# data[].attributes.body
Nearpod

Nearpod allows for students to reamain engaged and interested in learning. It also allows for the teacher to easily view the progress of each individual student.

I want to use Nearpod in my classroom for a lot of the fun learning games. With young learners, it can be hard to make the learning process fun and Nearpod helps to keep them interested.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Engage and assess your students in every lesson!

# data[].attributes.body
5 Reasons to Use Nearpod in the Classroom

This article discussed the variety of ways that Nearpod can be used in the classroom. It talks about how Nearpod can be used on a number of different devices as well as individually or in groups.

I think this is very important information to know because, right now, I can't tell what kind of resources the school I will be working in will have. Therefore, being adaptable is necessary.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Guest blog post by Jen Kimbrell

My job as an instructional technology facilitator provides me the opportunity to assist teachers in infusing technology into the curriculum. I am fortunate enough to work with over twenty classrooms that are 1:1. Having a device for every student has been such a blessing to my teachers and students. I have seen such a tremendous change in the way teachers are interacting with students in the classroom. Many of my teachers are becoming facilitators. They are guiding students to create, think critically, and collaborate.

However, this does not happen overnight. Receiving a classroom set of iPads can be overwhelming. I always advise my teachers to start small. Choose a core set of apps and stick with them until students are more comfortable with the routines and procedures of the devices.

One of my favorite apps to get started is called Nearpod. Nearpod is an application tool that takes your presentations to a whole new level. Teachers can take already existing PowerPoints or PDFs and upload them to the Nearpod site to create enriched multimedia presentations with interactive features. Some of the features include adding quizzes, drawing tools, and video to the lesson. Teachers can then share the content with the students and control the activity with the Nearpod app. Students have the capability to receive the content from the teacher on their device for a great interactive lesson. There are many reasons to love this application but here are my top five reasons why Nearpod is a great way to start the journey of using devices in the classroom

1. Nearpod works on ANY device, whether students have iPads, computers, or other tablets. This is great especially for schools that allow students to bring their own devices.

2. The teacher has complete control of student devices. Yes, I said complete control. Before the lesson, the teacher provides a code for students to join the session. Once joined, the students submit their names which allows the teacher to see on the teacher iPad the names of the students that have joined. When all students have joined, the teacher can share the first slide of the presentation and begin the lesson. Students are only allowed to see the slide the teacher shares which ensures students are on task. If students try to go to the next slide the application will not allow them to do so. The students can exit the application but the teacher is notified when this occurs. This is a nice feature when just starting a 1:1 classroom or working with students in small groups, especially as it relates to classroom management.

3. Students can annotate slides to explain their thinking about a particular topic. For example, if teaching a math concept, students can show how to solve the problem by drawing it out using the pen tool feature. When the student uses the drawing tool, the student has the ability to submit their work. The teacher then has the capability of choosing a student response to share with the other students. This response can be seen on all student devices. Students can also take a quiz or poll directly on the device. Best of all, the information is saved to the Nearpod website for teacher analysis! The students' annotated slides are also saved.

4. Only have a few devices? No problem, use them in small groups. I've seen the app used for guided reading groups, researching a science project, or collaborating on a math problem. The sky is the limit! There is also a premium version that costs around $120.00 annually that will allow students to use a homework code to work at their own pace without teacher control. This code can be used at home as well so students can review the lesson again and again. Other premium features include adding websites, audio, and longer video recordings.

5. The last reason why I love Nearpod is the plethora of already-made teacher resources created just for Nearpod. These resources can be found in the Nearpod store on the app or go to http://content.nearpod.com. There are lots of great free and paid lessons for all grade levels.

If you are interested in learning more about Nearpod and how to create your own, please check out a blog post I wrote about the subject. Have you used Nearpod in the classroom? I would love to hear what you think about this incredible app!

Jen is the K-5 instructional technology facilitator for the North Little Rock School District in Arkansas. Prior to this position, she was a K-5 literacy coach and a first grade classroom teacher. She is has a master's degree in Early Childhood Education and is National Board Certified. Jennifer is the creator of the Tech with Jen blog where she enjoys sharing strategies for using technology in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Reasons to Use Nearpod in the Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Nearpod is an application tool that takes your presentations to a whole new level. Teachers can take already existing PowerPoints or PDFs and upload them to the Nearpod site to create enriched multimedia presentations with interactive features. Some of the features include adding quizzes, drawing tools, and video to the lesson.

