Techsavvy Tips for BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)

There are literally hundreds of articles about BYOD in the classroom, so I thought I'd throw my hat in the ring and share my experiences with you. As a paperless educator, BYODs are the common core for my flipped ESL classrooms as they are already common use and practice in the business world both domestic and foreign.  Employees of big companies and adult learners carry their personal devices into the boardroom and the classroom.  BYODs were first shunned from big companies and businesses for the obvious lack of control and security issues, but as more and more companies are taking advantage of secured cloud storage; school systems public and private are beginning to accept the idea that students can be responsible for their own devices and conduct in the classroom. Though the most popular BYOD is the smart phone, laptops and even the handheld gaming console are also popular BYOD devices.

I first employed BYOD when I was expected to deliver quality ESL material to a large group of students with very little or no technology.  During my interview with my first ESL company, they boasted to me about their use of technology in their classrooms. They even showed me a room with a whiteboard and overhead projector; only to find out that was their ONLY room with a whiteboard and projector and you had to reserve the room a week in advance.  I also got tired of standing in long lines to use the crowded copy machine or have my printed documents disappear into thin air after I sent them to the printer.

Though I have successfully managed to flip my classroom by way of BYOD, it doesn't mean that I haven't been met with obstacles along the way.  I have been met with resistance by both administration and my own students when I first implemented using smart phones in class.  I had challenges trying to share information to all students with different devices.  Poor Internet connection always ruined my day. And you can only imagine how I felt when a student just forgot to bring their device to class.  

So if you are thinking about starting your own BYOD classroom, or already have started yours, here are a few tips I would like to share with you from my experience.

1. Slowly impliment BYOD into class. Sure, your excited  about BYOD, but not everyone else is. You'll be suprised to see how your  admin, co workers, and students will show resistance towards BYOD.   You'll definatly want to be ready to answer a bunch of questions and face criticisms. Your best bet is to create a policy for BYOD in your classroom, register your students for a Google account if they don't already have one, and create a classroom circle for your students in your Google Hangouts account for sharing.  
2. Create your own BYOD policy for your classroom. I'm very liberal with the use of BYOD in my classrooms, but establishing a policy for using BYOD, like a class syllabus, makes it clear and cut what is expected/tolerated of the students use of BYOD. If you don't already have one of your own, here is a link to a nice list of sample BYOD policies. 11 Sample Education BYOT Policies To Help You Create Your Own
3. Use cross platform sharing applications. Cross platforms are ideal for sharing links, documents, audios, videos, and messaging. Apps for phones like Viber, Tango and Whatsapp are popular with smart phones, but not compatible with many pads, notebooks, and laptops.  Your best bet is to utilize Google. Not only is its messaging system, "Hangouts" available on Apple and Android products, you do not require your student's personal phone number to register. You simply use their Gmail address.
4. Take advantage of cloud storage accounts. Once again, Google folks! Cloud storage systems like Google (Drive) and Dropbox allow your students to pull their work from any device and free themselves of hefty laptops and those easy to lose jump drives.  
5. Don't be afraid to use social media. Social media outlets like FB, Twitter, YouTube, Blogger, and Glide are great tools for creative assignments and finding resources outside of the box. Use blogs as a place to display student writings.  Share or make YouTube videos to help students understand grammar points,  Have your students create a survey with their FB friends. Use Glide for a one-on-one video debate. Use Google Hangouts for a video conversation and then make it a YouTube video on your YouTube page. There are so many ways you can use Social Media in your BYOD classroom. Get creative. Here's a link to my current class blog via Blogger.  EF Atlanta B2.1
6. Be ready for things to go wrong. With technology, things WILL go wrong. Sometimes,  emails won't get delivered. Some devices just won't be compatible no matter what you do.  Internet connection will be slow. And yes, some of your students will spend more time on their own social media sites rather than their classwork. Be prepared by using alternative resources, and if worse comes to worse, there's nothing wrong with making paper copies of resources before class starts if you can foresee the problem ahead of time. 
7. Be consistent.  Start with one aspect of BYOD and stick with it.  The worst thing you can do to your class is start them out with the idea of BYOD and then two weeks later, bring them back to paper and pencil.  Pace yourself and stay consistent. You as the instructor are their key to success. No computer, smart phone, or Mobile device can replace the leadership of an instructor.

