QR We?

With school back in session, many teachers scour the internet to find icebreakers that will allow the students get to know each other.  Because my students will eventually all end up working with one another, I was trying to think of a way to do something that could go across class periods.  That's when I thought of using QR codes.

On the first day of class, I had the students come up with 5 good interview questions that would get the interviewee really thinking.  We discussed how to turn a typical question that would yield a one word response into an open-ended question that would really let us know more about the person.  After they had prepared their questions, they tried them out on me to see if I was forced to answer in sentences, instead of one word.

The following day, the students were randomly paired up with each other and recorded the interviews with our iPads.  They uploaded the videos to their Google Drives and shared them with me.  I turned each interview into a QR code, which I printed out with the student's name underneath.  We placed all of them on the board in my room so the students are able to scan the codes and hear the interviews of all my students.  They really like seeing the interviews of the students who aren't in their classes.  It turned out to be a great way to get to know each other.  Parents will also be able to view these videos at Open House, so they can see the students in action without the students having to be there.


QR codes are something that I hope to use more in my classroom.  In fact, the students have already started giving me more ideas on how they think they should be used.

Do you use QR codes or have any suggestions on different ways they can be used in the classroom?  Let me know!

Here's to STEM!
Mrs. Giran