Moving and Learning with QR codes

I have been asked recently by principals and teachers how to incorporate QR codes into everyday lessons.  That started me thinking about teachers' classroom arrangements, student behavior, student motivation, etc.  In addition to our district's involvement and commitment to the the Let's Move campaign, I thought what better way to get students moving and excited about learning than by using QR codes.

So, what are QR codes?  QR codes are those black and white squares that you have seen in stores, magazines, newspapers, stores and of course, at staff development trainings.  With a QR reader app (I use QR Reader by Scan) installed on your mobile device, you can easily scan a QR code to access websites, text, apps, audio, or video.  On the other end of it, there are several websites that allow you to create your own QR codes.  I use QRstuff.com to quickly and easily create my custom QR codes. Once created, you can download the QR code to use in presentations, send via email or post online. You can even print and laminate the codes if you plan on reusing them.

There are so many activities that we can do with QR codes, but I truly believe when we get our students moving it motivates and gets them excited about learning.  Here are a few ideas to get your students out of their seats with a purpose.

Treasure Hunts (Question Reviews): Classtools.net is a site that allows you to input questions and then generate a QR code for each question.  The codes generated on this site don't require an internet connection, so you can place your QR codes outside and really get students moving. Alternatively, if internet access isn't an issue, use Google slides to include audio or videos in your questions.  Make your Google slides presentation public and use the url to create a QR code.  Cut out each of your QR codes, laminate them and place them anywhere to get students moving. Incorporate GPS coordinates if teaching geography.  Learn about QR codes and the Amazing Race here.

Distribute links via QR Codes: Do you teach little ones?  Our youngest learners usually do not quite have the typing skills to get a url typed into a browser in a reasonable amount of time, so what better way to get them where they need to be a little easier. Create QR codes out of useful links and get students moving to participate at a station/center.

Take a Break: Before class begins or in the middle of a longer stretch of sitting at their desks, create codes that asks questions, or gives them a brain break activity such as those found at Gonoodle.com. This is a great time for them to process what they've learned and gets them on their feet.

There are so many possibilities.  Get creative and get those students moving and learning with QR codes.  Let me know how you are using QR codes in your classroom.