Best,

#mrford#techsavvyteacher

Top 10 uses for the smartphone in the ESL Classroom for an ESL Instructor

Top 10 uses for the smartphone in the ESL Classroom for an ESL Instructor

1. Dictionary/Thesaurus- This is so obvious, but necessary for anyone working with international students. Apps like Dictionary.com and Oxford Dictionary of English are among the most commonly used.
2. Attendance- Apps like Foursquare an even FB are awesome for check in.  My favorite app however is Eval Safety Attendance which creates a specific QR Code for each student as you scan their phone to take attendance.
3. Quizzes- Using Google Forms is a great way to deliver quizzes to your students on their devices. Use a script/extension like Flubaroo to grade them and email scores to students.
4. Platforms for sharing-Whatsapp, Viber, Line, and even FB Messenger. These platforms are a great way to share pages, videos, photos, documents, etc.
5. Video conferences-Google Hangouts can be installed on both Android and Apple devices and is the best video conference sharing app on the market. Have up to 10 people in one conference.
6. Paper scanner- This is great not only for scanning pages of school books with very limited supply, but I can't tell you how many times students have asked to use the facility scanning machines to send something to their embassy.
7. ESL Podcasts-Podcasts are a great way to help lower level learners increase their vocabulary and listening comprehension skills.
8. Gradebooks- Engrade is a great way to enter grades while you are on the go and not in front of a laptop or desktop. Other apps like QuickGrader are just as good.
9. Scorative- Socrative is a killer app that makes your classroom more interactive for learning.  Assign  your quizzes as a team race game and watch how students get excited as their team scores and their rockets move forward in a 'Space Race".
10. Note Card Maker- There are several versions of note card makers available on the Android and Apple market. Have your students make note cards of their vocabulary words to help them study for their tests. Just remember to have them put away their phones during a test to ensure no cheating.

Best,

#mrford#techsavvyteacher

APP ALERT!! ESL PODCAST

     Are you a student looking for a great way to enhance your ESL/EFL listening skills? Are you an ESL Instructor who needs a quick listening activity to fill that missing gap in your syllabus? Check out my good friends Dr. Jeff and Dr. Lucy out in LA. ESL Podcast is the leader in podcasting for ESL/EFL students and instructors. Their podcasts are among the most popular and readily available online and on NOW your smart phone! 


     A lot of people are unfamiliar with podcasting.  Podcasting is basically a recorded dialogue that is intended to help enhance listening and reading comprehension skills.  They rely on a large variety of topics and many of these podcasts contain videos. A short quiz is usually given or listeners are asked to write a brief summary following the listening to test their comprehension. 

     I currently use this app in my Level 5 course at my institute as an instructor.  After playing the podcast via my phone and speakers, I ususally distibute a self generated worksheet that asks seven to ten questions and a brief summary of the listening.  I also request that my students download the app so that they can read along the second time the podcast is played for revision.

     Go to your Google Play Store and download the app today.  Let me know how it works for you.

                                                         


Best,
#mr.ford

Atlanta Arab Festival 2013 at Alif Institute!

    
     I went last year and had so much fun meeting the local Arab community. I ate good and spent a lot of time inside the Institute. I will def. be there again this weekened and am bringing some students with me! www.alifinstitute.org if you want to find out more!

Best,
#mr.ford

APP ALERT!! NOTE TO GDOCS

     Confession; if you have read a lot of my posts here or on FB, you can tell that I'm not really that great of a typer based upon my spelling. I mean, in H.S. I totally sucked in typing class and to be honest, I still look at the keyboard when I type and still make simple mistakes in spelling. Transferring those skills to a smartphone keyboard is even worse for me.  It blurts my mind to see how some people can use a swipe keyboard or how kids today can text a paragraph on their smartphones with one hand. It makes me yearn for the good old days, when pen met paper, and excellent penmanship was more valuable than typing wpm.

