A few weeks ago, I came across a strange shaped icon on a billboard at the bus stop. My immediate response was…something else to learn! Thanks to Mrrobbo, I now have some information on what they are – Quick Response codes - as well as how to use them in my lesson planning. With the help of a mobile phone with a built in camera, I will be able to engage students in learning experiences that allow me to take technology to the student. So often students know more about technology than they experience at school. QR is new in daily life. It is easy for the students to implement and utilise in their classrooms. Some students may be familiar with it, but many will not be yet. What a fantastic opportunity to put education in touch with technological advancement and for students and parents to see school work as being current and relevant. The opportunities are endless. The treasure hunt idea Mr Robbo mentions would make a lively collaborative lesson – either online, outdoors on in the classroom. Better still, students can be the designers and generate learning experiences they can share with their peers.
The question often goes out “Why would you use this technology over traditional learning experiences?” Why can’t the answer just be “so we can teach students how to use and create with technology”? I want my students to feel that school is teaching them about their world, not that it is behind the times.
