Changing Subjects

In August I will begin my fifth year of teaching sixth grade. I love my job. I enjoying spending each day with energetic, quirky, and lovable students. It is a privilege to be able to lead my class as we explore and learn about life together.

The previous four years I have taught math, reading, writing, and social studies. This year I will keep the core subjects and switch out social studies for science.

While I am intrigued by science I would be remiss not to mention my sadness at losing my social studies classes. In sixth grade we explore the ancient civilizations and it is a blast. I will miss uncovering the ancient mysteries and retelling awesome stories of those who came before us.

Transitioning to science this summer has been an exciting and humbling process. Exciting because of the new challenges and interesting content. Humbling because it has highlighted what I don’t know. I have a basic understanding of these topics and could pass a test. Yet, to teach something well one must possess a far deeper understanding and fluency with the topic.

Luckily, I am in a profession that affords me the opportunity to spend the summer learning and exploring. So, I have devoted time this summer to deepening my understanding of science. So far I have found some great science blogs, read a handful of science books, watched a couple of documentaries, and sought the wisdom of those with experience teaching science. I am beginning to get to that deeper level but I still have so much to learn.

I hope to model this attitude of not knowing everything and seeking knowledge with my class in the fall.

I would love to hear your advice - what is your one nugget of wisdom for a beginning science teacher?

QR Codes in 6th Grade

QR Code - Scan it with your phone!

What is a QR code?
A QR code is a barcode that can be scanned by a cell phone camera (CSI Explains QR Codes). Once scanned this barcode acts as a link to a website, image, or audio file. QR codes  are easy for users to create, print, and share with other people. Once a code is made, anyone with a capable device can scan it and instantly be connected to a particular website. These codes are becoming increasingly more popular as advertisements and ways for businesses to connect with their audience.



Introduction to Students
After learning about QR codes I was intrigued by the potential for use in the classroom. The technology is nothing revolutionary but seemed like a method for connecting the analog world to the digital world.

I introduced QR codes to my students, let them create their own codes, and practice scanning them with their phones. They were also intrigued by the new technology.


PT Conferences
My first foray into actually using QR codes came at our recent parent teacher conferences. Each semester I create a basic one page document about each of my students. This document lists the student’s strengths, areas in need of improvement, and general classroom news. This time around I inserted a QR code into each document. This code linked the parent to their student’s blog. I encouraged them to use the code to visit the blog and leave a comment on the most recent post.

Vocabulary Posters
Last week during class we were creating vocabulary posters for the words we were learning. I thought it would be fun to link these paper posters to the digital world through QR codes. My students created the posters and then attached printed QR codes to add an interactive element. These QR codes linked to various websites that helped the audience gain a better understanding of how to use the word.

Making a QR Code
Using a URL shortener service such as http://goo.gl/ or http://bit.ly/ making a code is simple. Just enter the web address for the site you want to link to and click the shorten button. Once the shortened URL is created simply add “.qr” to the address to see the QR code.

Once you have the image of the QR code, the possibilities are endless.

Visit Tom Barrett’s 40 Interesting Ways to Use QR Codes in the Classroom for additional ideas.

I don’t think QR codes will change the world or really even revolutionize learning. But, they are a neat tool for making paper more interactive.

Plus - they are pretty cool.

What kind of ideas do you have for using QR codes in the classroom?