QR Codes and Augmented Reality

 QR Codes

 

Geralt. (2016). QR code. Pixabay. CCO.

 

I love QR codes! What a fun way to engage students and get them interested in a lesson or a book.  This QR code is linked to a video of  a book trailer that I created for Wonder by R. J. Palacio.   I love the ides of embedding a QR code on the library website with videos of student book reviews or student book trailers.  Students can get really excited about reading books when they are presented in a fun way by their peers.

Librarians can use QR codes the first week of school as a scavenger hunt so that students can get familiar with the library layout and the routines and procedures.  QR codes for the scavenger hunt can be linked to things like how to check out a book properly or a poster showing how to use the library catalog. 

QR codes can be used in the classroom or library to give students self-checking assessments.  Students can be given a worksheet or activity and they record their answers in a notebook or on a separate piece of paper.  After they have recorded their answers, the teacher can five the student an answer key with QR codes.  Students use the QR code and a phone/tablet to check their answers and grade their own work.  This would definitely be a fun way for students to check their work and less grading for teachers.

QR codes are also a quick and easy way to get student directly to a link you want them to view.  They can make research projects much more simple, especially for younger students.  Instead of giving them a long web address or letting them freely search on a search engine, they can use a QR code to go directly to a teacher-approved website.

Finally, QR codes provide a great way to differentiate.  They can be used in stations, and a different QR code can be provided to different groups that link to assignment of varying levels.  Each code can be linked to an activity working on a similar skill, but the difficulty level can be altered to accommodate the specific learning styles of each student.

Augmented Reality

 

Sndrv. (2010). DIY Augmented Reality. flickr. CC BY.



 



Although I can think of a number of cool ways to use QR codes, augmented reality was a little bit more difficult for me.  I'm not sure if I quite have my head wrapped around all of the possibilities for this new technology.  I think students would absolutely love to create and use this in classroom applications such as:

• Using pictures of famous Americans, we could input different pieces of text that tell about the notable qualities of each person that the students need to know
• Scanning scenic pictures could show words in a different language to assist someone who is trying to learn a new language
• When studying compound machines, scanning a picture of a machine could help students to identify the simple machines that have been used to make it a compound machine

3D Printing, Coding, and Robots

3D Printing:

When I first heard about 3D printing, I thought it was only for high school students in affluent schools.  Boy was I wrong!  What I love about 3-D printing is the ability to create something and have an end product that can be held and is not confined to a piece of paper.  Students could use 3-D printers to create artifacts from digs around the world, print miniature aqueducts when studying ancient Rome, and print models of tropical plants so the parts can be compared to indigenous plants.  To embrace creativity, students could write descriptive paragraphs for imaginary creatures.  They could then design the creature using a program like Tinkercad and print out a model of their creation.  3-D printing is truly applicable to all areas of study!

Coding:

Who wouldn't be in favor of teaching our students something that's going to help them be better thinkers and problem solvers?  I think it's great that coding offers us another way to get students to work on something and then have to go back and fix it.  I'm always a fan of good old 'trial and error'; but I find that unless there's a big reward in the end, my students often give up too easily.  Coding would offer that reward!  Can you imagine how excited they would be if they could get a little robot to move by themselves?  Now, that's empowering.  I'm excited to the opportunities that we have available for us in teaching.  The games and toys are mentioned in Cool Products for Teaching Kids How to Code look like they would be fun for even the youngest children. 

Robots:

Okay, now robots are cool!  Who doesn't love Bumblebee and Optimus Prime, Johnny 5, R2D2, C-3PO, and WALL*E?  However, they're not real, right? Wrong!  These totally awesome creations are making their way into our lives.  Now, they aren't not the famous ones that we see on television and the big screen, but they are impacting our lives in real ways.
I would love to have my own Musio to talk to and interact with.  He is just too adorable.  He was created to interact with students trying to learn a new language, and that is a wonderful idea.  Musio also reacts to what he hears and formulates conversation, giving a person much needed feedback with the fear of judgement.  Teachers always struggle to find enough time for each student.  Robots could eventually help teachers provide differentiation for students.  Students could practice basic conversation or practice vocabulary.

Citations:
Tahnk, J. ( April, 2015). Cool products for teaching kids how to code [The Huffington Post]. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeana-lee-tahnk/neat-products-for-teachin_b_7138030.html

Presentation tools

There are so many choices for presentation tools and digital storytelling.  I remember about seven years ago being amazed by PhotoStory, and there have been wonderful advancements in presentation software since them.  It is so easy to become complacent with just using Powerpoint that you don't take the time to look and see what else is out there. 

Blendspace would be a fantastic tool for a lesson or giving a presentation.  What I found to be interesting is that fact that you can incorporate videos, text, and images by simply dragging and dropping them right on the program.  You can label each element as you go.  Usually, when I want to show a series of videos and text, I spend time trying to remember where this document is saved and them waiting for the link to load.  I really liked how everything was in one, interactive place.  This could also be great for a group presentation.  We could upload pictures and videos taken of our Sphero assignment when we come to the Summer Institute.

