Learning About QR Codes

These little squares that contain black and white pixels are popping up everywhere. They are called QR codes short for "quick response" codes. Here is a site to easily create a QR code. We will practice this in class next week. I generated the QR code above so if you have a smartphone that can read QR codes give it a whirl. If you don't have a QR app on your smartphone you can search for a free apple QR reader in apple apps for apple products like iphone/ipad/ipod or the android marketplace for droid phones QR Droid, Scanlife, and Kaywa are a few popular droid apps.


Watch this 3 minute Youtube video from a school that highlights some interesting ways they are using QR codes in their school for a variety of purposes.

Read this short article on 12 ideas for teaching with QR codes and browse through this slideshow on  innovative ways teachers in different subject areas are using QR codes.

If you are interested in browsing through other ideas using QR codes...check out  Tom Barrett's 40 Interesting Ways to use QR codes in the classroom (notice the CC license on the title slide) or this site that allows you to easily create a scavenger hunt using QR . http://www.classtools.net/QR/. 

What are your thoughts about QR codes?  Where have you noticed these QR codes in your daily life? What purpose or application for them in a school or classroom environment can you see?

Understanding Creative Commons

image: http://www.newmediarights.org/taxonomy/term/77

Although Creative Commons has been around over a decade, many teachers and students are unfamiliar with what it is and why they should know about it.  Creative Commons was founded out of the need for people who wanted to share content they created with other people on the web and not be bound by restrictive copyright licensing. Creative Commons licensing allows creators to decide how their work can be used, shared, and remixed by others.

You might ask, "Well what does that have to do with what I do in my classroom?" Well...if you assign projects that require the use of any multimedia culled from the web such as video, audio, images, photography, etc...then Creative Commons has everything to do with what you do in your classroom.

There are 2 short videos I'd like you to watch before we talk about Creative Commons next week in class and then post your response in the comment section.
This 3 minute video will give you an overview of the emergence and purpose of Creative Commons.




This video will give you more specific examples of the types of Creative Common licensing available and how it can be used.



While you and your students may be creating and/or sharing content on the web, that is not the primary reason for teaching you about Creative Commons. My main purpose in exposing you to Creative Commons is from an "end user" or consumer standpoint like when you or your students are searching for content to use like pictures, music, video, audio, worksheets, etc

How does knowing about Creative Commons licensing change your thinking or perspective on your use or student use of content from the web?
Why is it important for all educators to be aware of, teach about, and/or adhere to Creative Commons licensing?

Being a Lurker...

Spend some time in Twitter "lurking"... use hashtags to search and filter tweets. You can use the hashtags from the here or go to the cybraryman's hashtag site  or this unofficial twitter hashtag index (includes explanations) to find other hashtags. It helps to pay attention to the hashtags you see others using on their tweets that may lead you to other searches. These lists are a good start to finding relevant hashtags but they aren't the only ones...if you are looking for something specific and need help finding it, let me know. You don't necessarily need to use a bunch of different hashtags...just find a few relevant ones that get you to the people you want to connect with.

Come back at the end of the week after you've had time to lurk and browse and report back  something you learned, discovered, noticed, found interesting, helpful or significant...can you see Twitter fitting into your PLN (Personal learning network)? why or why not?
Did you find a particular hashtag that got you connected to a group that shares your interests?

If you have questions about Twitter during the week...post your questions here as well and I'll respond to them.

testing...testing...1, 2, 3

What is your favorite TV show?