Classtools' QR Code Treasure Hunter

This could be a suitable game for kineaesthetic learners, essentially learners who are constantly on the move and simply cannot sit still. Fancy an afternoon of running around the school looking for posters stuck with QR Codes and scanning in the QR Codes with a tablet to reveal questions online? After doing so, learners key in their responses to the questions online using the tablets.

This is what a student will typically see on their smartphone/tablet after having scanned in the QR code.

Here's how this can work.

1. Submit!
Input a series of questions and answers using QR Treasure Hunt Generator.

2. Create!
Get a QR code for each question.

3. Display!
Put the QR codes around your school.

4. Begin!
Students find and answer the questions.

A case study can be found here.



Links:
1) Refer to QR Treasure Hunt Generator for implementation
2) Search for 500 most recent quizzes from 500 Most recently created quizzes using the QR Treasure Hunt Generator
3) Using QR Codes in the Classroom

My Own QR Code

After viewing the latest visual QR codes, I decided to create my own QR codes recently. QR Codes are essentially ways to link to content online using a QR Code scanner. They are great for promoting and marketing. Look at some of these designs below.

Some of the really beautiful visual QR code designs can be found at VisualLead Designs

Starbucks QR Code

AVON Cosmetics QR Code

I was quite amazed by the versatility in design by visualead. Unfortunately as I am only using a free version of the Visual QR Code, it is not ad-free. Both however do a nice job of redirecting to my blog when I tried using my QR Reader on my iphone.

Look at my 2 creations below.

1. VisualLead



2. QRStuff

Edshelf - Your perfect search engine for educational apps

Not sure of where to find an app that meets your needs? Go to https://edshelf.com/ to type in key words to search or explore their Collections for specific apps.

You can also write a review after using a listed app by becoming a member.

Read through members' reviews to find out usability and functions of the app.

Some of the collections that I most frequent are:

Adaptive Learning
Classroom Management
Computer Programming

Game Creators

Backchanneling and Informal Assessment Comparison Chart

On the topic of back channelling and informal assessment, here's a link to 9 useful tools for gathering feedback and learning from students as suggested by Richard Bryne from freetech4teachers

9 Popular Students Feedback Response Tools

The problem with 1:1 Computer Programmes

I was just reading two related articles on technology integration in the classrooms with the use of 1 to 1 tablets. A very interesting read about how Technology Integration may fail without the proper management of these critical success factors. We all know that Apple apps are interesting and engaging in the classroom, however the LAUSD iPad experience provides valuable learning lessons for us. 

Besides the bidding process, the planning and implementation of the LAUSD iPad also ran into amok. 

Some questions for us to ponder about before a TI. 

1) Visioning - was the vision communicated well and clearly to all stakeholders? 

2) Top-down strategies - was it a case of top-down call or were there programme owners who OWNed it? 

3) Training - how comfortable are users with the platform? is a one-off training adequate? 

4) Control versus Risk-Taking - do we trust our students enough that they will use the platform for educational purposes or are we imposing so many restrictions on them because we are afraid that they will hack into our systems?

5) Parents' Concerns - how do we address parents' concerns and insecurities of using technology as a replacement for pen and paper homework?

Read the 2 articles here:
1. The LAUSD iPad Initiative: 5 Critical Technology Integration Lessons
2. Engaging Parents with Tech Initiatives

We Are Teachers

A very useful resource on lesson plans, resources, posters and community of teachers. Go to We Are Teachers

Here's one of the posters by Paul Reimer on Mathematics.

For more posters and printables, go to the tab on Lessons & Resources >> Classroom Printables

Teach100

Yes!!! I've finally got my blog ranked on the Teach100 site. Very humbling start at rank 727. I do hope that as time goes, I will be able to push up the rankings of my site. Here's to the start of educational technology and transformation in the sunny island of Singapore as I fly my Singapore flag uphigh.

See it over here? That tiny flag of ours?

Back channelling and Exit Ticket

Wouldn't it be great if there was a common space for teachers and learners to meet online and communicate while a lesson is going on? The concept of back channelling is largely similar to an open and transparent platform for reflection after a workshop/lecture/lesson. It allows participants to share their takeaways.

The backchannel is the conversation that goes on alongside the primary activity, presentation, or discussion. It extends conversations beyond the classroom, and gives all students a voice.

One of the questions that I have as a teacher is how do I assess how much my students have learned or have they really understood? One way to capture this is to set up a backchannelling platform online and give students Quiet Time to reflect on their learnings. From the comments posted, I will be able to assess their learning and address their misconceptions or reinforce their schema in the next lesson.

Another way of using back channelling is through the use of an exit ticket. An exit ticket strategy can help participants process new concepts, reflect on  information learned and express their thoughts about new information.

For more ideas on how to creating a back channel exit ticket, check out Silvio Rosenthal Tolisanao's video.

A great tool to use for this purpose will be TodaysMeet.

Matt Miller has 20 suggestions on how to harness TodaysMeet. Check them out here.

55 Quiz Makers and Polls from Classroom Aid

Classroom Aid's list of 55 quiz makers and polls. Some of these applications such as Edmodo, Kahoot and PollEverywhere have been tried and tested by me.

Click on the link below to find out more.

Learn from Code.org

Check out this tutorial from Code.org.

20 Puzzles to programming the Angry Bird game.

Quite fun, ain't it? Makes programming fun and less daunting! Comes with interface screen and code screen.

studio.code.org/hoc/1

The Hour of Code

You've heard of Earth Hour, but have you heard of the Hour of Code? Code.org has launched the Hour of Code event internationally aimed at spreading computer science education to 100 million students across the globe. It will be held on Dec 8 to 14 of 2014. Corporate bigwigs like Mark Zuckerberg, John Doerr and Rich Barton have all contributed to this cause by donating a collective 1.25 million to crowdfunding website - Indiegogo.

Watch this interesting video below with keynote comments by Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey on What Most Schools Don't Teach.

Read about Hadi Partovi on why he started this initiative. He noted that there has been more computer science jobs than there are graduates. He feels that his home country of Iran and United Kingdom lead the United States in terms of providing a computer science education. In the United Kingdom, computer programming is an integral part of the school curriculum. Everywhere else, part of the world needs to catch up.

Well said indeed, most of my Computer Engineering and Computer Science graduate friends have long since relinquished what they had learned in school and taken on jobs in other fields of business, insurance, finance and many more. 

I remembered that when I was 16, the World Wide Web became my window to the world. I was one of the few students in my class to have Internet access in 1997. I created and updated my very first Geocities website that year and learned HTML code by reading up from www.w3schools.com. The possibilities were limitless - I created a personal homage website, a class website and even a full-fledged e-commerce website with shopping cart facility.

You'll learn from the Hour of Code event that computer programming is accessible to all and is suitable for anyone ages 4 to 104+.

Check out the event, tutorials and how you can contribute at http://csedweek.org/

For tutorials on how to create your first Angry Bird or Pac Man programme, go to Khan Academy for free lessons.