I used QR Tiger to make my QR code for this week. QR codes are something that I use here and there in real life, as they have become increasingly more useful than they used to be. I don’t use them in the classroom as I don’t allow students to have their phones out in class, but I do use them in my personal life. I have a custom QR code that my husband and I use for our house so that our guests can easily connect to our home WIFI, for example.
This week I enjoyed exploring the virtual field trips, and I ended up going through quite a bit of them. The one I spent the most time on was one that I looked up myself: a virtual tour of the Holocaust Memorial Museum in DC. [https://artsandculture.google.com/story/bwVReA5AY3zn9g] As an English teacher, I teach about this quite a bit, so I wanted to check out virtual field trip options. While the virtual tour does leave out some of the experience that you get in-person, it’s still laid out in an impactful way for students to build their background knowledge while staying in the classroom. I haven’t been to the museum in about six years, but this virtual tour really does feel the same, has the same tone, as it does going through the museum itself.
The virtual tour made me think about VR experiences / tours that are available. I actually own a VR headset, so I did some exploring there, and found that there is a free experience for a virtual setting of Anne Frank’s house, which would be a good experience for students who were to read the book in school. When thinking about educational uses of “layered reality,” VR is one that instantly comes to mind for me as I enjoy using this type of technology myself. Immersion VR (n.d.) states, “Using VR, schools can provide students with travel experiences that would not be possible or practical. Schools can save time and money whilst providing students with incredible experiences.” As a teacher that teaches within a reasonable distance to Washington, DC, I have experienced the hurdles that planning field trips hold. In my county, we can’t have a regular school bus get us to DC, as they had to be back before the end of the school day, which isn’t really feasible for a full field trip experience. To take that kind of trip, we would have to book charter buses, which is wildly expensive. VR tours and experiences, then, are a fantastic way to overcome this challenge and still provide students with a valuable experience.
Another educational use of “layered reality” is the use of augmented reality. I have a deep interest in augmented reality, but I’ve never dabbled in it myself. The #QuickTips with Jacob (2020) gives a really fantastic view on creating augmented reality experiences for schools with iPads by displaying AR content on physical images. I really love the idea that he shows about creating an AR book review experience, and I think it is such a brilliant way to engage students with things they may not normally be engaged in. Many students like using technology when they can, and with something this novel and new, I think many students would be engaged just for the experience alone (while we also sneak in some learning!). I think the AR technology in this video could be used in so many different ways. Thinking about it, I think it would be such a cool way to spice up a gallery walk around the classroom, for example, and could spark so much conversation.
References
Immersion VR (n.d.). VR for education. https://immersionvr.co.uk/about-360vr/vr-for-education/
#QuickTips with Jacob (2020, August 2). How to create an augmented reality book review using Reality Composer on iPad. [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/zAKOxugYRV4
What a great idea about a QR code for your home wifi. This would make it so easy! I have used QR codes for class scavenger hunts often in the classroom but didn’t think about incorporating it into my personal home life. Thanks for sharing!
It is truly amazing how many virtual field trips are available. During the shut down due to the pandemic my kids and I took one virtual field trip a week. I need to try to tie some of these VR trips into my planning , in a math classroom that can be a harder obstacle.
Using QR codes as scavenger hunts seems like a pretty cool idea!
I love how you use a QR code for your home wifi. That is genius! Like you, my school is pretty far from D. C., so we would need to take charter buses also for any field trip to that area. I have been to the Holocaust Museum in person. I am going to try the virtual one.
Yes, I wish there were better field trip solutions that don’t take charter buses. I suppose advocating for more virtual experiences are part of a solution!
I am stealing your QR Code for the home WIFI! I love it. I’ve seen a similar idea in an Air B & Bs but it took me to restaurant ideas and local sight seeing spots. I also used QR Tiger and a similar color scheme. It was fun to play with the colors. I love the Shakespeare quote. I struggled with what my code should take people to. I eventually settled on a virtual tour but I love the quote!
It’s so convenient to have the QR WIFI! I’m pretty sure all smartphones are capable of scanning them now, so we figured it would be easier than our guests typing out a password.
I also liked the many ideas for using QR codes, but they would not be as feasible on the primary level where I teach because most children that age do not have cellphones. I thought the AR book review was pretty cool too but way beyond my comfort level. I relate more to the reluctant classroom teacher discussed in one of the articles that the librarian had to go get and demonstrate how they could use the technology in the classroom. (Can’t remember which reading that was from.) Kudos to you for thinking you could use that one though. He did make it look easy.
I’m not sure how successful I would be at it, but I do like to try new things. Unfortunately, his video is for iPad users, and my school just has Chromebooks, so if I wanted to create something like that I would have to find another way. I really love the idea, though.
QR code for home wifi. . . brilliant!
I agree that the Quick Tips with Jacob was fascinating, but I would need much more time to sit and go step by step with him to make that work!
We have a VR headset at home too, and I just love the way it really does make me feel like I am really somewhere else!
I saw that on your post! I like to play games on it, but the YouTube VR app has so many 360 videos that would be great for students to experience.
I love your idea about the WIFI at home! It’s something I have never considered, but would be so convenient. Now that I have experience with QR codes, I would love to find more way to utilize them!
I second that Sierra! I love that idea Amy!! For some reason, I thought I already commented on this post, but I don’t see it. I think I had an issue with not being logged in or perhaps WordPress was down one night, and several of my posts didn’t make it live. Nice job with this!