What are QR Codes and how do you use them?
QR Codes are a quick and easy way to provide access to a website (or other content) using a mobile device.
On your mobile device, you will need to have a QR Code Reader. The QR Code Reader that is included on all of our WRDSB iPads is called Scan. When you open Scan, you will see black corner frames on the screen. Hold your device in such a way that the QR code you wish to read is aligned inside those corner frames. Once it is in place, Scan will automatically read the code - you don't need to push any button to make this happen. If the QR Code has been set up to go to a website (this is the most common way to use a QR Code) - your device will automatically go to that website!
How do you create a QR Code?
There are many, many QR Code generators, with a variety of features. I am going to suggest 3 here - one for its ease of use, the second for its ability to edit codes, and the third for its option to create visual codes!
1) http://goqr.me - this one is very easy to use; here are the steps to creating your own QR code
2) http://delivr.com - my favorite feature of this generator is that it allows you to change the address to which the QR codes directs you without having to change the QR code itself! (which means you could put up several QR Codes around your classroom and leave them up all year and yet change the site that the code takes you to! What a great time saver!)
3) http://www.visualead.com - jazz up your QR Codes with images!
QR Codes in the Classroom
QR Codes are a quick and easy way to provide access to a website (or other content) using a mobile device.
On your mobile device, you will need to have a QR Code Reader. The QR Code Reader that is included on all of our WRDSB iPads is called Scan. When you open Scan, you will see black corner frames on the screen. Hold your device in such a way that the QR code you wish to read is aligned inside those corner frames. Once it is in place, Scan will automatically read the code - you don't need to push any button to make this happen. If the QR Code has been set up to go to a website (this is the most common way to use a QR Code) - your device will automatically go to that website!
How do you create a QR Code?
There are many, many QR Code generators, with a variety of features. I am going to suggest 3 here - one for its ease of use, the second for its ability to edit codes, and the third for its option to create visual codes!
1) http://goqr.me - this one is very easy to use; here are the steps to creating your own QR code
- go to a website that you'd like to share with your students, or other audience
- to to http://goqr.me - choose the URL tab and paste in the URL you copied
- you will see the QR generated right away! - you can adjust the size of the QR image by using the slider directly under the QR code
- if you want to print your QR Code, you could choose either Download (which downloads the image to your computer desktop, where you could open and print), or Open (which opens the image on a separate screen which you could print)
- if you want to embed your QR Code, choose <Embed> to get the code
- there are editing options by selecting Options and tons more information about QR codes if you scroll further down on the page
2) http://delivr.com - my favorite feature of this generator is that it allows you to change the address to which the QR codes directs you without having to change the QR code itself! (which means you could put up several QR Codes around your classroom and leave them up all year and yet change the site that the code takes you to! What a great time saver!)
- go to http://delivr.com
- you can simply paste in a URL and a QR Code will be generated (like goqr.me above), or ...
- if you choose to sign up for an account, you will receive more features, including the ability to save and edit all the codes that you generate - I recommend this!
- once you are signed up and logged in, go to your Dashboard, choose the URL you wish you edit, choose the Edit button and you will see that you are able to redirect the code to a different URL simply by pasting in a new URL - nice!
3) http://www.visualead.com - jazz up your QR Codes with images!
- go to http://www.visualead.com
- follow the instructions to choose the URL and upload an image to be used to create the code
- you will need an account to save and edit your code
- what a great way to personalize your codes with school or class logos, images that correspond to the content, etc.
QR Codes in the Classroom
- add QR Codes to your bulletin boards providing quick access to websites with related content
- add a QR Code on your classroom door that sends visitors to your classroom website
- create your classroom calendar using Wordpress or Google and post a QR link to the calendar on an announcements bulletin board
- create a classroom To Do list, or set of instructions on a Google Doc and post a QR Code to it
- have a QR on display when your students arrive in the morning with a link to a 'Morning Starter Activity' - great way to get personal devices out and being used productively right off the top!
- create a link to a Padlet (see last week's Idea of the Week) using a QR Code
- create a link to any Web 2.0 app you are using in the classroom using a QR Code
- GO GO QR!! Have fun!!
