Quicker QR Codes

Quicker QR Codes

classroom management tips

Sunday Sit, Sip, and “Sync” ~ March 22, 2015

We are finding more and more of our teachers are adopting the use of QR codes to direct their students to resources and activities. If you are using Mozilla Firefox as your browser, there is a little add-on that can speed up generating your QR codes. By enabling the add-on, “QR Code Image Generator” by webdevmedia, you only have to right-click and scroll down to find your generator. This add-on will allow you to make QR codes of the current URL, selected text, or “free text”.

Quicker QR Codes
It also works offline.
If you prefer shortcut keys, just press CTRL-SHIFT-Q. 

Quiicker QR CodesQuiicker QR Codes

You no longer have to search for QR code generators or go to your bookmarks.

I took a substituting job last week, and the teacher had developed an activity for a math center. After students completed a worksheet on fractions, they used their iPods to check their answers using the QR codes next to each problem. Who doesn’t love to see the “fist pumps” and to hear whispered, “Yeses!” when our students scan the codes that lead them to a correct answer?
Just another way technology can motivate students to learn.

NOTE:
Oh, and I looked up the spelling of the plural form of “yes” and learned from several sites that either “yeses” or “yesses” are acceptable.
And the plural form of “no”? That would be”noes”.

Have a great week!

[Tweet “With this Mozilla Firefox add-on, generate QR codes quickly within your browser and while working offline.”]

Outlines Made Easy

tips writing

Sunday Sit, Sip, and “Sync” ~ 11-13-2011

I’m talking about a free download from rynelf.com.

It’s an “Outline Generator” called Redhaven Outline,
and after “playing” with it for ten minutes this week, I was SOLD.

It only takes minutes to download, but it will save you hours and hours of generating outlines.

It has simplified the concept enough so that your students will be able to use it, as well.

I have included a screen capture,
and with “right clicks” and “click-and-drags”, you can manipulate the “nodes” of your outline.

Finally, when you select/highlight the “Outline Title”,
you can select the pull-down menu from “Reports” and choose “Export to clipboard using active report”.

Next, open your favorite word-processing program, and paste in your outline from the clipboard.

If you like, you can change the outline specifications through your word-processing program. I’ve included a link to view the outline generated from the screenshot samples.

Don’t be afraid to use the key short-cuts that are shown on the “right-click” menus. It took me just a couple of minutes to familiarize myself with them, speeding up the process even more.

Click on the image below to see a clear sample of what this program will look like on your screen.

Click on Compare-Contrast Essay Outline to view a pdf copy of the outline that is generated from the above view.

We would love to hear your opinion on this little program,
and whether you find it helpful.

Also, if you know of any other little generators that might help all of us,
please don’t be shy about sharing!

And enjoy your week. For many of us, it is a long week, sandwiched between two short ones.

And we’re thankful for that!

Alphabet Soup

tips

Monday Morning Message ~ 5-2-2011

I had a chance to attend the Discovery Educator Network Spring Virtual Conference 2011 sponsored by the Missouri Discovery Educator Network at the Cooperative School Districts Virtual Learning Center.

One of the sessions was entitled “Alphabet Soup”.
The session was excellent and dealt with all the Web 2.0 tools and the unlimited ways we can use them to teach our students new things.

The presenter mentioned that the image on his title slide took him two and a half hours of preparation, plus several cans of soup.

We thought you would enjoy creating your own image of alphabet soup minus the hours of labor and soup cans.

As teachers, we can think of endless ways to use something like this,
but why not give your kids a chance to have some fun with it, too.

The idea of “Alphabet Soup” can be a spinoff for so much imagination.
I could not begin to list the ways a bowl of alphabet soup could be used as a story starter, but I know ten minutes of brainstorming with my students could generate a list with enough ideas that they will want to run, not walk, to the computer lab.

Provide the link for them,
watch the different bowls that are generated,
and teach them to save their images to be used in their personal projects.

Finally, find a way to share their stories or projects.
What a quick way to fill that last bulletin board of the year!

Most of all, make it fun for you and your students!

(Just click on our little picture of our “alphabet soup bowl”
to take you to the generator!)