      So with the S Pen for Samsung's Galaxy Note2, writing has returned.  Using it in The Google Search option is perfect for me and anyone else who can scribble twice as fast as they can type for very short messages, searches, or notes.  It also does a great job distinguishing my plain hand and cursive penmanship. The option on Google is very responsive and I usually don't have to write more than three to four letters on the search pad before my correct search request pops up in the search window. 

     But what about jotting down quick notes and storing them? Samsung provides a great note option installed on the Galaxy Note2, and it's very UI friendly! Easy to access as soon as you pull the pen from its port behind the phone, but it's a Samsung note, not really effective for me if I want to use it later on in Google Drive where I can share it with others or print my notes from a cloud.  So for a while, I felt I was stuck in a one sided dilemma until recent app developer, SmokyBob, fixed that for me! (Yes, SmokyBob is his real name.)

     Note to GDocs is fast, simple, and does exactly what it was created for; click, write, and close. I use it for what it is really. I share and print quick notes, lists, or even ideas with my students via Google.  Now remember folks, it is a note app, so don't expect to write a book with this thing or create fancy artwork. Like I said, it does what it is created for, and that's taking down quick notes, lists, or ideas that you can share on the fly with anyone you wish. 
    
     My only hang up with this app is that you can't name your note. It is just based off the date and time.  So if you write a bunch of notes in one day, you have to list through them to find the one you are searching for. 
    
     Download the app today in Google Playstore and see if it works for you!

Best,
#mr.ford

Use Your Samsug Smartphone to Give Class Lectures and Presentations Via Your TV!

Samsung's Allshare Cast "Dongle" $99

 

 

     Imagine giving ESL PowerPoint Presentations or lectures to students wirelessly via your Galaxy S3. Samsung's Allshare Cast "Dongle" lets you connect your Allshare Cast enabled device wirelessly to any HDTV or HDMI! So what does all that mean? The hub mirrors your phone screen on the display allowing you to share pictures, videos, games, presentations, YouTube Videos, Netflix and more while controlling all of the action from your Samsung phone. This device is compatible with Galaxy S3 and S4 as well as Note2; sorry iphone users:(

 

   Sure, $99 is a little expensive, but it's TOTALLY worth not having to move all those wires around. As someone who gives constant presentations, trust me when I tell you that this device is a GO!! Extremely light and small, it hides perfect behind a TV or your PC.  

 

     Installation is easy as 1, 2, 3.  Plug the adapter in to your wireless device, turn on the Allshare Cast option in your settings and BOOM; you're set!  The screen will even rotate with your Samsung phone or tablet. As a side bonus, the hub's charger doubles a phone charger! If you are a tech savvy teacher like me, then this device is a great addition to your aresenal. Check the video below to see how it all works!

 

Best,

#mr.ford

Samsung Chromebook (Google) is a GO for $250!

     Look, I know I've been talking a lot about Samsung lately, but I can't help myself. Do you see this? A Chromebook for $250! I checked one out this weekend at Best Buy and told myself I have to get one!

    It seems nowadays there is a race to the bottom price market outfit in mobile technology.  Today, more than before, you can find Smart phones, tablets, and even notebooks for under $100. Samsung's Chromebook is priced higher than $100, but at $250, it is affordable access to a top quality product.  Backed by Google, Chromebook isn't a 'show boat' of laptops, but that's the point; netbooks like Chromebook are nothing more than segues from your tabletop to the internet.  Complete with all the regular Google goodies, Samsung's Chromebook is compatible with cloud printing, boasting available offline capability for Google Drive, and holding an HDMI plug in for TVs.

    
     Not one, but two USB ports makes this device a great value because you have external hard drive capability that you usually don't get in most netbooks. A small, but noticeable, feature is that finally, someone decided to place the power plug in the back of the device, so one won't have to stare at that annoying power head while typing or giving a presentation. You also gain about another two inches of freed up moving space when your device is plugged in.

