The Way I Teach

How to get Students to Hear
Instructions Automatically
As a former teacher in the classroom (13 years) turned Innovation Lab Facilitator (3 Years) turned Tech Support for teachers and families during this pandemic (Immediately) - I found that kids were not reading instructions on documents they were assigned. I have something that will help with this.

The glory of it all is that it will also be useful when we go back so its not just for virtual learning. Therefore - time not "wasted."

Shocker - right? I mean, why would we suddenly think kids behaviors would change now that they're at home? Not reading instructions was a problem at school too. Kiddos aren't going to miraculously change and read instructions because it's more important than ever or because as a teacher you are working so hard to give them instructions to be successful.

Let's face it. Many digitized lessons were digitized worksheets or lessons that were missing 1 very important component - the teacher! By NO fault of any teacher. A worksheet, digitized or not can only do so much. Which is why those instructions are more important then ever and for some teachers more than others if you didn't do any live sessions. Those instructions may be the only instructions your student is getting so why not give instructions to your students with,

Your voice
A memoji or animoji
Something that will "hook" them in right away.

Especially, if it is the only "human component" students have connecting them to their schoolwork. Below you'll find the video instructions so you can see how it works!

How-to-Engage-Students-in-Distance-Learning

I'll continue to add to this Memoji topic so be sure to follow this blog HERE or follow me on Instagram HERE . You'll be kept up to date with examples on capturing students attention!

Comment below with questions or how you might use a Memoji. When you do this, I will be sure to answer them in my next post.

Coming up,

Memojis and Green Screen
How to create a Memoji with NO iphone (work arounds)

Google Changes my Assignments from Present to Edit

Having students open up presentations in PRESENT MODE is something many of us need. But EVERY single time you post an assignment using the URL from PRESENT or PREVIEW mode,Google "strips it" of that format and puts it back to EDIT mode. When kids click on their assignment, they have to know to go to present or they can see all the slides in the thumbnails which we often don't want them to see. I'm going to show you a work around until Google fixes it because it's enough to drive a teacher over the edge!

Reasons You Might Need to Assign in Present Mode

In case you're wondering WHY a teacher might want to assign a presentation in PRESENT MODE, below are a few reasons why.

Little kiddos can open up games and just play. Otherwise you have to teach them to go to present mode. This is not for the drag and drop games and moving pieces practice. You cannot move pieces in present mode. But, you can click on the link below to see how a game made with links can function in PRESENT MODE.

39 Digital Reading Games with Audio and Self Correct Coming Soon!

You might want to assign any age student a presentation that is made for viewing and exploration. Think hyperdoc or game board or something to that extent in which you don't need kids to use or type on slides in edit mode.

How do I do It? What are you even talking about? You can download the printable document below for the STEPS. In the document there is a link to a list of URL shorteners and a link to video instructions. The video will show you the difference between present and preview and how to get those URL's if you don't know how. It's quite simple once you know. PROMISE.

Why this Works

This was one of those accidental discoveries. I had to retrace my steps from 2 years ago to see how in the heck I was able to have an assignment open up in Google classroom in present mode. I went to the Google help forums and there were over 40 questions on how to do this. None of them work if you want kids to,

be able to click on links manually and control the pace of the slides

assign the presentation so kids can return it

assign multiple variations of the assignment for differentiation

Basically, a URL shortener is able to "capture" the URL in preview mode and lock it in. I'm sure that isn't the proper "tech" word for that but you get it - right?

What's the Difference between Preview and Present?

Well, I think this is still the case but for me it was that pesky tool bar at the bottom that shows up whenever it wants. That toolbar was in the way of my game and covered up a speaker. To say the least - IT. WAS. ANNOYING!

Preview mode removed the toolbar so it was out of the way. Before I learned that, I was so desperate to remove it I found how to change the script to make it vanish - FOREVER. Not necessary - at all- which is good for you.

