Creating QR Code Content With Your Local Museum using iPods and Kaywa

Students in Dublin are learning how to apply research to their community and how to create content to share with the world. Students last spring worked with our local historical society to create QR bar codes for the community and will continue to work on projects this year. The process is described below and we would love to connect with other schools and museums to repeat this process.


Museum GT Project Planning:
1. The museum curator, Mary Yantis, will select items for students to catalog. These first project students will catalog around 60 items.
2. Choices for Creating QR Codes
a. Student take a photo, use their iPods to take notes on the item, and create QR codes later in computer lab using free web site http://qrcode.kaywa.com/Kaywa. Students learn how to summarize important content in 140 characters or less. Students could also create a video podcast on the item and create a QR code using their video description instead of a text description.
3. Students use the B-Tag app to access QR codes and instructions for access QR codes are given to museum curators along with training.

To learn more about this project, visit our Connections Grant Website.

Research and Student Production Connections Possibilities:
1. Students could use voicethread to create a video of the museum and embed bacodes inside video.
2. Other museums in town are interested in replicating.

Other Ways to Extend to other Teachers:
1. Create a Virtual Tour of Your School
2. Make Displays Interactive
3. Link Books To Online Resources, Link Homework, Link Worksheets, Geocached QR Code Test
4. Explore physical models and maps
5. Use QR Codes to Vote or Poll
6. Use to Make A Graph or Data Chart
7. Add QR codes that lead to book trailers to the backs of library books . . .
8. Add QR codes to math worksheets with video tutorials of how to solve the problems.

Copyright in the Classroom

Protecting ideas is more important now then ever before. Ideas are the first component to creating a new process, product, or concept, and as we teach students to become creators and publishers, it is vital for our students to know how to protect their works and productions.

How do you teach copyright to your students? I have found a couple of great resources that you might find helpful.

Copyright Interactive Quiz

Interactive Copyright Web Quest

Public Domain Tracker

Copyright Criminals PBS Lesson

Awesome Video Creation Tools for Your 21st Century Classroom

A great way to have students engaged throughout a lesson is to give students a creative outlet for explanation and elaboration using video technology. Check out some of these amazing free video tools and give your students the ability to capture their world and community so they can make connections to the learning content in your classroom.

Animoto: Animoto is a great way for students to create music videos to produce a quality video in a short amount of time. Students upload their own pictures, have the ability to animate a short summary of text, choose from a wide variety of royalty free music, and can embed video content or export the completed product. There is a free app available for iPod use and teachers can apply for an educator account to receive Animoto PLUS account additional services for classroom use.

Voki: Avatars are a great way to get kids interested in content and Voki allows students to create web videos that can be shared or embedded on a classroom blog or website. Students have a wide variety of avatars, scenes, and backgrounds to choose from. Voki is a fun way for students to create content in the classroom.

Xtranormal: Xtranormal is another avatar site that allows students to create movies and share/embed to another website or classroom blog.

Windows Live Movie Maker: Microsoft's new Movie Maker product is also Mac compatible and is free. There is an automovie option, which allows users to create professional videos easily and students can share or upload via YouTube or burn a DVD using Live Media.

One True Media: Allows for students to create videos by uploading photos and video, adding effects, text and free music. Students can create and share their product for free.

I hope this has helped you find a new tool to use in your learning endeavors.

Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea

Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea is the perfect read for learning how to build relationships and recognizing the importance of family support in education. Technology is only a tool, and it is a great tool to help build connections from school to home. His book introduces readers to the struggles facing young girls in Afghanistan. Wining the trust of local families by building relationships is making a difference in Afghanistan.

In fact, Greg Mortenson will be speaking at Tarleton State University January 25 in Stephenville. His book is available in Google Books and on Amazon.

Best iPhone Tour Apps- Page 6 - Articles - Travel + Leisure

Check these apps out for iPhone or iTouch.

Best iPhone Tour Apps- Page 6 - Articles - Travel + Leisure

Why use Twitter?

Twitter is an excellent tool and can be used in so many positive ways in the classroom. Features include:

1. Live feeedback: Communication can be recieved in real-time. Students, parents, teachers, staff, and the community can be informed on a variety of issues and events.
2. Better than search engines: the ability to instantly recieve feedback is the inherent benefit of using Twitter over other search engines.
3. Connections with students: Digital natives can communicate on their level with digital immigrants.
4. Connections with parents: Teachers can tweet homework so parents are automatically updated.
5. Feedback: You can use Twitter to recieve instant feedback from students. This is a great way to make sure students are on task.
6. Twitter apps: There are a variety of twitter apps that are very useful. Check out Leena Rao's blog at http://techcrunch.com/2009/02/19/the-top-20-twitter-applications/ to learn more.
7. Classroom of Community Learners: Students and Teachers will be able to follow professionals and find political figures, rocket scientists, colleges, or famous people.
8. Tracking: Track a word or phrase to help keep tabs on current event.

What is twitter?

Technology Explosion at DISD

So many cool things are happening here at Dublin ISD, and I cannot wait to help teachers make their classrooms come alive for students in Dublin, Texas. First grade students at Dublin Elementary kicked off our first wiki project, and if you get a chance, check it out! http://disdfirstgrade.wikispaces.com/?954Nav=&NodeID=713. Dublin Elementary also received a Lexia computer lab this school year. Students at Dublin High School received a MacBook and it is awesome to see students and teachers so eager to utilize technology in the classroom! Many teachers on all campuses received Smart Boards.

The purpose of this blog is to communicate train, and inform teachers and staff on ways to integrate technology into their classroom. I hope to model learning and share valuable information with stakeholders using Web 2.0 tools. I may not know the answer to questions, but will do everything I can to assist you with technical problems in a timely and efficient manner. Coaching and mentoring teachers and staff will be my top priority. I am here to serve teachers and staff so that students will be successful life long learners equipped with 21st century skills.