     I got a chance to check out a Netflix film on the device and was satisfied. Surfing the web was just as fast as if on a hard top.  My only hang up with the device is that it does have poor screen resolution while working on offline documents. The contrast is low and from a distance looks very dark. Other than that, if the netbook came with an S Pen I would be super satisfied!

     In closing, for $250, Samsung's Chromebook is def. worth the money and syncs with other Samsung devices, including S4 and Note 2 to maximize Samsung's sharing capabilities.  That being said, don't be surprised to see Chromebook popping up in school districts across the country that can afford them as means of integrating technology. The future looks bright, and it looks like it belongs to Samsung!

Best,
#mr.ford

APP ALERT!!! Cloud Print My Gmail

     Want to print from your students' assignments from your Smart phone? Check out Cloud Print My Gmail from Google Play and see how easy it is to print messages and attachments in your Gmail account from your Samsung S3 or Note2. Though there are already a few Cloud Ready to Print printers available, you don't necessarily have to own one to print from your phone. Check the video below and try it yourself! 

Best,
#mr.ford

APP ALERT!!! Quizmo

    












     There are only a hand few of multiple choice Quiz Creating apps in Google Play for tech savvy teachers, and Quizmo is the newest.  Quizmo has only been out for two months, but already has 1000+ downloads in Google Play thanks to its ability to easily incorporate personal photos into your quiz via your camera or image gallery.  Quizmo also lightens you up on having to type all possible answers for your questions as the answers are taken randomly from other questions in the quiz (this saves HELLA time). If you are like me, you use the text to speech option and damn near never have to type a thing except minor mistakes made by Google Voice.

     The ability to create multiple choice quizzes and share them via smartphones is not new, but in the past, it has been very difficult to connect photos to your multiple choice questions without risking the coding when sending them via email to your students. When compared to similar apps like Quiz 'n Poll, Quizmo definitely looks better, but is not as simple to share.  Sending your students a quiz on their phones using Quiz 'n Poll is much simpler and doesn't require you to memorize any codes and enter them. Though the concept seems easy, it is really annoying when having to deliver your quiz in class.   For more on Quizmo, check out my review in Google Play and see if it's right for you.

Best,
#mr.ford

The S Pen. WTF is it for?

 



 

     Up to a few weeks ago, I, like most everybody else, thought Smartphones and pens were a lame combination; especially in a now more than ever "touch screen" society. I really didn't see a point to them at all. The last time I owned a Smartphone with a pen was when I lived in China. And even then, I rarely used the accompanying pen to the tune of losing it only a month and a half after purchasing the Smartphone.

     Pens in the past have been unsuccessful with Smartphone for the most part because the screens were too small to write on. But boasting a 5.5 inch screen, the Samsung Galaxy Note series makes jotting down notes or sharing a document in real time with a pen feel as natural as if you were scribbling on a large index card.

     So why should everyone be excited about a pen? Well, they shouldn't. If you are like most Smartphone users, you use your phone to make and receive calls, check your email, snap photos, listen to music, and surf Facebook. In other words, you use your Smartphone for mainly convenient pleasure and are probably not taking full advantage of what your Smartphone offers you. But for business people and educators, we seek a little more than just entertainment from our phones. We need our phones to be able to record meetings, share documents, take notes, scan and fax documents, create and read QR codes, etc. We need full usage and more storage space than the average user.  So naturally, a pen in hand is always one and the same with business and educator peoples.  If you are interested in what the S Pen can really do with the Samsung Note 2, check out this cool video below by pocketnowvideo. If you like what you see, go ahead and subscibe to their page.

Best,
#mr.ford  



Samsung Galaxy Note 2

     It's here; the future of m-learning that is. Actually, it's been here for a few months now, I just picked mine up on last Friday. The Galaxy Note 2 from Samsung takes m-learning to the next level for teachers and students. This is it guys, everything a m-learner could want. It's a phone/tablet with a stylus air pen and more. Some cool features include a bumping app that allows you to share music and videos, and a dual screen option which allows you to split your phone screen in half and work on two seperate options at the same time. Yes, some would argue that the screen is too big, but after a day or two you get used to it and have to squint your eyes to look at any other phone with a smaller screen.

