Image Courtesy, Flicker: Charley Lhasa
QR Codes are everywhere. You find them in stores, on flyers, on billboard signs along the highway (although that may be the DUMBEST thing ever!), and now all over schools. More and more teachers are using Quick Response codes in the classroom for all types of situations, such as a self-checking system, to give directions, or just to grab a student’s attention. They are finding that these adventures are fun and easy for everyone. Students are even creating codes for other students to use!
I want to share with you yet another way to include QR codes in the classroom: linking to audio files. Teachers and students alike can create audio files online and then link them to a QR code so anyone with the code has easy access to them. The audio files could be a student sharing a story or problem they have created. It could be a teacher giving directions or prompts. Classrooms or campuses can share upcoming information with parents. The opportunities go on and on.
Making this happen cannot get much easier. A website, Recordmp3.org, will allow you to record yourself online. It then saves the recording to the web. It supplies you with a URL that will take anyone who has it to your audio file. Copy this link and you are then ready to create your QR Code.
There are many sites that you can use to create a QR Code. My favorite is QRStuff.com. Once you open the site you have 4 steps to take:
- Choose the type of data you are creating a code for. In this case it will be a Website URL.
- Paste the URL you created for your audio file from Recordmp3.org.
- Choose the color of your QR Code. Keep in mind that darker colors make it easier to scan.
- Download the code. It is a good idea to rename each code and place all your codes for a project into a folder as you are downloading them. This will help you keep your codes organized. You will need to know where each code will take you.
To walk you through each of these steps from audio files through QR creation, click here to download a cheat sheet that has been created.
Depending on how and where you are using the codes, it is likely that you will need to print them out. The QR codes do not need to be the size of a full size sheet of paper. In fact, they scan easier if they are a bit smaller. A good size for codes is 3.5 x 5 inch or even a wallet size photo. Click here to download a cheat sheet that will walk you through the printing process.
How are you using QR codes in your classroom? Audio files would be a great addition to add to activities or to share the amazing things your students are creating each and every week.
