Creating Audio QR Codes for Your Classroom!

Here's a step-by-step on how to create an audio QR code! I've decided to create these as often as I can and attach them to directions (mostly for independent centers and stations)- that way, if students are having trouble or aren't sure what to do, they can scan the QR code and listen to the directions! 

This is the easiest way I've found to create these audio QR codes (since I'm recording directly to the computer, rather than on an iPad or iPhone. This eliminates having to sync or email the recording and house it somewhere online- like DropBox)! 

Here are a few other ideas for audio QR codes in the classroom:

- Create a recording of a book and glue the QR code to the inside of the book- instant listening center! And you can do this with ANY book you want! 

- Have students create a review of a book from your classroom library. Glue the QR code to the inside of the book- then students can scan to hear a peer review of the book! 

- Have students record themselves reading their writing. Post the QR next to the student's writing so when visitors come in, they can scan and hear the student reading their writing! 

- Like I said before, attach a QR code of you reading the directions or instructions to a center or station. This eliminates the "What am I supposed to do here....?" question!  

- Give spelling tests this way! Record yourself reading the list of words. Students can scan the QR code and listen to each word and write the words down at their own pace! Students can even pause and go back as they need! 

Now I'm off to have a lazy Sunday!!!...

How do you use audio QR codes in your classroom!!???

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Five for Friday

It's literally been FOREVER since I've linked up with Doodle Bugs for Five for Friday! 

Here's a little peek from my week. :) 

I'm off on maternity leave now, waiting for baby to arrive (any day now!!!)! So most of my time has been spent getting the house ready! I'm so excited that his room is all ready to go and it turned out more amazing than I had hoped! 

This is my favorite room in the house! I love the light!!! 

I'm also SUPER excited to be getting a new blog design from Megan at A Bird In Hand Designs! See!

I kept seeing all of her amazing designs and I just couldn't resist! So make sure to check back soon to see my new design! Yipeee! 

I've also had some time to work on some TPT stuff {finally}!!!! I'm thinking ahead to the beginning of next year (crazy- I know!) and started working on some centers to align to our new Wonders curriculum (although you don't have to be using Wonders to enjoy these!).  

Does anyone else use Wonders!?!?!? I'd love to hear your thoughts! This was our first year with it, and there was definitely an adjustment period! Although I do have to say- I LOVE the text selections; they're all really high interest for the kids and lend themselves to great conversations!  

I got a brilliant idea to attach an audio QR code to the student directions in these centers. That way, if students are not quite sure what to do, or if they can't read the directions yet, they can scan the QR code with a device and LISTEN to the directions begin read to them! {I'm hoping!} this will cut back on the "What am I supposed to do...?!!!?????" glazed over look. 

One easy way I've found to create audio QR codes is with this website: 

If you need more info about QR codes and how to make them, head {HERE} to learn more!!! Look for a post on this soon, too! 

And of course, I've been spending lots of time with these two... 

Have a wonderful weekend!!!! 

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Array Unit and Happy Easter!!!

Happy Easter my sweet friends!

I have {finally} finished this array unit! (It's been on my list of things to do forevvvvveeeerrrrrrr!) 

The Easter Bunny

set it for FREE on TPT for today! 

You can find it on TPT HERE!

I'll blog more about the details soon....

(Don't worry- iPads are NOT necessary for this unit- there ARE optional iPad activities included, though- in case your students have access to devices!) 

Right now I'm off to spend some time with my mama! 

Have you seen this video yet!!!??? If not, take a few minutes to watch it! It'll change your day! :) 

Happy Easter friends!!! 

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Learning All About Weather with QR Codes {FREEBIE}

About a month ago, my wonderful teaching buddy and I had an opportunity to present at the CUE conference in Palm Springs! 

It was SO much fun!!! We presented "iPad Projects for the 21st Century Classroom" and {we think!} it was a hit!  

I wanted to share one of the projects we presented on, and share this weather freebie with you! 

In our new Wonders curriculum, there is a unit on weather, and how weather affects our everyday life. We did lots of close reading, shared reading, and guided reading about weather. We're so lucky to live in beautiful Southern California, so many of the types of weather we read about were very unfamiliar to the students. 

For this project, students were randomly placed into groups of four. 

We wanted students to create a virtual "wall" using Padlet, which is a website that allows you to post "stickies" to the wall. {HAVE YOU USED PADLET BEFORE!!!!?} One group member created the wall, then shared it with the other group members using the easy share feature! This meant that all students in the group were on the same wall, and could collaborate with each other and see one another's ideas! 

(We use the Qrafter app to scan QR codes!) 

Once in groups of four, students chose from a bag to determine which weather type they would be the "expert" on. 

Once students knew which type of weather they were responsible for, they began scanning the QR codes that matched their weather type. 

Each QR code would take them to a slide I created using PowerPoint. The slides were then exported as a PDF and uploaded to my Dropbox account. I then "shared" the link through Dropbox to create the QR codes. 

The actual slides look like this, and there were six slides for each weather type (so this is what the kids saw when they scanned the QR codes):  

Once they scanned the QR codes, they added the information they had learned to their Padlet wall to share with their other groups members. (Any sticky one kiddo posts, all of the other students in the group can see it on their device as well!) 

Some kids even got really tech savvy, took a screen shot of the slide, and added it to the Padlet wall as a photo! By the end, some of them had even added videos of themselves SPEAKING about what they had learned! They also found photos and drew pictures!  

You can download all of the QR code resources for this project here! 

To evaluate how the project went, students took a survey on Google to determine how working with their group went that day. 

You can check out a video of this lesson here! 



As a follow up activity, students worked with their groups to create newscasts about their weather type! We used a green screen and iMovie! 

Check out one of the group's videos here! 
(I'm working on a how-to post on iMovie and green screening! Look for it soon!) 


 
Here is the outline kids used to organize their news reports!
(Click to download!) 

Finally, we had a wonderful opportunity to Mystery Skype with Kate from Purely Paperless's class in Montana! You can check Kate out here (she's wonderful!!!!!): 

When you Mystery Skype, you connect with another class around the country (or world!) through Skype or Google Hangouts (we used Google Hangouts- it was really easy!) and students ask questions to figure out where the other class is located. 

This was an amazing opportunity because while we were enjoying 80 degree weather in Southern California, our buddy class' playground was covered in inches of snow! We got see what it looks like to have a playground covered in snow, and we got to ask questions about what it's like going to school in the snow! They also got to ask us all about the beach! This was such a fun way to collaborate and communicate with students from another part of the country! 

***If you're looking for a class to Mystery Skype with, a great resource is Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #mysteryskype! Blogging is also a great way to connect with other teachers who might be interested! 

If you'd like more technology project ideas, or to see our resources from the CUE presentation, hop on over to 

and check it out! 

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