# data[].attributes.body
Augmented Reality- Children's Books That Will Engage Students

This article discusses why students have trouble with reading, especially staying engaged when reading.

This article is helpful for my classroom because it is important for me to know what exactly it is that makes reading so difficult for kids. Knowing this will help me to identify it and create solutions to combat the problem.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What do teachers do to get books into the hands of their students?

We ALL have or had students who struggle to find a passion for reading. Teachers will do anything to get an appropriate book into the hands of their students. We give students a reading interest inventory to find out their likes and dislikes. We go to the school library and pull a collection of books to bring back to our classroom. We even head to our local libraries to bring in books from outside of the school building with the hope that our students get excited about at least one of the titles.

Why do some students detest reading?

Many reasons contribute to this question but more often than not it is because they struggle. They struggle with decoding which obviously affects comprehension. Some students can decode but have difficulty making meaning out of the text they read.

On the other side of the spectrum, you have students who are really good readers but still don't enjoy getting down with a good book. Often times these students are used to being stimulated by video games and tech based activities. What can we do about this without replacing reading with completely digital content?

Why should I make augmented reality a part of my classroom library?

Having a few books that contain an element of augmented reality (the ability to product a unique interactive experience) to supplement the text is a great way to target struggling readers as well as those who simply don't enjoy reading for few reasons:

Seeing images, figures and diagrams come to life can help assist comprehension

Increases background knowledge

Increases curiosity

Increases excitement for learning new things

It is ENGAGING!

With that being said, I DO think it is important for children to learn how to build their reading stamina with books alone--no technology involved.

Here is an example of one of the books I mention below (same one displayed in the picture above):

Children's Books with Augmented Reality

A few years ago I was walking through the library at one of my schools and noticed the Guinness Book of World Records book that was on display. These books were MY all time favorite to read as a child. As I approached the book I noticed the 3D advertisement sticker on the front. I was THRILLED. I immediately opened my iPad, downloaded the app and called the librarian over. We spent a solid half hour flipping through the pages ooohing and ahhhing as the text literally came to life right in front of our eyes! So first up on my list are the Guinness Book of World Records Books. All books posted below are Amazon affiliate links.

It seems as though the 2016 & 2017 editions do not contain the AR component😓
Let me know if you are able to find it!

This book is appropriate for beginning readers. The main character, Ernie, wishes to be someone else throughout the book. Eventually he finds the joys of being himself. (This book reminds me a lot of Edward the Emu) Ernie's Wish attempts to makes concepts come alive like counting (pine cones drop from the tree one at a time and the voiceover asks how many they counted), colors (flowers change colors when they are touched), animation (Ernie flies off the page using a jetpack when he wished he could defy gravity), etc.

This is another book for beginning readers. It is about a little boy who refuses to go to bed because he would rather play. His parents decide to take him on a trip around the world with the hopes that he will eventually tire out. Each page is animated and the text is read aloud to the child! You can demo three of the pages for FREE by clicking HERE.

This is another great AR book for small children! This book brings the alphabet to life through print, audio and video. It reminds me a lot of the app, AR Flashcards, that Anita Goodwin blogged about HERE.

This book is ideal for any child who loves fairies (I know several girls who would be obsessed with this book😍). This one is a little different since it uses a computer's webcam instead of an app along with software that comes as a CD (no internet required). Each page spread contains three different animations.

This is a story of a knight and his friends who discover an ancient treasure map. Together the friends embark on a journey to find the most valuable treasure in the world.

This popular film is now available in a children's book and contains several 3D animations! Students will have a blast seeing their favorite characters pop out of the pages.

This is another popular film that has turned into a 3D experience! This book tells about all of the characters from both Monsters Inc. movies. It isn't a story but text appears that tells all about the furry friends.

Explore the wildlife and their habitats with this beautiful book! Learning truly comes alive with this nonfiction text. It also comes with a full set of interactive cards.

Students will have fun learning all about the basic functions of blood cells that will open their eyes to the microscopic world.

Students will take a journey through the solar system as they learn about the history of Moon exploration as well as many other exciting facts.

This book is the PERFECT text to use when teaching severe weather. Students will experience the severity of different kinds of storms and will feel like they are right in the action.

This book will make students feel like they are walking with dinosaurs! I used this one a few weeks ago during a tutoring session and the little boy I was tutoring was absolutely amazed. I hate that I didn't get any pictures of it in action😓

This book captures all of the wonders of science. Learn about atoms, elements, sound waves, gravity and so much more!