     Ok, apps. The Samsung Note 2 with it's air S pen is perfect for apps like ezPDF Reader which allows the user to upload a document from the web and Google Docs, edit it with the air pen, and send it back to your Documents or email. This is a DREAM COME TRUE for teachers who wish to reduce paper waste and keep their students' work in the palm of their hands. The air pen is also great for doodling and scratching down quick notes. In apps like Evernote you can write, record, and share notes from lectures. Samsung also has several of their own apps ready on the phone like S Note and S Suggest. For those of you who would rather not deal with the pen, the speak to text format here is perfect. The words appear on your screen just as fast if not faster than they come out of your mouth.

     Ok, size. People will ask you if the Note 2 is a tablet or a phone. Then they will ask you if it fits in your pocket. Yes, it's a phone with a large screen, and no, it doesn't fit in my pocket, I have to put it in my mom's purse and force her to lug it around for me while we go grocery shopping! Of course it fits in my pant pocket. All of them to be precise. I really believe that people will have to get over the size issues with the mobile devices if they want the best out of them. This thing is great to watch Netflix on and the sound is far better that the LG or Window phones, so I really don't see why people are complaining over it. Just stick some earbuds in it and look even more stupid so people think you are talking to yourself.

     Closing.  This phone is the best on the market today and is a tablet and a phone at the same time. Once everyone else gets on board, I-Pads and tablets will soon be a thing of the past. And I mean VERY soon!

Best,
#mr.ford

WEBINAR ALERT!! Pearson ELT Jennifer Ledbedev of Youtube February 14, 2013!!

5 Tried and True Tips for Teaching Grammar

Thursday, 14 February 2013, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM (GMT) Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London

Learn five basic tips for achieving a successful presentation of any grammar point. Attendees will also have the opportunity to discuss various challenges in teaching grammar and exchange strategies for overcoming those difficulties.

Jennifer Ledbedev Jennifer Lebedev has taught English as a foreign and second language since 1996. She has been working online as an instructor and content creator since 2007. Her Pearson-sponsored blog won the 2010 EDDIE Award in the category of ESL Website Blog. As JenniferESL on YouTube, she has gained over one hundred thousand subscribers worldwide, and in 2011 her channel was recognized in YouTube's "On the Rise" contest. Jennifer has presented at TESOL independently and by invitation. She is a co-author of the Vocabulary Power series and contributed materials to New Password. Click the link below to register! Best, #mr.ford http://mt204.sabameeting.com/main/Customers/pearson/Registrar/NewRegistration.jsp?event_id=00000002798ffb013c079f17670079b2&source=

APP ALERT!! SimpleMind free mind mapping

     Mind mapping is an essential in any paragraph planning.  SimpleMind free mind mapping is the easiest and most reliable of free mind maps available in Google Play.  Use different colors, borders, and lines to create a very effective brainstorming tool. With easy cut and paste, edit, and sharing options (paid version), this app makes mapping easy to do on your personal mobile device.

Best,
#mr.ford 

A Black Single Mom Abroad by Rakysha Raysor

 

 

As a single mom, I get so many surprised looks when I tell people that I taught English in Spain last year and I actually brought my  two children along with me. As soon as they hear about my experience I always get the same two questions:

 

First, why would I leave a pretty stable life to do something like this? It was the right time in my life, my kids were at a great age(11 and 9) and I had a career that I could come back to, so I decided to go for it.  However, I think the most important deciding factor was that we all really wanted it. I have always wanted to live abroad and my kids were up for the adventure.

 

Secondly, how did I do it?. To start, I simply Googled “single mom teaching English abroad” and went from there. I had to weed  through a lot dead-ends and roadblocks but I just kept going. I finally found a program through the Ministry of Education in Spain that didn't restrict bringing children along. However,  they didn't provide any additional assistance for bringing children and I had to do all the visa paperwork,  register my kids in school  and find housing myself, so it was a lot of work. Also, I had to have all of my custody papers and agreements in order, that is a dealbreaker, you can't get a visa without it.

