Active Learning with QR Codes

Active Learning with QR Codes

As a substitute teacher, I think active learning is a crucial part in the classroom. Active learning is a broad range of strategies that teachers use in the classroom that engage students by making the students active participants in their learning. This video goes into more detail about active learning and how it can be used in the classroom. The video is based on college students, but in reality active learning should be used at all grade levels. Active learning makes the students in charge of their learning, while the teacher is the facilitator. 

Image Source: Padlet by Deanna Mulay

https://padlet.com/deannamulay/t1e0d6h26fr3rcmc

In this blog, it mentioned that QR codes are one example of active learning. Students were able to use iPads and scan the QR codes to find missing words from famous quotes. After the students were able to find the missing words, they than created their own QR codes. You might be thinking, "How do QR codes relate to active learning?" Well, the teacher can put up QR codes around the classroom, while students scan each of them to find an answer. Teachers just brought in a piece of technology into their classroom. Then the students are in charge of finding the code and solve the missing words. Students are not listening to a teacher talk, rather they are the ones who are looking and recording their responses. Students are actively engaged and able to move about the room to find what they are looking for. Teacher can also create the QR codes for differentiated instruction. 

I have tried to do a few activities with active learning, but I found it stressful at times because I felt like I was not in control of the conversation. Even though I felt out of control, the students were taking on a whole new perspective of the subjects we were talking about. For me, I need to make sure that I take a backseat and listen to the students rather than listen to my own voice every minute of every day. To really help myself find some new ways to incorporate active learning into my lesson plans, I found the image below. I really think that this image shows what an active learning classroom should look like, especially when teachers are just starting to try new strategies in their classroom. 

Image Source: https://cei.umn.edu/active-learning 

I have very little experience with QR codes, but they are one of my favorite tools to use in the classroom. QR codes are a great way to encourage collaboration and communication into lessons. The codes can contain facts, questions, even creating their own quotes like in the example. However, I want to try and make my own QR codes for a lesson. Not only is it fun for the students to try something new, it will be fun for me to try making the codes myself rather than relying on pre-made QR codes. 

When I was student teaching, my cooperating teacher and I talked about a phonics lesson for our first graders. We knew we wanted to try something new and not the same lesson of have the students come to the carpet with their white boards and so on and so forth. We found an active learning tool that we had never used before, but we were willing to give it a shot. It happened to involve QR codes and Ipads. With a partner, the students had to find a QR code hidden around the room. They scanned it and then they were shown a picture of the word they needed to write on their paper. For example, if the picture was a cat, they needed to write cat on their paper. The students had so much fun walking around the room and figuring out the words. They continued to ask for the QR codes for almost every phonics lesson because they were moving around the room, engaging, working with a partner, and especially taking charge of their own learning.  

Based on my experience, I really think that teachers should use active learning in their lessons. The students are able to take charge of their learning. I believe that the teachers are also able to learn new ideas, because there are so many different minds working as one big classroom. As teachers, we want our students to collaborate and communicate with each other (Kagan structures). Active learning is a way to accomplish having our students interact with each other. Now do I think it needs to be in every single lesson, no! I do think that teachers need to keep active learning in the back of their heads and build a “toolbox” for lessons that would work really well with active learning.