This book would be great for any geology unit as it explores issues of our planet and its origin.

Where was this book when I taught Ancient Egypt in 2nd grade? Students will enjoy 3D images, music and games as they explore the world of Egypt 5,000 years ago.

These books are great for students in grades 1st-3rd and teach them how to create origami greeting cards, ornaments, decorations and more. They can use a smartphone or tablet to scan specific pages to watch videos for each project.

I could keep going! Would any of these titles interest YOUR students?

Check out these three Google Drive products that would be great to implement with ANY of these books:

If you enjoyed this post then you might be interested in checking out my Top 10 List of Technology Themed Read Aloud Books ☺

Follow me on Pinterest to get more techie ideas:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Augmented Reality Children's Books That Will Engage Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Augmented Reality Children's Books that will engage students. Grab a phone, iPad, or tablet and spice up your library with these titles that would be great for the elementary classroom!

# data[].attributes.body
7 Must Read Augmented Reality Children's Books

This article introduces several suggestions for AR books to use in the classroom and why they can be good for young learners.

This would obviously be helpful in my classroom because it gives me ideas. Lesson planning for such young classrooms can be hard so getting ideas from other teachers can put me a step ahead.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Discover the magic of AR books for kids

Calling all trailblazing teachers!

Are you ready to embark on a literary adventure like no other? Augmented reality children's books are here to revolutionize how kids learn and play, and they're taking the classroom by storm.

In this blog post, we'll dive into seven must-read AR books for kids that will spark their imagination and make learning an immersive experience.

Buckle up, educator extraordinaire, because we're about to set sail on an augmented reality escapade!

Preschool to 3rd Grade

Teaching kids about manners and social skills has never been more thrilling, thanks to Monsters Have Manners. This monstrously entertaining book is filled with engaging AR elements that bring the monsters off the page via QuiverVision.

As children navigate through the pages, they learn important lessons about politeness, kindness, and friendship.

TeacherGoals Tips

Invite your students to a Monster Manners tea party! Have them dress up as their favorite monster and practice their best monster etiquette.

Use this book as a springboard for role-playing activities where students practice using good manners in various social situations.

Once you have grabbed your copy of Monsters Have Manners, make sure to download the FREE accompanying activity book here.

Trust us, it'll be a monstrously good time!

Pre-K to 3rd Grade

Get ready the highly anticipated Peter O'Meter is now available! This book promises to be a delightful treat, with engaging AR features from QuiverVision and a story that will captivate young minds.

Book comes with lessons on social-emotional learning, self-discovery, and what to do when your buttons get pushed. After you grab your copy make sure to download the FREE activity guide here.

TeacherGoals Tips

Explore PETER's retro-futuristic world with this interactive site to see the animated robots, flying machines, and fanciful architecture that Tricia is dreaming up for her augmented reality story.

You can even try scanning the book cover design using the Eyejack app to watch it come to life.

Grades 4 to 8

Calling all future engineers and inventors! Tom Swift Inventors' Academy takes AR books for kids to the next level, combining an interactive story with engineering activities.

Join Tom and his friends as they explore the world of invention and technology. This book offers valuable lessons about STEM and encourages problem-solving skills, making it the perfect resource for teaching STEM in the classroom.

TeacherGoals Tips

Host a classroom invention fair inspired by Tom Swift Inventors' Academy! Encourage students to create their own inventions, either individually or in teams, based on concepts from the book.

You can also use this as an opportunity to introduce students to basic engineering concepts and invite guest speakers from the field to share their expertise.

Grades 4 to 8

Dive into the deep blue sea with Ocean Monsters! This book contains stunning AR visuals and detailed information about different creatures that inhabit our oceans. Through interactive activities, readers learn about ocean conservation, species diversity, and the effects of climate change on marine life.

TeacherGoals Tips

Turn your classroom into an underwater wonderland by decorating with sea-themed artwork and assigning projects where students research more about the animals featured in Ocean Monsters.

Organize a field trip to your nearest aquarium or use virtual resources to explore the depths of the ocean. Don't forget to discuss ongoing environmental issues and brainstorm ways to protect our oceans.

Grades 4 to 8

Prepare for liftoff with Space Race! This book is perfect for aspiring astronauts, as it covers the history of space exploration and introduces key figures who helped make space travel possible.

Through interactive AR elements, readers can explore the solar system, learn about cutting-edge technology, and even take part in missions to space.