 

Despite all the challenges, I can say without a doubt, it was worth it. I loved teaching and working with the kids there. It was an amazing life changing experience.  We traveled all over Europe and got to see life from a different point of view. My kids got to see firsthand that different doesn't equal wrong, for that alone, I would do it again in minute.

 

To any parents who are interested in teaching abroad, having kids does not mean the end of your dream; if anything bringing them a long will only enhance it. Don't be discouraged by the logistics. If it's something you're passionate about, go for it!

 

 

 

TEFL Scams

    

     If you've been in the TEFL game long enough, chances are you've either been scammed or ran across a scam at least once in your career. Truth is, scams for TEFL are just as common as with anyother online industry. 

    So how do you know if your dream job is a scam or not? Well, first of all, if it sounds to good to be true it probably is.  I once had a job offer in England to privately teach an engineer and his family in exchange for free housing, a NICE salary, and a car of my own to drive.  I was so hungry for work, I didn't think things through clearly and almost lost $1,200 in a scam had it not been for my loving cousin who checked the resources of my offer.  Remember, if it sounds to good to be true than it most definatley is.

    Second, if a possible employee asks for any kinds of money up front beware!  Many scamsters will ask for money during your interview process. For me, after sending copies of my passport, visa, and a contract reimbursement document, my interviewer asked for $1,200 that would be given back to me upon arrival to prove to the governemnt that I would not be a 'burden' on it's society if I became jobless.  Remember, you are going there to make money, NOT give it away.


     Thirdly, never trust an employer who only contacts you solely via email.  Some scammers are very shy when confornting their scammees that they refuse to speak via phone.   If you can't even hear a voice, why would you trust them with your financial well being?

    Do your homework on the company and check their website, or Google them.  A great source of  reliable information for legit TEFL companies is available at Daves ESL Cafe. Also, Craigslist is a good source for international jobs, but beware that there are several scam artists lurking in it's corners as well.  Jobs usually posted on Craigslist are for teachers already in that country who already have a working class visa.  Jobs on Craigslist usually don't do visa sponsprships of any kind. I hope this helps.

Best,
#mr.ford

APP ALERT!! Verbal Reasoning Questions

    

 

 

     It seems like everytime I share a newly discovered app with one particular student of mine, she grows tired of it within a week because she either finds the content too easy or she just gets bored of it all together.  With this in mind, I decided to search Google Play for any kind of reasoning apps and came across a few good ones, but one in particular stood out; Verbal Reasoning Questions. VRQ seeks to improve problem solving skills by focusing on logical reasoning questions, because learning ESL is more than just vocabulary flashcards and grammar apps.  Verbal Reasoning Questions puts into test what a student has already or should have already learned in grammar before entering more intermediate levels of ESL.  This app is appropriate for ESL learner levels 4 and up based on its content.

 

     With 15 catergories of Englsih grammar to cover, this app has it all, including; Spotting Errors, Completing Statements, Idioms and Phrases, Spelling, Sentence Correction, Change of Voice (Active to Passive), and Antonyms. I mean, I like this app so much I actually rated it in Google Play!

 

     The only real downsides to this app other than the annoying adds are, one; you do not have the option  to actually choose the correct answer on your phone or tablet. You have to just guess it aloud or write it down.  This kind of takes a little fun out the app.  And two;  if played on your smartphone, you have to scroll up the entire side of your phone to view all the questions because of the large font. So, this is definately better on your tablet.

 

  I personally like the Ordering of Words catergory the best because too often my students ask me a question in the form of a declarative. This helps them see what I am talking about when I correct them in class.  Downlaod and share!

 

Best,

#mr.ford

 



APP ALERT!! Hangman Free for Android

     EVERYONE has played hangman in school. It is one of the firsts school games we played in kindergarten, next to duck duck goose.  Do you remember the enthusiasm that shot through your body as your rasied your hand to guess the next letter?  The sounds of, "Ew, ew, ew, ew, pick me, pick me," rang supreme in the classroom.

    Colorful and basic, why ruin a classic?  Some apps have gone as far as having a real noose around the man's neck, but this one doesn't.  It has a TOEFL section that is sure to be a hit with ESL Learners studying for the TOEFL.  Download the app today in Google Play and share it with  others.

