Researching With QR Codes

Want your students to research using QR codes?  Below is the hall display of my students latest QR researching project- Ocean Creatures Theme.  Have your students do the same! :)

In this blog, I am going to try to take you step by step on how to use my QR Research products in your classroom!  My goal is to help out those teachers who have iPads for student use but may not feel comfortable with using them... been there myself  ;-)!

I did not get iPads for my classroom until midyear.  One of the first things I fell in love with was what could be done with QR codes!  If you don't have a QR app downloaded yet, there are several free ones to choose from.  I went with QR Reader.

I decided that since the standards state my students must research and they must research digitally, why not use QR codes to help them do this?  Since animal classification is covered in science class,  I decided to go with an animal themed research project in order to make this possible.    There are many different themed animal research products that I've come up with, but decided to blog about my Ocean Creature theme since it's my best seller!  If you'd like to see all my QR themes, please click here: QR Research

All of my QR Research products take you step by step through the process, so no worries if you're a little nervous getting your students started on such a fun project!

So here we go!

First, I had my student pick the top three ocean creatures that they were most interested in researching (a signup sheet for students is included with each product).  From there I determined which animal they were going to research.

Now the real fun begins- researching!  Each animal comes with it's on graphic organizer sheet with two QR codes on top.  All students have to do is use their iPads to scan the QR codes.  The QR codes then take them to kid friendly websites that help them fill in their graphic organizers...

I gave students the option to work together during prewriting if they had the same animal...

Next, student used their graphic organizers to make a draft copy of their research paper.  You will need to set your expectations for them as far as number of paragraphs and/or how much detail they should include.  Draft copy themed paper is included in all my QR code products!  See picture below...

And of course, revising and editing comes next :)...

Final Copies!!!

Now, if you're nervous when it comes to technology, the next part might seem scary, but it's SO FUN!  If you notice on the first final copy picture above, there is a QR Code attached to the paper.  Students partnered up and videotaped themselves reading their final copy research papers.  My products suggest you use the Croakit! app to record their voices as they read.   Croakit! is an excellent app, but since then MailVu was brought to my attention. Mailvu allows them to create a video of themselves reading their reports- how fun!  No matter which app you choose, they are both FREE!  Helpful hint- If you can't find either app in the Apple Store, just touch "iPad Only" and change it to "iPhone Only".  No worries- both are there :).

Here's footage of them creating videos...

After students videotape themselves, Mailvu (or Croakit!) will send you a link to their video (or voice recoding).  You will then have to do some behind the scene work to get the QR codes made and printed off.  All of my QR code research products come with an informational sheet on how to do this :).

Still wondering if this is for your class?    

Use your iPad to scan the QR code below to watch one of my students presenting her report.  She was SO proud of all of her hard work!  

Also, check out all my QR research product reviews- both teacher and students around the country LOVE IT!  And, I'm sure you will, too! :)

If you ever have any questions, feel free to ask me at the end of this blog post or click on my e-mail link above.  I'd love to help you out!

Happy Teaching!,