iDevice in the Mountains: QR Code Book Talks with Mobile Devices

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

QR Code Book Talks with Mobile Devices

One use for QR Codes in the classroom is to do a fun spin on the old book report. Students write up a "Reading Rainbow" style book talk that they will then record as a podcast. For this project the teacher used Audioboo.

Audioboo allows up to 3 minutes of recording time with their free accounts and creates an online location to make into a QR code. Audioboos can be done online at their site, or downloaded as an app on both android and apple devices.

He allowed students to bring their smartphones or apple devices to class to do this project, which resulted in quickly having all 28 students recording themselves in quiet locations around the school. All students logged into the classroom account and were able to record simultaneously.

All audioboos are then available under "My Profile" on the audioboo website which makes for one collection point for all their recordings. Using the URL from the Audioboo students then created their QR code using the site: Kaywa QR Code Generator

They cut and pasted their QR code on to a shared google doc for the teacher to then print out. With younger students, teachers may want to do this step for the students.

Using the master document of QR codes, they were then cut out and added to the front cover of book that the student reviewed. This was arranged to be done with the library books in the library.

Of course, some students may need to understand what the crazy black and white thing is that is suddenly appearing in the library so a small poster was created: QR Code Library Poster

We use i-nigma QR Code Reader which also comes for both android and apple devices as our suggested reader as students in this school are allowed to use a variety of mobile devices, and this one seems to work well.