QR Codes for Authentic Reflection

I always wanted to make my own QR codes to use in my classroom. My assumption was that it would be a difficult, time-consuming task for me to set up for my class. I was wrong!

I was looking for activities for my students to inquire into perspective and the different interpretations of a performance. The only way I have done this in the past is by everyone sitting in front of an interactive whiteboard watching the same video clips at the same time. This, of course, would spark discussion but then eventually the students would come to a similar understanding of the same perspective/reaction to a video. I wanted to avoid this as much as possible so I dove into QR codes.

It was a lot easier than I imagined. I Googled “QR code maker” and clicked on the first link. All I had to do was search YouTube for the videos I wanted, copy and paste the link, and the QR code maker website did the rest. I downloaded the picture of the QR code and added it to my document for the students.

I then wanted authentic reactions, as opposed to the inevitable same perspective if we all watched the videos together. Each student had an iPad and a set of headphones. I hid the QR codes around the room and attached to them was a graph for students to show their own perspective on the video. Responses were varied and a lot more authentic. I made sure to include an “other” column in case they had a different response.

As each student finished all eight QR codes around the room, I told them to choose their favourite. They were to rescan it and watch the other videos YouTube recommended to them because they would probably like them too.

At the very end of the lesson, we compared all of the responses as well as spoke about which one was our favourite. I felt that going through this process individually really made them think more about which one was their favourite. As predicted, their responses seemed to be a lot more individualised and genuine, with a wider range of responses.

Lesson learned: dive in! Sometimes it is easier than you think, and the students’ results are much more authentic.

 

Cindy Kaardal is a Canadian teacher abroad who has worked at International Schools in Europe and the Middle East and is looking forward to a move to Asia in 2018. Besides teaching in 1:1 iPad classrooms, she has worked as Head of Computing/ICT in multiple schools (one seeking Apple Distinguished School status), an IBPYP curriculum coordinator, and school-wide tech integration/planning teams. She enjoys helping others integrate technology authentically into their classrooms, promoting creativity, independence, and responsibility. You can read more of Cindy’s tips at http://innovativeinquirers.weebly.com/ Follow Cindy at @innovative_inq

 

 

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