Have you ever used QR codes for the classroom? I’m sure you’ve heard of QR codes, and you may have even scanned at least one in your life. But what if I told you they are wonderful to use in your lessons as well? Ever since Kristin from School and the City taught me how to create them, I’ve been a fan! They can be put to so many uses. Let me tell you how!
In the past, whenever I needed students to do a quick task online, I would put a link up on the board for them to type over. This was before we could put links in Google Classroom directly, mind you. These links were long, so most of the time I would shorten them with Tinyurl, but that was how easy I could make it. Well students aren’t great with typing over links, in case you haven’t noticed. So the process of getting them in the right place took FOREVER. Until I found QR codes!
Use QR codes for classroom fun
Now, whenever I have a need for a quick activity that I want students to access fast and without a fuss, I use a QR code. QR codes are designed to link to websites of your choice. They are like URLs, but without having to click them digitally. You scan them with a device and the device takes you to the website. I can link anything I like to these little pictures that look like bar codes and they will do the job. So what fun activities do I use them for?
How to use QR codes in the classroom
Words in the wild
My favorite activity for QR codes is my Words in the Wild activity. I created a sheet of vocabulary words that my students had to revise. To this sheet, I added a code that linked to a Padlet. Students had to scan the code, go to the Padlet, and to the Padlet they had to upload pictures. These pictures had to represent a vocabulary word on the sheet. For example, they took a picture of two students discussing something for the word ‘persuasion’. By the end, we had a ton of awesome pictures to match the vocabulary meanings.
Grammar exercises online
Another purpose for QR codes I use often is to link to online grammar exercises. I don’t want to make endless copies of worksheets, and students like to learn digitally, so we go online. Websites like Perfect English Grammar and Agendaweb have excellent exercises that are self-checking and easy to navigate, and I will often pick an exercise from their grammar topics list. I tell students to scan the QR code I make that leads to these, and off they go.
Link to video / audio
Sometimes I want students to watch a certain video or listen to an audio fragment. This can be to learn more about a (grammar) topic, to interest them in a certain topic we will cover, or just to do listening practice. I will link the QR code to a link of the video or audio location and they can watch or listen to it on their own device, in silence, and self-paced.
Link to an article to read
The above also counts for articles I want students to read. Again, I might want them to learn more, interest them, or just do reading practice for fluency. Or I may want to show them different types of articles that exist. Or I may want to lead them to a reading comprehension activity, such as the tasks on Learn English Teens or examenglish.com.
Link to a Kahoot / Quizlet for extra practice
QR codes are also ideal for self-paced Kahoots or Quizlet games. You can assign Kahoots now, so that they are still fun and interactive, but not every student has to participate at the same time. I use them for revision activities after I teach a grammar point or vocabulary set. Or I set a Kahoot about a topic we will be reading or listening about in order to spark students’ interest or activate prior knowledge.
Link to a Padlet to post things on
For some activities, I require students to type a response to a question I’m asking, and I may even want other students to respond to those responses in turn. Are you still with me? 😉 Padlet is great for live typing. When I want this, I will link a code to a Padlet with a question on it. Students will press the + sign and start typing, and everyone can see each other’s responses in real time. It’s an engaging tool in that everyone is required to participate, or it will be noticed.
Filling in a questionnaire
I’ve had students fill in a questionnaire for me through scanning a QR code. It just works really quickly for them to scan, type and submit and be done with it. In my experience, filling in surveys shouldn’t take too long. On another note, you could also use this method for quizzes or even tests.
Use for choice board options
I make my own choice boards when I need students to practice a bunch of skills or revise vocabulary and grammar in one lesson. I use QR codes to link to the various activities. For these choice boards, I will have 9 QR codes on one sheet, which students can scan at their own pace and in their preferred order. This fills an entire lesson and is great fun. Check out the bundle of choice boards I have for seasonal topics by clicking here!
Answer sheets (text)
The last way I use QR codes is for answer sheets. You can’t write too much text onto one code, but a short answer key for an activity is fine. I’ve done task cards before that each contained a question and the correct answer was linked on the card by a code. I have also done scavenger hunts around the school where students had to follow directions linked in QR codes to find the route that led to the ‘treasure’. This is a fun one, I have to say, because it also gets students to move!
QR codes generator for teachers
I personally love qoqr.me for making my QR codes. There are three simple steps to create your own code. First, choose the type of content you want to link. The options I have used before are: a URL, plain text you type, a geolocation, and an event planning link. Second, you type in the actual content. For the aforementioned content types, these would be: URL address, the text you want students to read, latitude and longitude of a location, and the event specifics. The third step is to preview your QR code. Lastly, you download your code PNG.
QR codes for teachers
As I mentioned, I use QR codes for my choice boards. I make choice boards with a mix of language skills, or ones that contain only grammar exercises online if that’s my focus at that moment. I’ve made a bunch of choice boards for the seasons of the year, and I’m going to make even more of them. I have them bundled up in my store, and if you want to check them out, click here to take your there.
And if you want to know what other hacks I think are teacher essentials, or you know, just fun things to try in your lessons, check out this page of cool articles!
Another article for if you’re interested in what choice boards are all about, check this out!
4 Responses
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