I have been working with students in the library on choosing good books. Many students who quit books before they finish, don't always spend much time previewing before they decide on a book. They get excited about one thing they read or see and then jump in, only to find that the book isn't what they had expected. I am working with them to take more time to preview. There are so many great new ways to preview with the tools available today. Kids can listen to podcasts, can learn about the writing of a book from the author, watch book trailers, and more. I want my students to know all that is out there around a great book.
As you may know if you read my blog, I am newly obsessed with QR Codes. After reading Jeff Utecht's blogs post that explained the codes, I carry my iPhone around hoping to find one everywhere. SLJ also ran an article on the uses of QR Codes in the library. I love the student written QR code review on the sidebar of the article. I think if kids know what is possible, they can begin to create these.
I created the above sheet of QR Codes to go along with Barbara O'Connor's new book The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester. Each QR Code takes readers to a different place--the video book trailer, Barbara O'Connor's website, the publisher page for the book, and a blog review. I think the sheet of QR Codes will allow students to have quick access to sites around books that I may share or book talk. Rather than searching for reviews or typing in URL codes, students can get right to the sites with QR codes. This will give them experience finding lots of information on a book, visiting sites they might want to go back to. In time, they can begin to create QR codes of their own book reviews as well as sites around books.
QR Codes are a little trickier at the elementary level because most of our students do not carry smart phones with them. But we do have access to a few iPods with cameras and I am looking for a desktop QR Reader that works well with Mac. I want my students to have their eyes open to these QR Codes in the world.
Seriously, you're my hero. I love this!
ReplyDeleteWell, wow! Now I have something new to learn. I had never heard of QR codes until someone Tweeted about one for one of my books.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for this. Now I've got to go teach this old dog some new tricks.
Oh, I love and want to play around more with this. Thank you! After you posted about this before, I ordered myself a button of my blog's QR code (will I really wear it?) and it just came yesterday! http://www.barcodeart.com/store/wearable/qr_button/index.html
ReplyDeletePutting many QR codes on one page for students, linking them to all kinds of relevant information around one book or topic is a great idea. And it's full of old-fashioned scavenger hunt fun too! A.
I chanced upon your blog and your interesting post. What a fantastic tech-forward idea! Students will love it and will surely encourage and motivate them to read.
ReplyDeleteEdna
http://readtomesugardee.blogspot.com
I use an app called QR Reader with isight on my mac laptop. After a quick google search I'm pretty sure this is where it came from. You may like to try it.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dansl.net/blog/?p=256
"As you may know if you read my blog, I am newly obsessed with QR Codes. After reading Jeff Utecht's blogs post that explained the codes, I carry my iPhone around hoping to find one everywhere. SLJ also ran an article on the uses of QR Codes in the library
ReplyDeleteI know. Those codes are amazing. Very interesting that they are incorporating them into the library system.