My QR Code Cube!!

When trying to think of ways I could implement QR Codes into my lessons I thought of an idea to have a QR Code Cube! A Cube which, on each of its' 6 faces, would have a different QR Code that would link to either a different resource/task/website etc.

Originally I wanted to create a Lego QR Code Cube like I did with my Lego QR Code that I previously blogged about http://mrcollinsmaths.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/my-lego-qr-code.html. However, I couldn't think of a way to actually create this where the cube would be able to be rolled and stay in tact (as durable as Lego is I doubt it'd withstand being chucked around my room all year).

So, having gone back to the drawing board, and with a lot of help from Miss Moore** (who's currently about to start her teacher training in D&T, has a degree in graphic and digital design and is generally very arty) I (she) came up with the following*...

 

How amazing is it!! :)

 

How I plan to use it is as follows, at the start of some of my lessons, perhaps one a week (I'll call it something like 'random wednesdays') I'll get a student to roll the QR Code Cube and they will then generate a starter activity for the class to do - whichever face the cube lands on will be the QR Code the student then scans [using my iPhone if they don't have a smart phone with a QR Code scanner on it].

 

Each of the 6 codes I have created (using http://www.qrstuff.com/) link to a simple plain text when scanned that tells the student what the starter will be. The choices are:

Maths DJing

Chris Moyles' Quiz Night Video

Times Tables

Numbercrunch

Pair Off Quiz

Random Name Generator Choice

 

The Maths DJing will be one of my Maths DJing clips where students listen to the clip and then work out the sum of the numbers mentioned in the lyrics of the songs that I have mixed together.

 

The Chris Moyles' Quiz Night Video will be one of the Maths Clips from the shows that were on channel 4.

 

The times tables will be a simple 10-20 questions from the times tables up to 20 x 20.

 

The numbercrunch will be a long sum to calculate like you get in the daily newspapers i.e. 7 + 4 x 3 -13 + 28 / 2 etc etc.

 

The pair off quiz will involve me getting the class into pairs and then using the IWB double buzzer tool I found and blogged about previously will ask them questions (in their pairs one at a time) based on the previous lesson or topic we are about to study.

 

The random name generator choice will involve me putting up the random name generator for that class and then the person it stops on will get to choose what starter we do, whether it be one of the choice above, or something else we have done in class that the student liked/likes.

 

Hopefully this will engage my learners, keep them on their toes, give them some say into the content of their lessons etc. I will also have my Lego QR Code in my classroom, which links to my YouTube channel and I'm hoping this will encourage them to visit the channel and watch the videos on their to help them with their revision.

 

The good thing about the cube is that now it has been made (thank you Miss Moore) I can easily change the QR Codes as I see fit. If anyone else has any ideas as how I could use this I'd love to hear from you (@mrprcollins) or leave a comment below :)

 

*The cube was made my layering foam board, making it soft enough to not dent the floor of my classroom and durable enough to last being thrown around the room. It was then covered in newspaper paper mache style and then covered with the codes/white paper/cuttings from leftover coloured paper.

 

**I am encouraging Miss Moore to get on Twitter ASAP to share her ideas etc throughout her PGCE year, I will provide her @ on here if/when she sets her account up :)