TeacherGoals Tips

Organize a virtual field trip where students visit NASA and other space agencies to learn about current space missions and discoveries. Invite guest speakers who work in the aerospace industry to share their experiences and inspire your students.

Assign projects covering the history of space exploration and encourage students to explore their own dreams of venturing into the cosmos!

You'll be completely carried away by this moving tale about the healing power of stories. The illustrations in the book are captivating with its nod to the silent film era. The pages were originally brought to life through animation using an app that is unfortunately outdated but captured in this video from the author.

TeacherGoals Tips

Grab some popcorn (an maybe some tissues) and watch the academy award-winning short film made from this beautiful augmented reality storybook. This will inspire you and your students to treasure books and the stories they tell.

Bring AR Into Your Classroom

As you can see, augmented reality children's books offer interactive, immersive experiences that can engage and excite students in the classroom. These AR books provide vivid visuals and detailed information about their subject matter, allowing readers to explore different topics in depth. They also encourage problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and creativity.

So why not take the plunge and introduce these game-changing AR books to your classroom? Your students will thank you for igniting their imagination and taking their learning to new heights!

Want ideas for more books for your classroom? Check out these:
Want to grab all the books featured in this blog?
Check out our Amazon Idea List with all our favorite AR children's books here.

What are your favorite augmented reality books? Share in the comments below.

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
7 Must-Read Augmented Reality Children's Books

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover seven augmented reality children's books to inspire creativity and learning in your classroom. Explore how AR books can transform lessons, engage students, and create immersive educational experiences.

# data[].attributes.body
Wordle in the Classroom- How Teachers Are Using the Viral Word Game

This article discusses how the Wordle game is becoming more and more relevant in classrooms. It gives lots of ideas as to how it can be implemented into all levels of learning.

This article is helpful to me because it shows how the game can be adjusted to suit young learners. It gives the suggestion of making the game 3 letters rather than 5.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When historians look back on 2022, chances are Wordle will dominate at least a piece of the conversation. Everywhere you turn, the word game with its now iconic green and yellow squares is there, and that includes inside the classroom! Teachers across the US are putting their own twists on Wordle to teach phonics, vocabulary, and a whole lot more. Wondering "how do you use Wordle in the classroom?"

We asked teachers to share some of their clever Wordle ideas for teaching!

What Is Wordle?

Maybe you've managed to escape the hottest craze since the popping fidget toy? Wordle is, in short, a viral word game in which players are given six chances to guess a five-letter word. Guess the wrong word but have a few of the letters correct?

If the letter is in the correct spot, the box containing the letter will turn green - letting players know to reuse that letter right in that spot.

If the letter is in the final word but not in the correct spot, the box will turn yellow, letting them know they can try again.

If the letter is just plain incorrect, the box will turn grey, so players know not to use it again.

The word game was created by Josh Wardle (hence the name), a Welsh software engineer who introduced it to the world in late 2021. By early 2022, Wardle's game became so massively popular in such a short amount of time that it was scooped up by the New York Times, which now runs its own version.

Kids have started playing the game on their own, and teachers have too. So it was only a matter of time before they took it and made it their own!

How Teachers Use Wordle in the Classroom

Whiteboard Wordle

It was a student's question that prompted Emily Halbig to create a Wordle-type board on her classroom whiteboard. The sixth-grade ELA and social studies teacher from Watsonville, California was asked by a student if she played the popular game, prompting other kids in the class to pipe up with questions.

"I did one with them and they were hooked," she told Teach Starter. "I remember one of the first days they got it on the last line and the cheers were so loud it was like they'd won the Super Bowl!"

At first, Halbig was using Chrome to play the real thing with her classes, but soon students were arriving in her classroom having already figured out the answer on their own devices.

"I figured I needed a way to come up with my own words and saw another teacher had done it on chart paper. So I thought why not make a reusable whiteboard version?" Halbig said.

As for where she gets the words from - this exercise is all about the students. Each student wrote five-letter words on index cards, and Halbig pulls at random from the stack to determine the daily word. To keep the kids on her toes, she mixes things up so period one students get words from period three and vice versa.

CVC Word Fun

The original game may be all about five-letter words, but no one said you can't drop the box count down to three to practice CVC words with your younger learners! Draw out six lines each of three boxes for young students to write in their words, and you can use green and yellow markers to mark yellow and green.

Want to make word mapping more fun?

