Class #10: iPads and Confusing QR's

Today's class started out by going over how well the homework went over the previous week. Due to the extended due dates it was much easier for me to get my homework in on time, although I still heard of some people not completing it. It seems as though some people think that they should be able to complete the homework in class the day its due. Then, to kill some time we viewed a prezi presentation titled "60 apps in 60 minutes", which was built in the shape of a clock. Although despite the clever design I still find prezi presentations that are not my own to be quite difficult to navigate.

We then moved on to a discussion about QR (Quick Response) codes, which I have been noticing are more and more poplular on mobile devices. For this discussion we each selected an iPad, unless we brought our own, and tried out scanning a QR code. While the iPad I was using was being difficult and wouldn't connect to the internet, I still got the jist of it, and I can see how that could be really handy in the classroom. This could be particularily useful for students with special needs, as you can maybe hide hints inside the codes, or even have the code lead to a social story for certain social situations that students with autism could use. Unfortunately using and creating these QR codes proved to be much easier said then done. Creating an activity to link to a QR code is still something I am completely lost on (what program should we use? how do you create an activity that isn't multiple choice in google docs?). However I was able to figure out how to convert a url to a QR code and add that code to a word document. I guess progress is progress however small it may be. We then posted the different QR codes we created to our sites. That at least I have managed to get the hang of.

Next we got into small groups to discuss the homework (iPad articles and reflections), and compile a list of five strategies that were listed in the articles. We then verbally presented our finding to the class. This was followed up with a short lecture on the use of iPads in a classroom, and what ages they will benefit the most.

To conclude our class we talked about lesson planning, which we discussed in order to complete our Project B.