Best,
#mr.ford

APP ALERT!! PDF to Speech

     I downloaded this app yesterday because it sinks with your gmail account in seconds so all your documents on Google Drive are ready to be listened to.

     It doesn't do abbreviations very well and like all speech to pdf apps,  it trips over difficult words.  I would not strongly suggest it for ESL students, but I would for ESL teachers because our ears are naturally trained to listen for mistakes in grammar. The read along as it goes ability is really great.  So it's a great tool for editing students' essays in the car, on the bus, or on a break between classes.  Yes, it's not perfect, but it's FREE and it does what it says.  Download it yourself from Google Play and share.

Best,
#mr.ford

The 2012 Georgia TESOL Conference

     The 2012 Gerogia TESOL Conference will take place on October 26-27 here in Atlanta at the Hyatt Regency.

Members: $150
Non Members: $175
Student Rate: $95

     This year's theme is Great Expectations.  Keynote Speaker Melissa Faye Green is a mother of nine and author of five books including; Praying for Sheetrock, The Temple Bombing, Last Man Out, There is No Me Without You: One Womans Oddesy to Rescue her Country's Children, and No Biking in the House Without a Helmet. Five of her nine children are adopted from other countries and she was inducted into the Georgia Writing Hall of Fame in 2011.  Other featured speakers include; Dr. Melissa Cabhnmann-Taylor, Lola M. Schaefer, and April Muchmore-Vokun. Register today at www.gatesol.org

 

QR Codes in the ESL Classroom

     If you're like me, and I'm almost certain you are, you have often stopped and gawked at posters or flyers with that little black and white textiled square in the corner and wondered what the heck it is.  Eventually, you rationalize it to be some kind of mutant barcode, and in fact you're right! QR Codes, or Quick Response Codes, seem to be everywhere and on everything today. So what exactly is a QR Code and why the heck is everyone putting them on everything? Well, compared to a regular barcode you see on merchandise in retail stores, QR Codes posess faster readability and hold more storage space.  What does that mean? Well, in Layman's terms, the barcode at your retail store when read by a scanner only informs the reader of the price and name of the object being scanned while a QR Code when scanned holds a link to a website, photo or video. QR Codes were originally designed for businesses in the form of marketing, hence why you see them all over soda cans, food labels, and all kinds of merchandise. 

     The next question is,"How can I read them?" QR Codes can be read by smartphones and tablets.  There are a lot of free QR Code reading and creating apps available for your mobile device and they are usally all free.  Some of the more popular include, Google Goggles, ScanLife, QR Droid  and Kaywa Reader (a coworker of mine, Chris Johnson hipped me to Kaywa Reader). Simply download the free app via your Google Play Store app on your Droid phone or from your Apple Store on your iphone, and using your phone camera, begin scanning them.  As you will find, the codes link you to websites, photos, or videos instantly. 

 

     So how do these things work in an ESL classroom? Well, many of the same QR Readers available in your app store also allow you to generate you own QR Codes and print them.  This gives you the power to connect students to photos, vidoes, or websites relevant to ESL.  One teacher even had a great idea of forming a scavanger hunt in her ESL institution by placing cut out codes around the hallways that contained instrutions on how to complete the hunt.  Students used their smartphones to deocode the QRs and continue on the ESL scavage. I personally print and paste cut outs of QR Codes via my Quiz and Poll app and let students scan them with their phones to take ESL quizzes or join in class polls. 

 

Students really enjoy scanning QR Codes with their smartphones because it promotes m-Learning.  The results are fun, spontaneous, portable, and personal.  Students are engaged more in learning because they feel a sense of responsibilty being allowed to use their smartphones in class and even more so used as an educational tool. At the end of each of my classes, I actually teach my students how to generate their own QR Codes of photos of themselves and let them hang them on my wall so they can feel free at anytime to check themselves or someone else out.

 

     If you want to know more about QR Codes in your classroom check out the little video below!

 

 

Best,

#mr.ford