If you have bright-colored magnetic tiles in your classroom - the type kids use for building small structures at playtime - grab the green and yellow tiles, and you've got the perfect thing for some on-on-one CVC fun Wordle style! Bonus: The tiles will even stick to your whiteboard!

Draw on Unit Vocabulary

New Jersey school librarian Beth Thomas saw an opportunity to build on unit vocabulary when she noticed kids were playing Wordle on the Chromebooks in the library. With a group of seventh graders researching Lewis and Clark's expedition in her middle school library, Thomas told Teach Starter she opted to start using five-letter words related to the topic at hand - river, canoe, and so on.

"The kids got really excited about trying to solve the puzzle and had all different strategies (many use adieu as their first guess because of all the vowels)," she said. "I kept telling them they had to use what they were learning about the Expedition to help them make good guesses."

Thomas is already fielding suggestions from students that incorporate the subjects at hand, and she's planning to keep it going.

"A student who comes in frequently during lunchtime had an idea for the one on the day we returned back from President's Weekend: penny because Lincoln is on it," Thomas said. "I will definitely be asking more students to pick the daily Wordle to see if they can stump their friends, and I am already planning on how to incorporate it into other research projects: ecosystems, Ancient India, social justice topics, etc."

You can check out Thomas' series of Lewis and Clark Wordle charts on the school library's Instagram.

Dry Erase Wordle Charts

Don't want to take up space on your whiteboard with your Wordle-type game? Fourth grade teacher Drew Kelley created a dry-erase version for his classroom with standard anchor chart paper! Kelley laminated the paper, and it's the perfect activity for students to work on together while he's working with students during intervention time.

"They use dry erase markers so I can erase it every day after they are done," he explained.

Kelley chooses the words himself, tying them directly into topics he's covering in class.

Dig Into the Archive

New to Wordle, and want to give the original a try? There's just one new World released per day, but you can play old games in the Wordle Archive for free. This makes a great bell-ringer activity for kids on your classroom tablet!

Other Wordle-Like Games

Looking for more fun twists on Wordle for you - or for adapting in the classroom? Give these free games a try!

Looking for more word fun for the classroom? Give our Toggle game a try, and let your students create as many words as they can find!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Wordle in the Classroom: How Teachers Are Using the Viral Word Game

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When historians look back on 2022, chances are Wordle will dominate at least a piece of the conversation. Everywhere you turn, the word game with its now iconic green and yellow squares is there, and that includes inside the classroom! Teachers across the US are putting their own twists on Wordle to teach phonics, vocabulary, and a whole lot more.

# data[].attributes.body
How Teachers Are Bringing the Magic of Worlde Into Their Classrooms

This article gives several ideas on how teachers can bring the Wordle game into their classroom.

I can use this because it not only gives ideas but also has links to templates and other resources to bring to my own classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Have you caught the Wordle bug yet? The entire WeAreTeachers staff is playing the daily word game, and we can't get enough. As there are obviously some great learning extensions with vocabulary, critical thinking, and phonics, we asked teachers to share how they're using Wordle in the classroom. Here's what they had to say.

Play a super-sized version on the whiteboard (bonus points for lamination)

I found a good use for the laminator. The 5th graders are beyond excited! #wordle pic.twitter.com/9ls8lPJSoz

- Christina Nosek (@ChristinaNosek) January 24, 2022

Teacher Christina Nosek posted on Twitter that she's been playing Worldle with her fifth graders on the whiteboard. "All you need is chart paper, a marker, a ruler, and a laminator," she says. "What was really cool was all of the discussion this sparked around letter combinations, vowel combinations, and why some things work and some things don't. We had such fabulous discussion about how words are made while we played."

Don't want to DIY? Check out our printable Wordle template

You can print it big or small depending on your needs. The rules of Wordle are simple. You choose a five-letter word of the day. Your students have six guesses to get the word. Cross out incorrect letters in their guesses, circle letters that are correct but not in the right spot yellow, and circle letters that are correct and in the right spot green.

Use Scrabble tiles to add a kinesthetic element

My own third grader has been playing Wordle and likes to have an offscreen place to do some thinking-either a notepad or an assortment of Scrabble tiles, which makes it easier for him to "see" his guesses and potential solutions.

Choose your own word of the day in a digital version

MyWordle.Me is a free site that lets you choose the word and share your customized game with others. Check out this great list of other Wordle variations your students can play, too.

