan it? For those of you who have seen these little black boxes on virtually everything now, but are unsure of what they do, they are called "QR codes" (quick response codes). They are linked to websites, documents or pictures that the person, who made the code, wanted to have access to. They are great for instant advertisement, but can these be used in education.
The answer is yes! Over the last few months I've seen a roll out for iPads and mobile devices in the classroom, especially in the younger grades where manipulation of a tablet is a plus. By scanning these codes, students can have quick access to a websites, text documents,

I think this would also be a great ice-breaker for educators at a meeting. They can type in some quick information about themselves into a QR generator, print out the box and learn a little about their fellow teachers.

Here's a fantastic example to see
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/wikipedia_unveils_probably_the_coolest_qr_thingy_e.php


From the internet: http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
For the iPad/Ipod: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/qr-reader-for-iphone/id368494609?mt=8

Twitter Made me a Better Teacher

Imagine that your fellow teacher tells you that they have a resource that can help you 24/7, is at the touch of your fingertips, and will help you become a better teacher.  Would you use it?
Of course.
I am still new to the Twitter universe.  In fact, it was one of the things I avoided.  I didn't need to constantly know what celebrities were doing every minute of the day.
That was before I went to a conference in Toronto where I learned about building my Personal Learning Network.  After creating a free account, I started "following" other educators in the room.  Then I found a network of teachers that dealt specifically with my interests (technology in education). After connecting with a few key educators, I gained a huge wealth of knowledge (Did you see my Choose Your Own Adventure blog post??-Twitter find).
There are tons of tutorials to help you learn how to use twitter.  The sooner you network yourself, the more valuable you will find this tool for education (yes I said tool).
Here's a few people to start following to get you started.

• web20classroom Steven W. Anderson  
• rmbyrne  http://freetech4teachers.com
• kylepace  

A great chat that is always ongoing is #edchat .

Back Channel chatting

A great tool where students can share ideas and collaborate is TodaysMeet.com.  I first used this tool at a technology conference in Toronto.  While the presenter spoke, many people were commenting or elaborating on was was being said.
Think of the real-time collaboration your class can have with this Web 2.0 tool.  Some quick examples:

• While watching presentations, videos, lectures, etc, students can discuss terms being taught and collaboratively share notes
• Collaborate with another school, invite professionals or while working on projects.
• You will have an instant transcript of your student's thinking and of those "light bulb" moments.

It is very simple to use and doesn't need any email adressess or registration.  You can follow the pictures below to create your TodaysMeet......Today!

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Digital Choose Your Own Adventure stories.

Remember those little white books from the 80's that allowed you choose whether your hero slayed the dragon or ran in fear?  I loved reading "Choose Your Own Adventure" novels when I was young and yes, I cheated.  Like every other kid, I hated dying 20 times before I got the correct solution.

When I introduced this style of writing to my Grade 6 students, I was blown away by the intricate pathways they created (so much that we had to create digital maps to keep track of their choices).  Several of my reluctant writers created 30 page books, weaving tales ranging from WWII to alien invasions!

So why am I telling you this in my virtual classroom? I was recently reminded by a Tweet from rmbyrne ( I recommend following his blog at http://www.freetech4teachers.com/) about using YouTube to create scenarios and story lines.  Enter...wait for it....Online "Choose Your Own Adventure" digital media!!!

By using YouTube's annotation feature, you can link other videos to notes left in the video.  The viewer clicks on an option and is re-directed to your next linked video.

As usual, I've used my virtual classroom contacts, a.k.a. my unknowing family, to recreate a book favourite of mine, James Dashner's "The Maze Runner".  Remember to think all the cross curricular possibilities of this YouTube feature (historical timelines, literacy, how-to vids, etc..).

When playing the first video, you will see the choices pop up somewhere on the screen at the end of the scene.  Unfortunately the annotations won't pop up in some mobile devices that can't use flash (iPhone, iPad, etc).  If you don't see the annotations pop up, try viewing the video through a laptop or desktpop computer. It's also best viewed from YouTube rather than through the blog. You can get there through http://youtu.be/bgOKFE9Z0xs.  There are several choices through the entire string of videos. Enjoy.

Audacity

This is one of my old tutorials on Audacity.  For those of you using Audacity from home, ignore the desktop as it pertains to my school board. I like to use Podbean as my podcast platform when I have finished editing.  You can download Audacity free at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/.


Audacity Tutorial from Mr. Kitchen on Vimeo.