Slide.ly is one of the easiest presentation tools I have used.  You simply import the pictures, download the music, and presto!  You chose which photos you want to use and the order the photos will appear.  Instead of searching for music, all you have to do is type in a song and the program finds it for you.  How much easier could it be?  This option would be the quickest to create a presentation and would be easy to use for a group project. 

Haiku Deck is another presentation tool that really impressed me.  This site has the same mentality as Reynolds from our textbook in that simple is better.  Only a few lines of text are allowed on each page.  This tool is also great to use full size, full-bleed photos.  The templates of Haiku Deck really emphasize the presenter is the main focus and to not clutter each slide with too much information.  This tool would be a great resource to use in the classroom to get students to understand how to make an effective presentation and focus on public speaking and "telling a story" instead of reading information off of a Powerpoint slide. 

Emaze is my favorite tool this week.  This is a much more dynamic presentation that Powerpoint, designed full of interactive elements.  You can incorporate Powerpoints into this program as well as include music, sounds, etc.  It is much more lively than other programs and is a way to document group work. 

Video Websites

Animoto
My favorite video website was definitely Animoto.  This site was easy to use, and it offers many templates, songs, and images.  You may also use your own music or photographs.  The ways to utilize this site in the classroom or library are endless.  I would definitely like to use this site to create a video to play on a back to school night to welcome my students and parents to my classroom or library.  Additionally, I also think it would be a great resource to create an end of the year video to say goodbye to the students as well as honor their achievements and remember the memorable events that took place during the school year.

Using this site would also be a great anticipatory set.  Teachers can create a short video to introduce a lesson or unit.  A video is a great way to get students excited and intrigued about what they are going to learn.  At the same time, students could also use it as an exit ticket to show what they learned from a lesson or unit.  Another fun activity, especially for the library, would be to have students create a 'book trailer' of their favorite story to get their peers interested in a variety of books. 

Here is the video I created using Animoto:

https://animoto.com/play/97GsoODSE8JnYTfOenf4SA

Powtoon
Powtoon was another great website.  It offers fun animations and simple drag and drop templates and images.  Like Animoto, this website would be a great way to introduce yourself or introduce a lesson.  It would also be a fun way to go over the rules, routines, and procedures of your classroom or library on the first week of school. 

Students can also use Powtoon to create digital presentations instead of using PowerPoint slides.  For example, students can create a project on a famous historical figure using Powtoon.  Images and links can be embedded into the animation slides so that students can use additional research information as well as the features offered in Powtoon to create a fun, interactive presentation. 

PixiClip
PixiClip is a video website tool that is also an interactive whiteboard.  You can embed images, draw using the tools, and even create screen recordings.  This is a great tool for teachers to use to narrate solving word problems, creating a diagram, and many more possibilities.  Students could use this site to create and record an exit ticket of what they have learned after a lesson.  Teachers could also use it to create recordings for remediation purposes for their students.  Instead of the teacher having to repeat themselves as they go over the steps to a problem, students can watch the narrated video on PixiClip. 

Library Website examples

This week we are looking around at different school library websites to get ideas to create our own.  I found 2 good examples of websites using Weebly.  Weebly is a highly recommended tool which appears to be user friendly.  You choose your layout and design using other elements as you build your webpage.  I will keep you informed if it is as easy as it appears!

One website that I particularly liked was The Lowe Elementary Library.  Here are a few things that I enjoyed about this site:

• The website is well-organized.  I liked that there was a section for the students.  They would know where to go to find the tools that they need for their research.  There is also a section for the things that the librarian has taught throughout the school year.
• I thought it was a good idea to highlight the things that the school has done to promote reading.  There are also links to the Summer Reading Challenge to get students excited about reading.
• There is an avatar on the home page that has an animated voice.  Using a Voki avatar is something we've just learned about in our class. 

 

Another website that I liked was the Newbury Elementary School Library Media Center.  The more I explored these sites the more evident it became that most librarians present their sites in an organized and easy to follow manner.  Here are some highlights:

• I loved how the librarian used a photo of the READ banner that is hanging in the library.  It is an inviting way to showcase the library and the website.
• There are many links to popular authors' websites.  Eric Carle, Robert Munsch, and Mo Willems are some of my favorites.
• I thought it was a good idea to mention books that are new to the library on the homepage.  I think students are always interested in "What's new!"
• The webpage seems to be kept current.  Summer reading lists are an appropriate thing to find on the website at this time of year. 