We love Google, we do. Google Classroom has been the saving grace for teachers during this time as a way to reach our students. It's also a VERY good time for Google to improve their site based off of teachers and students needs. Be sure to send Google feedback so Google can change it. I do hope this helps you and your kiddos!

Read Part 1:

3 Ways QR Codes can Help you Teach HERE

Mini-Lessons can be given using QR codes. If you have ever had that overwhelming feeling of helplessness and felt like you couldn't possibly reach all your kids, QR codes can help you reach and teach students. When I started using QR codes in non-traditional ways, I was blown away by the impact, engagement, and student independence that was occurring.

What types of mini-lessons can QR codes work for?

Vocabulary support
Charts (graphics or class made)
Rubrics (when students forget criteria)
Phonics Skills
Refreshers/Reviews of content
Front-loading
Behavior/Social Skills

Remember, you have the entire web at your disposal. Linking QR codes to

content
images
videos
audio

is a way to invite other experts into your classroom to do some teaching for you.

There are a multitude of videos that are kid friendly and explain academic content in an engaging and kid friendly way.

Vocabulary

One way I was able to help reach my ESL students was I made vocabulary cards that were categorized by theme. I found ESL videos that I was able to use to teach vocabulary like family, fruits, animals, colors, numbers, etc. I was able to pair these up with units we working on in class and send them home.

Making simple videos to teach kids vocabulary while they practice sight words, simple sentences, and reading is one way to use QR codes. Below are a few examples on how QR codes can be linked to lessons and offer student support.

Here are 2 examples of videos that are linked to QR codes.

Resource Link

Resource Link

I had made the resource specifically because I had 11 ESL/ELL level 1 students in a kinder class along with a few students who needed extra support with teen numbers. I needed a way to work with my groups while others were working on something meaningful.

Problem:

How were my students who could not say the teen number names with one to one correspondence possibly going to trace the correct number on their recording sheet?

Solution:

Count the objects (animals), clip their answer, scan it. A 1:00 minute mini-lesson with visuals. Audio counts out the animals one at a time as the animals are shown to represent the number being said. The final teen number that represents the amount of objects is repeated. Students correct their answer then trace.

What happened:

Highly engaged students who you could hear saying the numbers with the audio each time they scanned. That means they were practicing counting from 1-20 and number recognition 20 times in one center with audio and visual support while I was working with my math groups!

Phonics Skills and REVIEW

Putting QR codes linked to short phonics videos or songs can be placed in centers for

reviewing phonics skills being practiced in center
early finisher activity
QR codes with audio is helpful for instructions for kids who forget

The QR codes can be placed with the center or copied onto the recording sheet so it can go home with students and shared with families.

Below is an example of a QR code linked to a video for review:

phonemic-awareness-centers-long-a-short-a

Resource Link

Rubrics and Charts

When using worksheets or recording sheets for students to complete, QR codes can be linked to images to show,

anchor charts made with the class
student tools such as number lines, alphabets, periodic table, wanted to throw that in there because, remember, it's the concept not the content that will help you teach and reach students.
rubrics

I can't tell you how many times I had asked my own son, "Do you have a rubric? Where is your rubric? What is the criteria?" For the sake of time, saving paper, and parent support at home, QR codes linked to rubrics would be great!

Student Behavior and Social Skills

You know how you see all those wonderful calm down ceters on Pinterest, well, I don't know about you but in the lower grades it was difficult to use a "safe space" or calm down area in a managable way. What I ended up doing was finding videos linked to specific behaviors so if a student did need behavior intervention after I tried A, B, or C, I could have them scan and watch the social story video. This bought me time to finish lessons, groups, or whatever I was doing, until I could get to the student. Plus it gave the student a place to take a break and reflect on what was going on. You can see and download the social story book with QR codes HERE.

QUICK and EASY

Making QR codes linked to ready made videos and images is quick and easy. It takes a minute and is worth it!

