I was having a discussion with a colleague about students who seem to be struggling in a class because they fail to turn in assignments. Our teachers are expected to post homework assignments on our online grading system on a weekly basis. Unfortunately I think this has resulted in many teachers not writing it on the board as they might have done in the past. Consequently, if a student has any issues with logging into the system they will likely not remember the assignment and therefore not turn it in on time. The teacher and I talked about how some students need to physically write down the information. Just seeing it posted online doesn't make the connections for them. A 7th grade student also commented that she felt too rushed at the end of class to write the assignment down and always felt like she was in a hurry to get to the next class. We also have students who, no matter how many times they do it or are reminded how to do it, having trouble logging into websites to get the information they need.
So what to do? One of the solutions we discussed is one that I have often recommended to teachers to use for their students. Yes, this does require some technology but I do think it would help many students. A dynamic QR code could easily solve the problem of "what is the assignment?". So what is a dynamic QR code? This is a code that does not change but the information attached to it does. Another option: You could also have a QR code linked to any type of editable webpage where you might list the daily assignments. As a teacher, you would go back to the site on a regular basis and change/add the information on the page. The student would only need one QR code glued to the inside of their notebook, assignment book, calendar or whatever tool they use. It could even be printed off and hung up on their refrigerator at home! The point is, this QR code would stay the same all year long but every time they scan it they would see new information.
So try this out. Here is a code:
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| i-nigma |
Come back in a day or so and scan the code again and you will see the page has changed. The QR image is the same but the information on the page has changed. For students who have trouble logging into sites (remembering passwords, etc) this would be a very easy solution for them.
The only thing needed is a QR reader for a smartphone or tablet. There are many available but I recommend
i-nigma. It has been a favorite of mine. Fast and reliable.
Want to see a nice list of QR code generators and what you can do with them? Check out my colleague and co-presenter's website
Hold the Mayo.
