QR codes

Smart phones and iPads and Macbooks, oh my! These are just a few of the forms of technology that have taken over the present. Items such as flip phones, desktop computers, and even digital cameras, are considered part of the past and are rarely seen. In short: if it doesn't have wi-fi or Bluetooth capabilities, and it can't contain endless amounts of quick access digital applications you "need" (email, camera, music, "flappy bird", YouTube, etc.), then it's old.

One of the many perks of "smart technology" today is that it takes technology "of the past" and makes it portable and easier to access. QR codes are an app that can be found on an iPad, smart phone, or even on a laptop, and can contribute to efficiency. What makes it different from a standard barcode (which can only be read with a barcode scanner) is that a QR code can be read with any device that has a QR reader application.

In education, QR codes can be helpful to share content with students, through a teacher's webpage or it can be used to have students do further reading while working on a worksheet.

Above is a QR I created via qr stuff, an online QR code generator. In order to access the information, a QR reader application on a smartphone or an iPad can be used to read the code and connect directly to the piece of information attached to it.

The code above will link to Mission: Biomes, a NASA affiliated website with descriptions of seven different biomes. Students can use the information from the QR codes to complete 1 of 3 projects: a website and a brochure, a biome model, or a play.

In a school where technology is limited, the project can be done in groups, where there are enough groups per device. In a school where technology is prevalent, the project can be done individually, where each student can use their own device. In the end, students can present their projects to the class, where all students will be able to learn and review about each of the biomes.