Making QR codes with audio for instructions, reading a word, giving directions, etc. takes a few more steps but is a pretty simple process and can be done rather quickly.

Making QR codes linked to videos or lessons made by you takes a little longer and can be as simple or complicated as your skill set allows when making videos. I have made some videos for QR codes that were simple and they got the job done.

NOTE: ALL my videos were made in PPT (Powerpoint).

If you are thinking - GREAT! but what is the process for making these QR codes, audio, and videos? Subscribe below.

If you're thinking, "I don't have time for that," start small and see how kids interact with the QR codes or check out some resources that are ready made with QR codes.

Do you know my entire kinder class taught themselves their Christmas songs using QR codes? They did. Then I took a bluetooth speaker with me and we walked into classrooms and around the school doing "flash" caroling in pajamas. It was awesome! The resource below is what I used to accomplish this. Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to see that QR codes can be used in a variety of ways and for different purposes. They can be a valuable tool for lessening your work and reaching students.

Resource Link

If you want to know more about how you can create your own images, audio, and video to help you reach more students or to create resources to help teachers teach subscribe below.

Using-QR-Codes-in-the-elementary-classroom

Read Part 2: How you can use QR codes to teach mini-lessons and reach more students.

QR codes have helped me,

reach more students

cut down on interruptions

ensure students are learning and not just copying

teach vocabulary

teach numbers

front-load

offer scaffolding support

and more

This isn't just for young kids. QR codes can help you teach at any grade level.

Here are 3 main ways I used QR codes to help me teach in the classroom.

Self-Checking
Mini-Lessons
Independent Activities

Under each of those 3 topics there are many different ways to use QR codes. What I mean is this.

Self-Checking can look very different depending on the grade, activity, and purpose. There are 2 things, however, that remains the same for all students, teachers, and grades.

Self-checking is a researched based practice that supports student learning by giving students feedback to monitor their learning.
Giving students immediate feedback can be difficult for teachers.

QR codes can help you give students feedback on their work in a variety of ways regardless of age and grade through images, audio, or video. Those media files can be made by you or by others.

Mini-Lessons can be given using QR codes. But think of the different types of mini-lessons you might need.

Vocabulary support
Charts (graphics or class made)
Rubrics (when students forget criteria)
Phonics Skills
Refreshers/Reviews of content
Front-loading

Independent Activities can help you reach more students. If you have QR codes that lead to lessons, you can reach more kids. Sometimes that may require audio for your ESL students or non-readers but other times it can lead to lessons that are personalized for a specific student or groups of students.

If you are having a hard time visualizing these 3 topics, here are a few examples of resources that demonstrate self-checking using QR codes.

Purpose:

Student support
Immediate feedback

Here is an example of a resource that uses QR codes linked to videos.

I worked with a wonderful lady who made me think harder and that is how the resource below evolved. She was a skeptic of centers and felt that many kindergarten kids probably practiced words that they couldn't read and if they could read and write them, then, why were they practicing them?

Point Taken.

Resource Link

First 10 Words FREE Sample Link

She was correct. If you do centers or word work,take your kids who are struggling with reading and writing vocabulary words in any academic area, sight words, or spelling words in any grade level and I am certain you will find the same thing. Ask them (struggling students) what the word says, means, or to spell it.

In Kindergarten, I did that. My lower 3rd of the class were practicing words in word work centers and they had no idea what the word was that they were doing a word work activity for!

A Solution:

QR codes on rings that students could scan and see and hear the word no matter what center they were in. They also used these in writing. Kids stopped coming up to me to ask, "what's this word?" They had the rule ask 3 before me interruptions were still happening.

Why it works:

Kids got immediate feedback when they needed it and when it mattered.
The QR codes addressed different modalities of learning: visual, kinesthetic, and auditory.
Students were using technology in a meaningful way.

Here is an example of a resource that uses QR codes for self checking linked to images. A QR code with audio would be a great option for students who may have difficulty reading the text.

