Creating a QR Code Listening Center

I love technology, and I love incorporating it into my daily instruction, but when I first heard about QR codes I thought it was a bit much.  My first year teaching I had a chalkboard in my classroom after all, and now look how far we've come!!  Now that I've researched it a bit more, I can honestly say, working with QR codes is easy and fun.  So, I will walk you through it, and hopefully you will feel comfortable enough to try it out.

You will need to have three things:

access to YouTube (unfortunately, some districts block it)

a device that the kids can use - IPad, old IPhone, etc.

a QR reader app (they're free - search the app store for one)

The first thing you need to do is cruise YouTube for a good book; not all book videos are created equal!  The Storybook Factory, Storyline Online, and The Illustrated Book are a few of my favorite channels.  From this point, there are two ways to go.  I will cover both ways, and you can decide which you prefer.

#1: The Easy Way

Watch the video all the way through and make sure it will fit your needs.  If you like it, copy the URL at the top of the screen.

Go to safeshare.tv and paste the URL into the box.  Click the 'Generate Safe Link' button.

A new screen will open.  You now have the option to change the title and give the video a description.     I always check the two boxes below the description.  The first box makes your video private, and the second box removes the social media icons from the video.  Click submit.

The new safeshare version of the video will appear.  Copy the URL.  At this point, you will need to find a QR code generator.  My favorite is qrstuff.com.  Paste the URL into the box and a QR code will be generated to the right.  You can change the color if you want.  I keep them black and white since I don't have open access to a color printer.

Click 'download QR code' and it will be downloaded to your computer as a PNG file.  You can now manipulate, copy, and paste just like you would any other picture or piece of clipart.

The reason I don't prefer this method is that the safeshare video has options that the kids can select (and you know how kids like to push buttons!).  When the safeshare video comes up on your student device it looks like this:

There are three buttons at the top that can be selected: FAQ, Support, and API, as well as the language drop-down option.  They won't take the kids to anything they shouldn't see, but I prefer that they have no options outside of the 'play' button.  So, when I make my QR codes, I usually use the method outlined below.

#2: A Bit More Complicated (But Not Too Much)

Again, find a video and watch it all the way through.  If you like it, click on the share button beneath the video.

A bunch of icons will drop down, along with three selections: share, embed, and email.  Click on embed.  A long snippet of code will come up.  Click on 'show more' beneath the code.

Deselect any boxes that are checked, and copy the entire snippet of code.

I paste the code into a separate document to make it easier to manipulate.  It will look like this (without the highlighting):

Delete everything but the highlighted portion.  At the end, after the ampersand (&), add the following snippet of code:

autoplay=1

This will cause the video to open automatically, without all the extra videos that YouTube posts along the side of the screen.  The only thing the kids will see is the video and the red play arrow in the center of it (this is why I prefer this method).  There will also be no suggested videos at the end of the video.  It will simply stop playing.  The only option the kids will have is to exit out of it so they can scan another.

The final piece of code should look something like this:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yc8vkcR2Lukrel=0&autoplay=1

Go back to the QR code generator.

Copy your code and paste it in the box that says 'website URL.'

Select 'download QR code,' and it will be downloaded to your computer as a PNG file.  You can then copy, paste, and manipulate it just like you would any other picture or piece of clipart.  It will look like this:

I print them off, and tape them right on the front of the book.   Some teachers print them on cardstock, laminate them, and place them all on a ring. 

Good luck and happy listening!

Daily 5 and Cafe

Over the summer, I had a conversation with my sister about a new program that she was using in her 5th grade classroom.  That program was the Daily 5.  I was skeptical about what she was telling me, and I wondered if it would even be applicable to my 2nd grade situation.  I decided to buy the book, and I spent the summer reading and thinking about it.  

As the first day of school arrived, I became more and more nervous, but also excited to see if it would work.  I followed the book religiously, and now - 7 weeks later - I am a true believer.    I had always taught using small group instruction, but always had students off-task and noisy while I was trying to teach.  My second graders are now doing things independently.  They don't interrupt guided reading time; I can actually teach during guided reading time!  They read independently for long periods of time.  And most importantly, after 16 years of teaching, I am excited about teaching again.

These are my anchor charts (here's where I got them - and they're free!).  I have seen them already filled in, but I felt that it was important to fill them in as a class; for the students to contribute (through my guidance) what was important for them to do during these times.  I especially loved the discussions that we would have about why we were doing these things.  I was amazed at how easily they clued in to the fact that they were doing these things to better themselves.  It has really helped to raise their intrinsic motivation.

The only one that my students struggled with was Read to Someone.  We ended up practicing that one for much longer than the other ones, and we still have to touch on it occasionally.  They caught onto the other four fairly quickly, and we were able to move through the practice sessions steadily.  Whatever you do, DON'T SKIP THOSE PRACTICE SESSIONS!; they are vital if you want your students to be truly independent.  A fellow teacher at my school would go around and whisper in their ears when they were off task instead of calling them all back to the rug, and she has continued to struggle with implementation.  There were times when we would practice for 30 seconds and I would have to call them back because someone was off-task.  Don't be afraid - follow through.

Word work with Halloween colors!

Reading to Self with Little Monster.

Reading to Someone with The Little Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat.

When I bought the Daily 5, Amazon recommended the Cafe Book.  After doing a little bit more reading, I purchased it as well.  And again, all I can say is "WOW!"  I have current and up-to-date data on all my students, and it is all in one place.  I set objectives with my students, and days later they can still tell me what they are working on; whether it's increasing their rate to 55 words per minute, or cross-checking, they can tell me exactly what they are working on.  Without reservation, I would recommend both of these books.  I feel like my teaching has reached another level, and I have a much better grasp on where my students are and where they need to go.

Our Cafe board to date - we still have many strategies to add.
The Cafe headers are free and can be found here.