QR Codes in Education Part 1

Create your own stuff, freeware, Resources, Tutorial, ,

My intention when I started writing this article was to show how I was planning to integrate QR Codes in my classes but then I realized that there was much explaining to do before this article served its purpose. I am familiar with QR codes but I wondered if my readers were. For this reason, I have decided to split this post into two.Here you’ll find the theory , and in QRCodes Part 2 (coming shortly) you’ll see some of my ideas to introduce them in the classroom, or rather as homework ,as students in Spain aren’t allowed to bring their mobile devices to the school.

It was not that long ago when I saw for the first time a QR Code . I remember I was in Ikea and thought … what the heck is this? And then I thought … Do I really want to know? And then some time later…. But are they really here to stay?Now, it’s crystal clear to me that QR codes are here to stay and I am only beginning to test their potencial in education.

But what is a QR code ? QR is short for Quick Response (they can be read quickly by a mobile phone)They are white and black barcode squares that can be easily generated and that allow you to encode text , urls, images and audio files among other things – lately they have become more sophisticated as you will see below. Now you can only begin to imagine the possibilities for education.

But how do we generate a QR code?

GENERATING A SIMPLE QR CODE

Nothing could be easier. If you google “QR code generator” you’ll find lots . The ones below are just some of them:
Kaywa QR Code ( it allows you to encode URLs, text (160 characters), phone numbers,sms.   

GO QR.Me  (same as above but it allows you to encode 300 characters)

CUSTOMISING YOUR QR CODE

Now, we all know about QR codes: they are black and white squares, containing encoded data. Boring, isn’t it? Why don’t we decorate and make our QR code more stylish ?

QRstuff is definitely my favourite

VisualLead lets you integrate a QR Code into an image , blending QR Codes with a design or image of your choice

Now , we have created our QR code. What’s next?

GETTING A QR Code Reader

Lots of modern phones can read QR codes but first you need to download a QR reader/scanner. For example , in my mobile I have installed AT&T Code Scanner but there are lots of them you can download for free. For iPhone, Scan is a good one, and for Android there’s QR Droid.

HOW TO SCAN A QR CODE

To scan the codes, all you need is a mobile device with a camera, and a QR code reader or scanner app to interpret the data in the code. Open your QR reader on your phone or ipod and center the QR code within the frame provided and let the magic begin!

Holding your breath for Part 2?

Christmas Decoration for my Classroom and for my Home

General, Students' Corner, ,

Well, folks! With only a fortnight to go before Christmas Eve I can safely say that the holidays are upon us and it’s time to start decorating. Below I have posted two presentations . The first one is for inexpensively decorating our  classroom .Big fun! (I have used the tool  Slide.ly , which I highly recommend because it’s free and easy to use).  In the second presentation I have included ideas to decorate the house and to dress our Christmas tables.Hope you like them! And …a big thank you to my students ,who have enthusiastically helped me decorate.

 

 

Classroom Decoration by Slidely Slideshow

When English Teachers Retire

General,

Today is Monday and to be honest here, I am not a big fan of Mondays. I’d rather it were  Thursday or if  I push myself a bit, Friday. But today is Monday and there is no way around it. For the past two weeks I’ve marking exams like crazy. I don’t really mind checking Listening or Reading Comprehension tests. I might not even mind marking Grammar tests but when it comes to reading essays I really wish it were Friday or even summer. When I was a teenager at the high school I used to say that if I ever were a teacher I would just not bother to mark exams, up in the air they would go and the ones on the right would pass while the others would fail. But now I’m on the other side and I only wish my conscience would let me do it, but it doesn’t and so I’m stuck with tests and I keep correcting the same mistakes all over again.

Funny cartoon or reality hitting me!

Present Continuous Games

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If you’ve been reading me for some time you’ll probably have guessed that I favour kinesthetic learning.The activities where students take an active part and enjoy while learning are my favourite.I like them getting up and moving around the classroom and I even welcome the noise because they are using English.

And you cannot even begin to imagine how proud I feel when I see that they have been able to overcome their natural shyness at making mistakes and just concentrate on using the language and having fun.

These are two of my favourite activities to orally practise present continuous. Hilarious, trust me!

♥MIMING

I divided the class into two groups Group A and Group B; one student from Group A comes up to the front of the class and is given a card with a sentence containing the Present Continuous, like for example, I am watching TV. The student has to mime this activity and the members of his group have to guess, exactly, the same words written on the card. The student is given one minute to mimic as many sentences as possible.

Suggestions

  • I’m cleaning the house
  • He’s cooking an egg
  • She is dancing in the disco
  • I am playing the guitar
  • He is drinking a coke
  • He is reading a novel
  • I am thinking about my teacher
  • My mother is working now
  • He is walking to school
  • He is painting the house
  • I am studying History
  • I am not sleeping
  • I am playing tennis now
  • She is reading a newspaper
  • She is eating chocolate
  • I am riding a blue bicycle

♥DESCRIPTION OF A PHOTO

For this activity, the students are sitting in pairs, one student facing the board and the other with his back to the board. Using the OHP, a picture of people performing something is displayed. Now, the person seeing the picture has to describe it in as much detail as possible and the other person has to draw the picture. Allow them four or five minutes and then choose the best picture. Below are two of the pictures that I used:

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Word of the Day: crib notes

Students' Corner, Word of the Day,

What’s  a “crib note” in British English or a  “cheat sheet “ in American English?

It is a small piece of paper containing the answers to an examination . The note is very small so it escapes detection and can be easily destroyed or eaten if detection is imminent.

I never thought I would write a post about crib notes, not with me teaching adults, but when you are teaching teenagers this is something you have to become an expert at .Don’t get me wrong here! I am convinced that most teenagers do not cheat  and that it was only  by sheer chance that  in these two weeks of exams I’ve  caught two students red handed .New technologies? No way! The picture accompanying this post is real ,from one of my classrooms: the students used the inside of the curtain to write his crib note. I wonder if I should send the curtain home to his mum to wash it!

I have done some research on the Internet looking for alternatives to spoiling a – if not beautiful- curtain , at least , the only one we’ve got.

I have learned that the most important thing is to be able to conceal the crib note successfully. Now, pay attention , I have become an expert!

♥ Hide your notes under the exam . This is the traditional one but I am going to give you a very important tip. Don’t look at the teacher. This is the most common mistake because it immediately gives you away.

♥ Use a bottle of water. Cut the outside wrapping , glue your notes and glue the wrapping back to the plastic bottle. Please, don’t stare at the bottle for too long or I might think you have gone postal.

♥ Use a cap with the notes glued on the inside. Take off your cap and let the show begin!

♥ Use glasses . Give yourself a rest to rub your eyes and … you know what to do!

♥Use your mobile phone.  Easy, no effort , but a lot more expensive than the rest!

The truth is that if you are going to write your notes by hand  ( in the computer , use Times New Roman font, size 6) you’ll find that you have  accidentally studied and you might end up never even using it.