Resource Link

Students read and better understand how descriptive details lead to painting a picture (literally) but with crayons. When they finish they scan the QR code. If they read the description correctly then their picture should look very similar.

Common Use in Classrooms

Typically, and what you will see a lot of, is teachers who use QR codes for the ever so popular "write the room activities." That's where kids at any age or grade level and any academic area area walk around the room and scan QR codes to reveal a picture, word, or answer to what they are trying to solve. The QR code can reveal an image, text, audio, or video, depending on what you are trying to accomplish.

An example in a primary classroom would be a picture taped or stapled to a wall. The student writes the word, then scans the QR code to see if they spelled the word correctly. That's not the only way but you get it. In the example below, students counted how many animals were on the card and then used a clothespin to clip the number. Students then scanned the QR code to check their answer and get a mini-lesson. I'll show you the mini-lesson in part 2 of this series.

Resource Link FREE

In older grades it might be a math problem or vocabulary word. Students write the definition, scan, and reveal. These are forms of self-checking that help them monitor their learning.

There are so many things and ways to use QR codes in the classroom and you don't have to have Ipads. Chrome Books work with QR codes too. I'm wondering how you might be thinking you can use QR codes to reach your students and help you teach or what questions you might have? Leave a comment or questions below.

Subscribe below if:

You are interested in learning more about ways to use QR code in your classroom.
You want to learn how to create your own resources using QR codes
You want to be notified when part 2 is posted, "How to use QR codes to teach mini-lessons."
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Read Part 2: How you can use QR codes to teach mini-lessons and reach more students.

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Tonya Leslie

Explore

featured Slider

How to STOP Students from Skipping Instructions!

How to Auto Open in Present Mode in Google Classroom

Google Changes my Assignments from Present to Edit

1 Way to Create Student Independence

QR codes are a tool that let you invite other experts into your room to:

This requires a slight mindshift in thinking, it requires you to stop thinking:

you have to be the expert

you have to be the one who teaches the content.

QR Codes in the Classroom for Mini-Lessons

3 Ways to Use QR Codes in the Classroom

Read Part 2: How you can use QR codes to teach mini-lessons and reach more students.

QR codes have helped me,

reach more students

cut down on interruptions

ensure students are learning and not just copying

teach vocabulary

teach numbers

front-load

offer scaffolding support

and more

This isn't just for young kids. QR codes can help you teach at any grade level.

Subscribe below if:

About Me

Resources in STORE

Labels

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Tonya Leslie

Explore

featured Slider

How to STOP Students from Skipping Instructions!

Glad you're here! Subscribe below!

How to Auto Open in Present Mode in Google Classroom

Google Changes my Assignments from Present to Edit

Glad you're here! Subscribe below!

1 Way to Create Student Independence

QR codes are a tool that let you invite other experts into your room to:

This requires a slight mindshift in thinking, it requires you to stop thinking: you have to be the expert you have to be the one who teaches the content.

Glad you're here! Subscribe below!

QR Codes in the Classroom for Mini-Lessons

3 Ways to Use QR Codes in the Classroom

Read Part 2: How you can use QR codes to teach mini-lessons and reach more students.

QR codes have helped me,

reach more students cut down on interruptions ensure students are learning and not just copying teach vocabulary teach numbers front-load offer scaffolding support and more This isn't just for young kids. QR codes can help you teach at any grade level.

Subscribe below if:

Glad you're here! Subscribe below!

About Me

Search This Blog

Resources in STORE

Labels

Popular Posts

Hey There! Lets Keep in Touch!

This requires a slight mindshift in thinking, it requires you to stop thinking:

you have to be the expert

you have to be the one who teaches the content.

reach more students

cut down on interruptions

ensure students are learning and not just copying

teach vocabulary

teach numbers

front-load

offer scaffolding support

and more

This isn't just for young kids. QR codes can help you teach at any grade level.