QR Codes, Part Two

so, the kids were pretty rapt with the qr code; even my juniors, when they saw it, wanted to scan it and see what it did as well. i was thrilled to have them so interested in something going on in an english classroom. however, it wasn't without its bumps.

firstly, if the kids didn't have an android phone, they didn't have an app store (or, at least, not an icon labelled "app store" or "app market"). however, most of them had downloaded apps in the past, and knew how to get about it, and then we shared bluetoothing the links to each other so everyone could participate. i explained to them how when i chose my app, i used my laptop to see others' reviews of each app before i decided on which one i would d/l for myself, and encouraged them to do the same.

then came the next problem. most kids don't have plans. they spend their $10-$20/month on a text-only top up. that means that while they could d/l the app, they couldn't actually go to the site and use the flashcards on their mobiles, which was the intention ("class in their pockets"). one boy announced that in the course of d/ling the app (at home) he had burned through his whole month's top up - bound to be a telecom phone, that one!

so...if the kids can scan qr codes, but can't actually visit the site it leads to, how helpful is the qr code in engaging them? something more to ponder.

in related news, i found a whole bunch of qr codes on car mags my husband had brought home from the states last month, and our local paper had one last week in an ad, and so did the cinema! they are certainly getting everywhere.

what did you do last week?

uLearn11

another great conference behind us, and the best thing is that after 3 very long terms, and virtually no break these holidays, i am totally stoked to get back to school next week!

there's nothing better than getting out there with like minded peers and sharing ideas. not being much of a creative thinker myself, spending time talking with and listening to others is an important facet of my own learning and teaching.

as i said to the delegates in my own session: take away ONE thing you're going to give a go. i'm practising what i preach, and my one thing this ulearn is QR codes.

@dakinane gave the session i attended, and he said we would be surprised at how easy it is. boy, was i! i've already prepared my "mission" (traditional word: homework) for this week, with a QR code for my level 1 students. the link is to the online flashcards i created last week. i'm hoping that the non-traditional delivery

of homework will lead to further engagement with the material, as they have really struggled with language features. (nb: flashcards designed specifically for my class, and often refer to things we've discussed, just fyi).

Are YOU Going to uLearn11?

are you a secondary teacher? are you in an ICT cluster? then you are likely going to ulearn11 in rotorua next month, and boy, are you lucky! ulearn is a fantastic conference, with a wide variety of workshops to choose from and wonderful things to hide your credit card from in the vendors' room. (go ahead, get something. i have to be frugal because i just got new toys.)

ulearn is great in that it will recharge your batteries, give you a great helping of motivation, and turn you on to some of the things you can do to help engage your students with your subject. however, there's a caveat. secondary teachers quite often have the opportunity to attend a conference and experience some elearning, and then...get back to the craziness that is high school and ncea and it all goes to waste.

this year, however, you have a better opportunity. that closed door that is "no term 4" is now a window - an opportunity for you to practice your new skills and perhaps implement one or two things into your planning for next year, while you have some quieter time with the seniors gone.

the trick is this: don't try to do everything. go to the conference, experience all of the amazing, happy-to-share-everything teachers there, have a good play with all the tools, and then focus on, say, ONE thing you think you could add in starting at the beginning of the year. this thing could be as simple as changing your planning from pen & paper to a google doc you can share with your students & parents. or a wiki or website where you can share resources with your students. the secret is not to make it some earth-shattering, "i am going to be the #1 eteacher!" change in your teaching. adding in e's is like weaving, bringing in a thread of red here, a tad of green there. it is not throwing out the whole cloth and buying a plastic poncho. remember, IT is a tool for you to put into your repertoire, not the whole toolbox. look, i started out with just a mrs faulkner bebo page where i posted quizzes and study links for students (remember when bebo was all the rage?). it grows from there.

and please, make yourself known to other secondary teachers. i have created a group for secondary support on the community site so that we can help each other and support each other in our struggle to keep up with our primary brethren. i know there are several other secondary teachers who are experienced eleaders who will be happy to meet you and help you on your way.

have a fantastic time - i can't wait!

kelly

uLearn09 - Wrapup

Well, we've been back at school for nearly 2 weeks now, and I am keen to get my boys in a lab to try some things, though this will likely have to wait until the seniors go on study leave. I've used my nifty little video camera a LOT, and I can't tell you how much nicer it is for that process to be so much simpler! Before, I had to 1. finalise video 2. upload to converter 3. convert 4. drop into shared folder 5. unfinalise video 6. format video. Now all I have to do is 1. upload directly from camera usb to shared folder! The boys couldn't believe it either: that they could go make a fast video and be editing it not only on the same day, but within moments!

As promised to the participants at my breakout session, the powerpoint has been uploaded to the ulearn site at Core-Ed. There are detailed speaker notes you can follow along if you print, but beware of the page numbers - you may wish to tell your printer to use B&W only.

Cheers,
Kelly

ULearn 08 in Christchurch, NZ

Am currently sitting in a web 2.0 session at uLearn08.  some exciting stuff.  don't know how much of this will be viable for me in the classroom, due to blockage issues.  what to do about that?  how do you handle your school's web blocker?