Chapter Recap

• Finding information can be quite challenging for early learners. Typing in a long URL is difficult. An alternative way to share instructional materials is to use QR codes. 
• Scanning a QR code saves time by taking students directly to the site, image, or video that they need for the activity or lesson.
• Learning centers should be fun, engaging, and differentiated and should strengthen literacy skills while building independence.
• Consider balancing screen time with hands-on activities for learning centers.
• The author explains the following activity ideas for centers: 
  • Listening centers using Google Forms.
  • Letter/sound identification using QR codes.
  • Phonics sorting with, the flipped-classroom platform, Seesaw. Refer to chapter 4 for more details about Seesaw.
  • Digital sight word books.
  • Read the room with iPads.

Using QR codes to help students access text being read aloud can help support comprehension and fluency. As early elementary students are still learning to decode words, listening to what fluent reading sounds like is very important. INFOhio has licensed and purchased eBooks with a read-aloud feature where students can listen to fluently read books.

Try out this example. This QR code will take students to the book Amazing Elephants, one of the Capstone eBooks. Listen to the text being read aloud. Here is the URL you would put into a QR code for students to find this book: https://www.infohio.org/document-library/item/educator-tools/?evlCode=cp1410996862.

Not all read-aloud books feature human voices. Some use a robotic voice instead. Use only text samples read by human voices to help students achieve their own reading fluency. Instead, share books like the ones above with human voices that include expression, intonation, and rhythm. 

Pause and Do

• Browse through the following resources from INFOhio that offer books being read fluently:  BookFlix, Highlights Library, or Capstone Interactive eBooks.
• Using one of the QR code creators from Chapter 8 or one that you already know about, create a QR code to share an entire collection or an individual title with students. 

The article Sharing Premium Content from INFOhio: What Link Do I Use? features directions for linking your students to eBooks and instructional materials from each INFOhio resource. 

Reflecting on Your Learning

Answer the following question in the Professional Learning Book Study: Building Blocks for Tiny Techies Open Space group Discussions. Find the Chapter 9 reflection question in the Discussions tab. Reply to the thread and review other participants' responses.

1. Does your school already offer a personal device for every student? If so, were you overwhelmed initially when using devices to help your students get resources? How did you overcome this?
2. Have you ever used QR codes with your students? If so, what did you use them for?