Audio tools and Podcasting

Audio tools

I had a great time playing around with the tools in the sandbox this week.  Vocaroo is very simple and easy to use.  I think that this would be a great tool for teachers and students.  Teachers could use this tool to create a welcome recording and send it out to parents and students before the first day of school.  Teachers could also record themselves calling out word study or vocabulary words and post it on a class website so that students can have access to them for a practice spelling test.  Students who have access to this site at home could record themselves reading words or passages to enhance fluency so they can hear themselves and send the recording to their teacher. 

Voki is fun website to use.  It offers a ton of avatars to use along with your voice recording.  This would be a great "getting to know you" activity for students to do the first week of school.  Many of the students are hesitant to share information about themselves, especially in front of their peers.  Using Voki, students could create an avatar and do a voice recording talking about some of the things they would like to share with the class.  Sudents could also use Voki to create character monologues.  It would be a great wany to explore different points of view and make connections to characters and text. 

My favorite website this week is Blabberize.  Students could draw or search for an image of a famous historical figure and use a recording of their own voice to present facts and information from a first person point of view of the historical figure.  The funny mouth template could make it a very entertaining presentation. 

Students could also create cartoon videos from their own drawings.  This would be a very intriguing activity for those that love comics and graphic novels.  Here is a clip I made using a picture:

McGuire-Day, J. (2016).  Image modified from: Munro, D. (23 May 2015). Dog [photo].  CC BY. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/dmunro100/24465058356/in/photolist-DgTPuY-7NKW5G-EkbUo


Podcasting

The Let's Bet Busy Podcast  is by a librarian!   Matthew Winner is an elementary school librarian that provides this weekly podcast.  He interviews authors, illustrators, and others that are in the field of books.  The podcast episodes are at varying lengths and include answers to questions that apply to teachers, students, or parents. 

I would use this podcast for my library when doing book talks or author studies.  Many teachers bring students to the library to check out books related to an author, genre, or topic they are studying.  I would add episodes from the podcast to these presentations so that they can hear the actual author or illustrator speak.  I know from past experience that students are interested in books when they are book talked and adding the actual author audio might take it up to the next technological level!

Infographics

In researching infographics, I came across A high schooler's reading history.

Gross, S. (2013). A high schooler's reading history. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/infographics-students-reading-history-sarah-gross

I love the idea of having students complete their own histories as readers.  I used easel.ly to create my own. The website was easy to navigate; and since the templates were ready-made, it was just a matter of choosing what would work.  I chose the walkway template because it mimicked the original.
At first, I had a difficult time.  The formatting seemed very sensitive.  If I tried to move things around, some of my other images or text boxes would disappear.  After awhile, I began to get the hang of things. There were not a lot of choices as far as adding clip art and shapes, however, the choices that were available were easy to use.  It was also simple to upload images into the infographic and adjust the font type, size, and color. 

McGuire-Day, J. (2016). My road as a reader [infographic]. CC BY-NC.

 

Citations

B3OK. (26 December 2008). Superfudge [photo]. CC BY-NC-SA [original from Doty, R. (1980)] Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/b3ok/3138709684/in/photolist-5MmH3d-7VhRqb-9uCcPe-5JDyzH-

Brown, J. (23 February 2012). Where the wild things are [photo]. CC BY [original from Sendak, M. (1963)] Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/hermionish/6777117190

Christensen, K. (7 April 2007). One fish two fish  [photo].  CC BY-NC-ND [original from Seuss. (1960)] Retrieved from  https://www.flickr.com/photos/subcow/445796490

Grover, A. (21 February 2009). The giving tree- my favorite book as a child [photo]. CC BY-SA [original from Silverstein, S. (1964)] Retrieved from  https://www.flickr.com/photos/arvindgrover/3297013755

Imarsman. (8 April 2005). Charlotte’s web book cover [photo].  CC BY-NC-ND [original from Williams, G. (1952)] Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/imarsman/8803606

Lawford, H. (3 March 2015). 100 books famous in children’s literature [photo]. CC BY-SA. [original from Dr. Seuss [book cover]. (1957)] Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/herry/16521631058

Menj. (21 December 2005). The lion, the witch and the wardrobe [photo]. CC BY-ND. [original from Lawrie, Robin. (1950)] Retrieved from  https://www.flickr.com/photos/menj/75875398

Shepard, E. (7 July 2011). Tales of a fourth grade nothing [photo]. CC BY-SA. [original from Doty, R. (1972)]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/63852305@N02/5913486502/in/photolist-a1yavQ-qRC6i5-77e1dd-8RzaBM-nMhxLJ-9k3nPv-mDX7gv-mDYQ3J-mDWMJk-aRzqgt-5o8BfX-p6DpCB

Sloan, S. (31 May 2014). Green-eggs-and-ham-cover [photo]. CC BY. [original from Dr. Seuss. (1960)] Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/43181281@N05/14130147050

Williams, G. M. (27 December 11). The hobbit [photo]. CC BY [original from Tolkien, J. R. (1937)] Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/45909111@N00/6582274097