Try an app version first thing in the morning

Many of the adult Wordle lovers we know play to start their days, and it's a great bell ringer for students, too. "We play in homeroom every morning," says Katharine P. "I've gotten several students to download an app that plays the same game called What Word? "

Do you have other ideas for using Wordle in the classroom? Please share in the comments.
Get the Wordle Game!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Teachers Are Bringing the Magic of Wordle Into Their Classrooms

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Have you caught the Wordle bug yet? The entire WeAreTeachers staff is playing the daily word game, and we can't get enough. As there are obviously some great learning extensions with vocabulary, critical thinking, and phonics, we asked teachers to share how they're using Wordle in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.body
QR Codes in Education

This article discusses the many benefits of using QR codes in the classroom. It says that it can make things easier for both student and teacher, save time, and improve the quality of education.

While I can't really bring any of this information into my classroom, it is important to know.

# data[].attributes.body
12 Amazing Ways to Use QR Codes in the Classroom

This article gives many examples on ways to incorporate QR codes into the classroom such as learning stations, virtual field trips, and art galleries.

This article is helpful to me because most of the examples given are suitable of elementary classrooms.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Technology is here to stay, and there is nowhere that's truer than in classrooms from Pre-K through college. QR, or quick response, codes are one way to bring technology into your classroom and make learning more interactive and accessible. Students can use iPads or other school devices to give the QR codes a quick scan, bringing them to learning materials and activities that will enhance your classroom curriculum. There are numerous free online QR code generators to help you get started.

Here are a few fun and easy ways to use QR codes in your classroom.

1. Make learning stations

Place a few QR codes around your classroom that will take your students to short videos that reinforce concepts or websites that give further instruction and examples of what you're teaching.

2. Provide extension activities

Teachers always have one or two students that tend to finish everything really fast and then get bored. Have a few QR codes that provide extension videos, activities, or challenges so those early-finishers can stay engaged while everyone else finishes.

3. Check answers

Create QR codes that link to the answer key for assignments. When used selectively, students can check their answers, see what they did wrong, and then correct their mistakes.

Have a few QR codes that connect to photographs of what you're teaching so students can get a visual picture. You might include a picture of the brain when teaching about the human body or include photos of various historical landmarks when teaching important events in history.

5. Go on virtual field trips

Enable students to go on virtual field trips with just one scan! Now your students can have zoos, botanic gardens, famous places, and locations around the world literally at their fingertips.

6. Make book reviews

Add a few QR codes to your reading area to help students explore books they might be interested in reading. You might also use them to provide lists of books similar to the ones your students already love.

7. Streamline research

Create a file of information for your students to access and then make a QR code that links to all that information in one place. This saves the time of your students having to do research and directs them to the types of credible materials you want them to rely on.

8. Set up a digital gallery

Give parents and other loved ones a chance to see student work by making a digital gallery. Take photos of great examples of work, art projects, and other activities and make a slideshow others can access using a code.

9. Communicate with your students

Take a video of yourself explaining an important concept or, for younger kids, do a read aloud. Provide a QR code that takes students to the video.

10. Copy the museums

Many museums have little cards or displays that give important information about what you're seeing. Copy that idea in your classroom and around your school. For example, you might hang up important landmarks in your state or town with QR codes that provide historical facts, or you could hang up photos of the teachers in your school with ones that link to interesting facts about them.

11. Create fact cards or invitations

If you have an important school event coming up, such as parent teacher conferences or a holiday concert, make a QR code that links to all the facts you need your families to know. You might also make one with all the information families need to be successful in your class. Send the QR code home with students so parents know exactly what's coming and when.

12. Save paper

Instead of printing every single piece of paper you normally would, make QR codes that explain project expectations and deadlines, provide your syllabus, and more. You can also make them for your yearly school calendar and hot lunch menu, or give them to parents when they need all that important back-to-school information.

However you use QR codes in your classroom, your students will benefit. Start with the basics and some some fun with it!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
12 Amazing Ways to Use QR Codes in the Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
QR, or quick response, codes are one way to bring technology into your classroom and make learning more interactive and accessible. Students can use iPads or other school devices to give the QR codes a quick scan, which can take them to learning materials and activities that will enhance your classroom curriculum.

# data[].attributes.body
Using AI in the Preschool and the Elementary Grades.

This article shows just how relevant AI is in even the young classrooms. While it has its faults, it is something that should be taken advantage of.

This article recommends, for younger grades, using AI to create stories. I think this is a fun way to bring AI into my classroom. It allows the students to hear stories that they have never heard before keeping them engaged and interested.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Using AI in Preschool and the Elementary Grades

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These tips for using artificial intelligence with younger learners guide teachers to age-appropriate exploration of this technology.

# data[].attributes.body
Embracing Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom

This article gives ways to embrace AI in the classroom. I think because AI is so new and has so many unknowns it can be scary to try and use.

The information in this article is important for me to know because it will help me to use AI in my classroom while also keeping my students safe and giving them the best education experience possible.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Although there is a huge amount of interest in generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the consumer world, particularly since the release of OpenAI's free ChatGPT program last November, in the hallowed halls of academia the response has been more wary. Concerns abound about academic integrity. There are also worries about how AI-generated content can be biased, inaccurate, and sometimes contain entirely false information, dubbed "hallucinations."

The cautious response is to be expected according to Houman Harouni, lecturer on education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a former elementary and high school teacher. He has compassion for educators trying to grapple with a rapidly shifting world shaped by machine learning.

"Technology creates a shock," he explains. "This shock is sometimes of a magnitude that we cannot even understand it, in the same way that we still haven't absorbed the sharp shock of the mobile phone."

Harouni has long wrestled with the impact of cutting-edge technology on education, including experimenting in his own classroom, and is convinced that when it comes to teaching "the medium is part of the message." He believes that getting school students and those in higher ed to engage with virtual worlds is essential.

"Where we want to get to is a place where you're dancing with it, dancing with robots," he says.

If the idea of waltzing with a robot creates apprehension for educators, Harouni has some advice :
1) Stop pretending that it doesn't exist
Educators must "help the next generation face the reality of the world and develop instruments and ways of navigating this reality with integrity," Harouni says. Students are well aware that technologies such as ChatGPT exist and are already experimenting with them on their own, but they need guidance about how to use them responsibly.

Teacher education and professional development programs should not ignore generative artificial intelligence either.
2) Use AI alongside your students
Engage with generative AI tools with your students in person, when possible. Otherwise, share AI-generated responses to questions during class time and ask students to consider them or have students experiment with the technology at home, document their experiences, and share them with the class.
3) Teach students how to ask the ChatGPT tool questions
"The educator's job is to understand what opportunities are left open beside the technology," Harouni says.

Teach students to do what artificial intelligence cannot do. For example, unlike robots, we can ask ourselves questions and that is what students need to be trained in: to know how to ask questions and to learn how to critique their own questions, frameworks, and the answers generated by AI, he says.

Students can start with topics and questions that they are interested in and ask ChatGPT for answers, he suggests. The knack is then getting them excited about asking follow-up questions. Harouni uses a personal experience with his 10-year-old stepdaughter and his newborn baby to illustrate his point. When his stepdaughter asked him why he kept telling her to be careful with the baby, Harouni turned to ChatGPT to help her to get to the bottom of her question.

"My creativity as the teacher or the parent at that moment is to say, 'What is it that you're really trying to ask? What is it that you really want to know?'"

While ChatGPT churned out a "whole bunch of answers about the fragility of the baby," with some patience, Harouni helped his stepdaughter discover the question that she truly wanted to ask which was what she could safely do with the new baby. "At the moment that the exploration [with AI] ends with the answer, you know that your work as a teacher begins," he explains.
4) Use generative AI tools to spark the imagination
One frequent concern about generative artificial intelligence is that students will use it to cheat and avoid the hard work of thinking for themselves, but Harouni says that tools like ChatGPT should really challenge teachers and professors to reassess the assignments they give their students.

"You have to stop thinking that you can teach exactly the way you used to teach when the basic medium has changed," he explains. If students can turn to ChatGPT or other AI language models for quick and easy answers then there is a problem with the lesson, Harouni believes.

"We have to create assignments that push [students] to the point where they have to question what is the framework that is being used here and what would it mean for me to radically change this framework," he says.

Harouni recently wrote about how he used ChatGPT to spur higher-level thinking among his students at HGSE when he presented them with a challenging case study that had no easy solutions. The students' initial responses were no better than the chatbot's ideas. Instead "it was after ChatGPT reflected to the students their failure of imagination that they could begin to think of options that they, or any automatic language scrawler, would not have readily reached for," he explained in a co-authored article for Wired.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Embracing Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Generative AI tools can reflect our failure of imagination and that is when the real learning starts